Even my friend Eddie says that the Boldt decision is the law of the land so we must just live with it. I do not agree. I agree that it is the law and I do agree that treaties are federal and therefore cannot be changed by anything a state does. I do not agree that we are stuck with this lopsided attempt at reparations. The politics of appeasement and "feel good" political correctness has gotten us in the fix we're in across the board. The state of Washington has far more power to control our fisheries than is being put to use at this time.

I must say that getting along is preferable to going along. In that I mean that we can probably work with the tribes without letting them have carte blanche to do whatever they please. Alaska is starting to feel the pinch of creeping "rights" being excercised by the tribes up there. Traditionally non-tribal fisheries like King crab and sea urchin harvest are now under the 50% umbrella. It starts small and is growing and growing and growing every year. Under the bleeding heart liberal lack of leadership in this state we have watched the tribes virtually take control of the WDFW and the North of Falcon season setting process.

What do we do? The hardest thing for sports fishermen to do in the world! Get involved. Step off the sidelines and join a club, write letters, express your opinion to politicians and for heaven's sake VOTE....Find out who your friends are in politics and vote for them. Find out who your enemies are and vote against them. Discover the facts about tribal excesses and document them and inform your elected officials.