Rob,

You are a passionate advocate for the natural resources we still have intact. I wish there were more like you. But I have to finally call you on something, and a few others that miss the point also, that is often brought up when the over-netting that Indians get away with against Federal law is a posted issue. >

As much as I detest the few blatant poachers out there, and as much as I want more enforcement available to curtail snagging, litering, and private property abuses ... the fact that they occur DOES NOT mean the majority shouldn't be addressing the wrongs of bypassing Treaty and Federal mandated laws that are stealing fish we have paid for and have a right to our fair share of! In fact, all of those above things have had many of their own long threads!

Don't you recall the many long threads about non-Indian snaggers, literers, and poachers on here and other BBs? Of course you do. Yet I haven't seen you come into those threads and say we shouldn't be addressing those non-Indian wrongs because the NMFS and Indians are cheating and breaking Federal law (which is the opposite of what you are doing here)! Quit making these things a matter of race and a matter of who angers you the most; and which wrong should be addressed first. They all need to be address together - now. And are being addressed. ... This thread is about the LAWS and about modern era FAIRNESS! It is not a subject that should be put on the back burner while we complain about a few poachers some more. >>>

Phish, there are at least 4 organized efforts with some money and some Wash, DC lobbying efforts toward getting fair allocations for NW sportfishers. They are the RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance), NSIA (Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association), ANWS (Association of NW Steelheaders), and WSA (Wild Steelhead Alliance). You are right about needing to organize our efforts. You can join and contribute to any or all of those organiztions to help accomplish what you suggested in your post. So thanks for bringing that up. But it's not enough! We also need many thousands of letters to our Fed. and state reps so they know that a lot of people will be voting for candidates with fair fish allocations as a part of their platform agendas! Why won't more fishermen do these simple and inexpensive tasks, that are not very time consuming? I'm not asking anyone to do something that my friends and I haven't done. I have joined 3 of those 4 organizations and donated time and money to their causes on our behalf. I have written many letters, one of which I got a personal letter back from Oregon Senator Ron Smith that I posted the previous year on ifish, saying he would persnally look out for the Columbia situation. We need more than him from our 2 states. It wasn't that difficult to do. It will be easier on a less involved level. What will it take to get the majority of sportfishers off their lazy asses to do a little for a cause that can bring a BIG RETURN of fishing opportunity on your small amount of time and contribution invested?!?

Excuse me cranking so hard about this. It's a passionate and frustrating subject.

RT