I wonder if there is a 'trade' we could offer. The Indians really want slot machines in their casinos because they are the highest revenue producing game. The State won't allow it. Here in Colorado, slots are in all the casinos so it obviously is a state by state issue. Certainly, the tribes could profit far more off of year around slots than seasonal sales of fish for a buck a pound, less operational costs. I would imagine they would come out way ahead on this deal.

The way I see it, if your going to allow craps, blackjack, pulltabs (isn't this paper slots?), then who cares about one more game in the casino? They come out ahead and their people are better off, and the resource gets a huge windfall by not allowing nets. The commercial guys would have to be bought out, but I'm sure most of them have a price that would make that possible. It worked in Florida, Louisiana, etc. and now their fish populations are rocketing and they are a tourist destination, thus reaping huge dollar rewards per fish (THIS IS THE KEY, DOLLARS PER FISH).

Thoughts?

Steve

One more thought. People will wonder where the money would come from to 'buy out' the commercial guys. That is an easy call. With all of the netting pressaure off of the fish, we would see the need for hatcheries diminished over the very short future. The millions we pump into them year in and year out could easily go to the buyout program. Nobody likes to see jobs eliminated, but sometimes thats the way it goes (downsize our state gov't? how dare you). There should be enough savings to slide a number of those jobs over to fisheries enforcement, which would be nice.


[This message has been edited by Steve J (edited 12-08-2000).]