Writing from an Oregon perspective and having been involved with both winning and losing initiative campaigns...

For initiatives, unless you have a deep-pockets funder you need a broad coalition behind you. The Assoc. of NW Steelheaders couldn't generate the support for their 'Ban Nets' attempt, largely because conservation groups viewed it as a social issue -- one of allocating the harvest -- as opposed to strictly a conservation issue.

In the intervening years, I haven't seen a change in the public's perception. It's a NON-issue to the nonfishing public.

As a prior post says, and I agree, a gillnet license buyout is probably the most practical way to achieve this goal.

Conservation groups are having success with this buyout strategy; from the Loomis (sp?) forest purchase in Washington, to purchasing waterrights and grazing permits in Central and Eastern Oregon.

So how many Columbia commercial gillnetters are there 30?, 50? Would most accept a $50,000 cash buyout? If so, for about $3-million you might be able to relegate commercial gillnetting on the Columbia to the historical artifact that it should be.

It will take leadership, however, and there do not seem to be fishing organizations - at least in my neck of the woods - who are willing to step up to this issue.

Fun topic to talk about though... at least we do something well.

[ 11-14-2001: Message edited by: GaryK ]