Email A State Rep.Today So You Can Fish Tomorrow

[freespool]

URGENT REMINDER



Dear NSIA Members and Friends,



Now is the time for quick and important action. The sportfishing closure of the Columbia from Bonneville to Tongue Point for fall chinook punctuates just how out-of-balance and unfair the allocation process is. While commercial gillnetters continue to fish we’re left on the bank watching at a cost of millions of dollars to our regional sportfishing/tourism industry.



Attached, you’ll find a copy of a recent article (Sunday, September 18th) from the Oregonian that reflects the prevailing sentiment of sports anglers from around the region.



IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, PLEASE FORWARD THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR STATE (not Federal!) SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE IN WA AND OR!



NSIA is asking you to be part of the solution and contact your state legislators today, and forward this article. That is, your state representative and senator and let them know from you just how much these decisions hurt your business. It is the only way we’ll see change any time soon.



Our fish and wildlife agency staff(s) continue to feel that “equitable” means 50/50 when, in fact, there are thousands more sport anglers and tens-of-millions of dollars more economic benefit generated from sportfishing and tourism. We continue to draw the short straw in this process and it needs to be fixed now.



For more than two decades we have tried to work inside the process and with the commissions. Today, we need to let our legislators know what’s going on. They can’t help us if they don’t know. The fact that millions of dollars of revenue are being left on the table, people will be out of work and tax revenue is being lost should serve notice that this is an issue they need to pay attention to and get involved in.



Let’s be clear here. We have no intention of putting the gillnetters out of business. The market will ultimately dictate whether they have a viable business model or not. We just want our fair share. The non fishing public can still obtain salmon from the Ocean Troll Fleet, and the Tribal Fishermen, but our entire region is being short-sheeted by these types of closures that turn so many away. The commissions need to hear from your legislators, we believe, that is the only way we can change how this process can better serve us…right now it is broken and this closure is evidence of just how broken it is.



Please join us and contact your legislator today. You can find them easily by calling (in Washington) 1.800.562.6000. or visiting http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature to find your State Senator and State Representative (not Federal). In Oregon, call 1.800.332.2313 or visit http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/findset.htm. Change is difficult, and will not happen unless literally hundreds of you call and write. We know the current processes are not working for our region. Pick up the phone or write a quick letter, and together, let’s make things better. If you need help, call NSIA toll free 866.315.NSIA, or call Carl Burke in WA 360-480-5920 or in OR, call Phil Donovan at 503 522 3023.



At the very least, forward the enclosed article today, with a short, polite note or phone call from you. The Legislature cannot fix the process unless you tell them it is broken! Otherwise, nothing will change. Thank you


If we do not let these people know how we feel, nothing will ever change.



salmon hugger

[Rock Stick or Fish]

Email sent as follows:

I would like to address my concerns as a a sport fisherman. I feel that the current Salmon allocation methods just don't make sense. The sport fisherman make a tremendous economic impact as we buy Oregon made boats from Oregon dealers and spend our vacation days and dollars locally chasing our fish. To quote the North West Sportfishing Association "Our fish and wildlife agency staff(s) continue to feel that “equitable” means 50/50 when, in fact, there are thousands more sport anglers and tens-of-millions of dollars more economic benefit generated from sportfishing and tourism. We continue to draw the short straw in this process and it needs to be fixed now." As my representative could you please work to ensure that we can chase our fish and spend our dollars supporting Oregon businesses.

RSF

[StickFish]

Fired off my own version just a few minutes ago

[Rimshot]

Done

[PapaHog]

I wrote my own letter as I could not find the article that you said was attached. I am computer challenged.

State representative knows that I support the sport fishing industry and that he needs to support it also.

I never said it in my letter but sport fishers can also vote and we need to vote for representatives that support our fishing interest. To include conservation and habitat issues.

I will keep doing what I can in this effort.

papa

[Ethical hunter]

Habitat is the key and it is the only real issue we should focus on. We need representatives that are habitat friendly. Without the proper habitat conservation we are lost.

50/50 is what it is. Its fair and we sportfishers should accept that we took our share.

HB

[PapaHog]

Habitat is the key and it is the only real issue we should focus on. We need representatives that are habitat friendly. Without the proper habitat conservation we are lost.

50/50 is what it is. Its fair and we sportfishers should accept that we took our share.

HB

Where did the 50/50 thing come from. What makes it ok for a handful of gill-netters to get half the fish. Limit them to one fish a day and let them fish the same days as we do.

papa

[garyk]

An awful lot of Ifishers live in Sen. Betsy Johnson's district which stretches from Sauvie Island to Astoria.

She listens to her constituents and needs to hear from us (YOU), here's her contact:

E-Mail : sen.betsyjohnson@state.or.us

[SHLEPROCK]

Do any of you know what percentage is given to commercial and what pecentage for sportfishing for the total salmon harvest of the Columbia River Salmon would be if you were to include ocean and in-river fisheries?

[steelheadslayer]

HB, I agree that habitat needs to be taken care of religously in order for wild runs to come back. BUT, I have said repeatedly, if you want fish to spawn, you need to have the fish make it back to their spawning habitat. Sporties and netters alike take a good chunk of the fish. Let's look at the economics. Sportfishing creates millions of dollars more for the states coffers than netters do, it's been proven by a past issue of STS, I don't know where it is right now. If the states want to increase their revenue, they'll know it when they start looking a little harder where the outdoor dollars come from.

[iwanttofish]

ttt