Here is my letter to them. PLEASE take the time, write & call them
Mr. Nichols & Mr Myron.
My name is John Rogers, I currently live in Washington and grew up on the Oregon coast in Lincoln City. I am a small business owner, avid fisherman, and father of (2) great daughters that cherish our family steelheading trips. In fact for the last several years my most cherished Christmas present has been a family steelheading trip on Christmas eve.
I can not express to you in words how upset and frustrated that our DFW's, both Oregon and Washington, have requested to allow an increase in the steelhead kill from 2% of the run to 6%!. I don’t believe that a commercial fishery is in the best interests of either state based upon the economic impacts of the commercial versus sports fishing and the revenue that is generated from each industry from this fishery, that is matter of my opinion. I can not see what benefit would come from allowing an increase in the mortality rate on a ESA listed fishery.
There are other methods of commercial fishing that would reduce the mortality rate of the steelhead in the commercial industry, yet they are not implemented or even considered, and now they want to increase it. Why are we not working on helping them decrease the % of mortality is beyond me. I understand, not agree, with the states need to BALANCE the fishery between the commercial and sports fishing community. I don’t see how with increase rules and restrictions on the sports fishing industry, most if not all of which I agree with, like barb less hooks, not removing the fish from the water, limited seasons and so on. For the DFW to ask for an INCREASING the commercial mortality % is not working towards a balance, reducing the % is.
Both Oregon and Washington's DWF own biologists suggest that the proposed increase would likely result in the extinction of the Toutle River wild winter steelhead.
I would like you to consider this in making your decision and so NO to the increase and see if we can help them reduce the percentage of mortality rates with fishing methods that are currently available today.
Sincerely
John Rogers
J.R.
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PSASnoKing.com