I know that some of you people really get passionate about catch and release (i.e. Salmo and Todd), but will it REALLY resolve our declining wild steelhead runs PROBLEM in the coming future (show us the science)? This isn't a loaded question, and I believe that there are many others out there that would also like this same question answered.

Things like this statement really make many of us wonder what WSC is really up to;

"I wish I knew where the idea came up that the WSC is intending to do away with hatcheries. It's been in several editorials and articles in newspapers and magazines. As I said above, if anyone has a question about what the WSC stands for, please...READ THE MISSION STATEMENT!!!"

I have just reviewed and reread the "WSC mission statements", and I am still very confused on what is its long term goal really are. The way that I read it, it appears that "WSC" wants to protect wild steelhead forever from harvest, Am I correct? If not, when can harvest occur again? I see that the WSC has not yet set any goals for any harvestable fishery in the near future. So what does that mean? Protection to what extent? Is WSC against any harvest of all of Wild steelhead, no matter what their escapement levels may become? If so, why have they not stated so? Is it true, that WSC wants to protect wild steelhead from harvest forever, or is it just the goal of WSC to protect wild steelhead populations until they can reach a "harvestable self sustaining level"?

The WSC mission statement is very unclear to me and others, and I believe that many other fishermen will look at this organization as just another "PETA" type of organization if WSC does not CEARLY STATE what their "long term goal" really is! I say that because of the wording that is listed directly below.

Well, Salmo and Todd, I have reread again the "Policies and Actions of the WSC; to increase fish runs, more wild fish must return to their rivers and spawn. To that end, the WSC promotes year round, catch and release of all wild steelhead in the Pacific Northwest."

Well, how long do you guys propose to promote "that C&R" and will it be needed to do it forever to achieve your goals? What are your numbers that are needed to sustain a harvestable fishery in our state, or do we just C&R forever and forever?

Apparently, your members may have been afraid to state such a long term goal in the very begining, but who in their right mind, would want to just to catch and release, and look at these fish forever other then people like PETA? We are humans, we kill, we eat, and we survive, and yes, fish are part of our survival!

Maybe you guys are one level above many of us, but loose your great paying job, and come back to the real word!

The world is not yet totally run by people who are governmentally supported and who can run down to the nearest fish and chips and buy their dinner, or eat just veggies!

Now please Salmo, and Todd, what exactly are the "WSC long term goals"? If you guys can do it right, you may gain a few new more board supporters. If you can't answer these simple, basic questions, then you guys are fighting an up-hill battle, and you probabaly already know it. Is it always going to be c&r, or is it going to be some type of sport fishing harvest allowed in the near future?

One last question;

"The WSC stands for the mass marking of all hatchery steelhead, and for science, not politics, to be the basis for the re-tooling of hatchery practices." Is that really what WSC stands for?

Give us a break! Isn't WSC just another political organization to inhance c&r of wild steelhead?

Please don't get to pi$$ed off (again), just give us the answers that we all can understand, and maybe, just maybe, we can support the unstated "long term goal of WSC"!

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????