Here's a short article in Sunday (09-09-01)Seattle Times about Columbia River gillnetters giving their catch away.


Fishermen can't find buyers, so they're giving fish away

ASTORIA, Ore. — Columbia gillnetters are giving fish away rather than selling them at prices they say are too low to make fishing worthwhile.

Fishermen gave 60 salmon to Dignity Village and homeless shelters in Portland on Friday.

"We have to make friends with people we might be joining," said Paul Takko, a fifth-generation fisherman.

More salmon are on their way to lawmakers in Olympia and Salem as the fishermen try to gain attention and refuse to open their commercial season, which would have begun last week.

Fishermen said the salmon symbolize the season's sour market and lack of tariffs on foreign farmed fish.

"There's a ton of fish in our bay, but we can't even make a dime on them," said Jack Marincovich, executive director of the Columbia River Fishermen's Protective Union.