Besides changing the mandate of the Commission, here's another idea to kick around! We should be considering multiple attacks to be going on at the same time. If we can do that, they will have to the pick the lesser of the two evils to fight use on! We must learn to "play the game" as they do, if we expect to beat them at their own game! If we loose at one front, the other front becomes even stronger. If forces them to deal with more then just one choice, and they will have to deal with making a decision on the "lesser of the two evils" (in their eyes).

If its jobs that killed the last anti-netting initiative that was on the ballot a couple of years ago, lets deal with that issue. Why not pass an "anti-netting initiative" that addresses this issue. There could be an answer, even though some "sport" fisherman may not like or accept this idea!

Why not allow sport fishermen to sell their catch of salmon and sturgeon? What better way would you create jobs, and at the same time, save the indiscriminate taking of wild or protected species or stocks of fish? I'll bet you money that the tribes would probably have heart failure if we were to pass such an Initiative! It would only allow sport fishers to harvest by hook and line, and that just might be the key that could force the tribes to do the same! Even if you couldn't force them into using the same fishing methods as sport fisher's use, you would certainly place upon them the public "burden" to change their ways of "harvesting", and that should also affect what share of the pie they should receive!

The allotment of harvestable fish would not change, only the "method of harvest" and who is harvesting it would be changing. Fishermen could sell their extra portion of their catch and make a little money to spend at the same time. That extra money could help to increase or generate new jobs in the sport fishing industry to help compensate for the few jobs that may be lost in the commercial net fishery industry. Those same commercial people could still fish for a living, but they would be required to compete with the sport fishers. It could also help eliminate the need for hatcheries in some of the areas where "hatcheries" are being misused for the sole purpose of rearing fish to support only the needs of commercial interests.

Just think of the corruption that would be removed from the politics of the commercial fishing lobbyists. The same fishing rules and same laws would apply to all fishers, instead of the double standards that currently exist. All of these points could be used to support this new initiative. The State could save millions by not being forced into buying back those "limited" gill net licenses.

I know that there would be many problems in working out this idea, but it's a whole lot better then just doing nothing. Can you add anymore to kindle the "spark" that just may start the firestorm, or are you one of those people who just want to "hose" down every new idea or new approach?

I know that this idea is only a "spark", but sparks have been known to start huge firestorms!!

What can you do to kindle this spark…any suggestions?


Cowlitzfisherman