Good post Joe (Superfly). I would love to join you in buying Mr. O'Connell lunch and discuss some of these issues in a civil and productive manner (hope you don't mind me inviting myself along too ). My questions here were hard questions, and contained accusations of wrong doing on the part of tribal fishers. It was criticized as being confrontational by Marty M. on the same thead on ifish. If it was taken that way accept my appology. Also know that we have on both fishing websites been addressing wrong doings by sportfishers too (snagging and litering), just as aggressively as wrong doings by some Indian fishers. My questions were posted because a representative of NW Washington Indian fisheries is here to communicate. I would still like to get the answers to how the gillnetting is monitored and harvest numbers recorded; and how those counts compare to sportfish harvest. That is the big question, and I do not see it as being confrontational. In fact, it is information that should be our right to know, given that we pay for most of the fish harvested and are 50% of the Treaty and Fed. Court equation. It needs and deserves answering for the future prospects of the two sides of that issue to get along better! Just as with the issue of unlawful sportfisher actions getting proper resolution suggestions here, so too would it be good for information and solution suggestions to come from all sides of the Treaty fishing matter; to come to a healthier fishing community of all factions involved.

Mr. O'Connell, I hope you will reconsider answering at least the main question above for us here. And also hope you will accept having lunch with Joe and I - or fishng with us and have a good healthy discussion and a fun time while we are at it . If felt appropriate by both parties, I will have the communication involved published in STS magazine (where I am a columnist), which reaches the region's sportfishing community. You can e-mail either of us via the icon at the top of the post boxes. BTW, my AOL addy there will soon be canceled and my current newer addy is reeltruth1@home.com

Thanks so much for your time and consideration. Take care. - Steve

[ 10-04-2001: Message edited by: RT 1 ]