With all that has happened in recent days around fishing and the closure confusion over what why how this happened is present to say the least. So I feel the need to share this with folks. I received an email from a guy I met years ago and we have some things in common both being multi tour vets of the war in SE Asia. He asked if I could give him a call and so I did. Guys that was the most difficult conversation I have had since the my last one with my wife before she passed.

So to boil the conversation down he wanted to know why we had let the agency do this heavy-handed closure. Why did the bankie take the brunt? Why did he pay for two licenses and not be allowed to fish? At this point I was more than a little defensive, confused, and frankly a more than a little angry. In the middle of this I had a moment of clarity and asked him just who was this “we” thing? Why you GH Advisors he fired right back and you’re the one who has always tried to get a fair shake for the river fishers. At this point I was beside myself and explained as far as I knew the GH Advisors had been fired by the Director. Not true was his response I sent the link to your email to see it. So I did a C&P with the link he sent and there it was the GH Advisor list. https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/about/advisory/ghsag/gh_salmonadvisorygroup_2019_update.pdf

Then this, the nets are in for 5 days! Oh no was my reply, you go look he said which I did and sure enough off the WDFW website the QIN are in 16,17,18 followed by NT commercial 19th and 20th. That is a complete violation of the Grays Harbor Policy.

I was stunned and I want to say this. I want to sincerely apologize to those who depended upon myself and the other Advisors to represent them. I had no idea that folks did not know that the terminal Rec fishers had no input into the harvest process other than that phony ZOOM crap. I had no idea that WDFW continued to utilize us on their website. I had not done up the commercial days both tribal and NT on the calendar because I simply believed that staff would not violate the policy. Again folks I apologize to all for my shortcomings on this as I did not pay attention, trusted staff, and I failed you all miserably. My short comings as a person are many but I have always tried to make sure the inland fishers got a fair shake and again I failed you all miserably.

If I were still an Advisor I would have urged caution on this year’s harvest which I did in the ZOOM thing. Also when faced with the early Coho movement and the possibility of problems with wild Chinook I would have supported an emergency rule change but not what came down from WDFW. Closed above Fuller Hill, yes it was the correct move. The Satsop could have been closed above the old highway bridge which would have afforded the protection Chinook needed but allowed reasonable opportunity for the bank fishers. On the Wynoochee it could have been closed above or near the railroad bridge upstream, just down the road from Region 6 offices, allowing some bank fisher opportunity while protecting Chinook.

In my mind it is Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Losee that are responsible for what has transpired and I cannot believe the Director did not sign off. I give to all my word that I will seek answers to all the questions surrounding this year’s terminal fisheries. As a former Deputy Director once said on a similar issue “it is not one of WDFW’s finest moments”. I think we can all agree on that!