Urgent Action Meeting on Fall Gillnet Quotas on CR

[freespool]

What: Joint State Compact Meeting to set Commercial Fishing Seasons for the Columbia.

When: Thursday, June 28 @ 10:00 am

Where: 1300 Franklin St. 6th floor Vancouver, Washington

Click here: Map of 1300 Franklin St Vancouver, WA by MapQuest

The States of Oregon and Washington will be meeting to set seasons for fall chinook and coho commercial fishing in the Columbia. NSIA will have both Government Affairs Directors at this meeting, and they will need your support in discussing the 2005 fall chinook fishery that is about to begin. Needless to say, it is important for the departments to hear from the sportfishing industry and our customers, because there are literally thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in the balance with these decisions.

We have not seen the models yet for this fishery, but are concerned about the continued crafting of front-loaded, industrial-sized fisheries that jeopardize weak stocks, and jeopardize stability in the sportfishing tourism economy.

This fishery is an opportunity for the departments and the sportfishing industry to generate sorely needed revenues, not only along the 140 miles of mainstem river below Bonneville, but all the way up into Washington State and throughout the Northwest. A stable, predictable, open fishery in August and September is worth tens of millions to Northwest Communities, and needs to be the highest priority of the States.

NSIA did not support the sharing agreement with the commercials, nor did we support a fishery that models out for a one chinook bag. We wanted a two fish bag for the models, because if the fisheries had to be adjusted, we could go to a one fish bag. If adjustments are needed with a one fish bag, the next step back is closure, NSIA felt that this was simply to risky for a fishery with such huge economic implications.


Yours in service,

Liz Hamilton, Executive Director
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
PO Box 4
Oregon City, OR 97045
NSIALIZ@AOL.COM
503 631 8859
866 315 NSIA toll free
503 631 3887 fax


For all of our members that have asked about when these important fish meetings occure.
Next Thursday July 28 at 10:00 am.
If you do not like the way ODF&W and WDF&W are managing our Columbia River salmon stocks, then here is your opportuity to speak your mind.



salmon hugger

[freespool]

bump

[boom_fish_on]

Maybe folks that can attend should speak up...especially considering how many "rants" about gillnetters that have been posted recently...

I can attend and hope that other Ifishers will be present, maybe a meet and greet in the next week?

[Seefood Man]

TTT

[txaggie]

Next thursday is July 28th.

[crabbait]

Is your opportunity to salmon fish worth a half day of vacation time?

[garyk]

Is the JULY 28th meeting at the same location?

<Ooops, I see the meeting info in the pinned thread at top.>

[HANDLINER]

I see the netters get another 10 hr day on the 25th of july.

[iwanttofish]

Every time we turn around the counts drop to nothing just to feed them there fish and take more and more. We just can not win I am tied of it but I have to work on that day and have tree home inspections already booked. Who do we write to or how do we go about hiring a lobby person to represent us. The last meeting I went to I sat ther half the day and heard nothing and ther mind was already made up.

Please lets get together and get this on the ballot so that we can try to get the nets out all they do is to take from the river and I sure do not see anything much going bask into the economy. If you go to the store today do you see any of our great local fish NO you dont so where does it go.


How do we get a lobby person and get them out.I know I can get hundreds of signitures on a ballot how about you guys. I will stand on the street and get signitures.

Mike Huppi