Jerry-Todd- Bob- Double Haul
Well since WSC can not or will not answer the above 5 question at this time, here are 11 more questions on the WSC website that also needs to have reasonable answer before people will give them any more support.
"The Wild Steelhead Coalition was formed by a concerned group of citizens whose goal is to reverse the decline of returning wild steelhead by solving the problems that they face. Over-harvest, poor hatchery and management practices, and habitat degradation have caused the decline of wild steelhead in the Pacific Northwest."
6) What does WSC intend to do once it succeeds in reversing "the decline"? The WSC Mission Statement does not say what WSC will do as far as future "harvest opportunity" is concerned, or what will be the target for recovery success. This makes the WSC goals very unclear, and makes it Extremely difficult to support.
The WSC is comprised of concerned citizens determined to reverse the factors that have negatively impacted wild steelhead, and in so doing, restore healthy and viable populations of wild steelhead to the Pacific Northwest
7) Again, WSC does not show or say what those "healthy and viable populations and numbers of wild steelhead are. How can WSC restore them when they do not even know what those real numbers are?
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
8) Why is it that WSC purposed "To increase fish runs"? If not to increase sport harvest and oppertunity? What are WSC real goals? It also appears that "the WSC promotes year round, catch and release of all wild steelhead in the Pacific Northwest" How can WSC justify catch and release of "all wild steelhead", even when there are many wild stocks of steelhead falling below escapement needs or levels?
The models and policies that drive fisheries management must significantly change. Maximum Sustained Harvest and Maximum Sustained Yield have failed to protect and perpetuate our wild fish, and in many cases have been the driving force behind their decline. New models that are based on factors other than the greatest possible harvest of wild fish are necessary to return fish runs to safe levels.
9) What "New Models" is WSC recommending or proposing to be use?
In promotion of these goals, the Wild Steelhead Coalition is an organization that provides a voice that unites the public, private, and other interests who desire and depend on wild steelhead. The WSC provides a voice for recreational fishermen, businesses whose livelihoods depend on recreational fishing, recreational fishing clubs and conservation groups, united in common goals, through consultation, association, and collaboration with those clubs and groups.
10) WSC says that "The WSC provides a voice for recreational fishermen" What voice did WSC "provide" for the "recreational fishermen" who enjoy harvest?
#1 Objective: 2002 Wild Steelhead Summit
Action Plan:
A) Many factors beyond harvest affect the health and survival of wild steelhead and must be recognized, better understood, and corrected.
11) What has WSC done to better understand and "correct" the survival of wild steelhead besides lobbing for c&r?
B) Develop a list of discussion issues needing action to improve/recover wild steelhead runs.
12) I could not locate this "list" on the site. Did I miss it? If so, where can we find the list that shows these actions that WSC is proposing to improve and recover the wild steelhead?
Business Plan:
B) Determine if an alliance between the organizations can be developed to take collective action (s) on specific issues
13) It would be nice if WSC would tell us and its members who these "alliances" are. Did WSC develop any "alliances" when they lobbied the commission for year round c&r, if so who where these "alliances"?
Harvest models have failed wild salmonids in the 20th and 21st centuries as they are too simplistic and do not account for environmental variations, the role of life history diversity in population resilience, and other factors that are critical for sustaining healthy wild salmonid populations (freshwater habitat degradation, negative impacts of hatchery programs, etc).
14) WSC states "Harvest models have failed wild salmonids in the 20th and 21st centuries as they are too simplistic and do not account for environmental variations" What models does WSC have, or propose to use to correct this problem? How does WSC intend to account for environmental variations"? What is WSC Plan?
Ocean and terrestrial productivity continually changes without notice or prediction, and this has major impacts and changes in salmonid populations. The only way to plan for these changes is to manage wild stocks much more conservatively than they have been with “maximum sustained harvest (MSH)” guidelines.
15) WSC said "The only way to plan for these changes is to manage wild stocks much more conservatively than they have been with “maximum sustained harvest (MSH)” guidelines.
What beside c&r does the WSC propose to use or do to "manage" all wild stocks with?
The life history of wild steelhead is far more diverse than most other salmonids. Seasonal runs, multiple year classes within a run, repeat spawners, juveniles that spend 1 to 3 years in the river, a riverine only component (rainbow trout), and river specific genetics, if protected, will provide resiliency and stability to these fish, even during poor environmental cycles.
16) If the above WSC statement is really true and accurate, why is it then that WSC proposed a statewide ban on the "all harvest" of all wild steelhead in "all rivers", even if they are not experiencing poor environmental cycles?
I got a few more questions, but this should be enough for right now. Once these questions are fully answered, maybe more people will support WSC.
Finally, Todd you said "along with the other two dozen or so groups involved in the last three Steelhead Summits"
Will you please post a list of who these 2 dozen groups are? I for one would like to see who the supports are for statewide wild steelhead release is. People like to know who they are sleeping with, if you know what I mean
Cowlitzfisherman
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