Sauk closure impending [Re: N W Panhandler]
Todd Todd
River Nutrients


Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 4892
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA NWP,

The problem withthat is this: The vast majority of existing CCA members are of the opinion that gillnetting is what is responsible for limiting our fish runs and fishing opportunities. They also think that they can end tribal fisheries.

A handful of CCA members here can't even be convinced to spend five minutes researching the problems to see that there is almost no commercial fishing even going on around here in inner Puget Sound and that it has very little bearing on fish runs...how do you expect a few educated people to convince your "thousands", especially when they aggressively do NOT want to be educated?

So long as the vast majority of the CCA thinks that, then that's what the CCA will focus on, and the CCA will enjoy very limited success, for several reasons.

First, even if they did get a "win" (remember, a win is a win, right?), they won't win jack around here in Puget Sound...commercial fishing just doesn't have much to do with our miniscule run sizes.

Second, the CCA will have virtually no impact on tribal fisheries, period.

Why would I want to waste my time and energies? On the flipside, why would anyone else? Vast numbers of members advocating for the wrong things won't help, and in fact may detract from the work being done on the actual issues here in Puget Sound.

Fish on,.,.,.

Todd
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Todd, I understand your concern, and it is mine also, but think of what good such large numbers can have when it comes to allocation, and management. Surley with that many people we should be able to cause some change for the better. Forcing better comanagment would be one of my first goals. I believe Billy Frank once said after one of his meetings, LET US LEAD YOU OUT OF THIS MESS , those are not exactly his words at the time, but seem to be what has lingered on in my head. Sure my thoughts were, let the fox in the hen house, he will take good care of them. Seems like most of the hatchery steelhead run up at Forks, wound up in indian nets this year, what ever happened to 50/50, and now the talk of all the miscounting going on by the tribes. I do expect the cca will go after nets on the columbia, and maybe willipa bay, but ;I am hoping for more than that. One more time, the members of cca will be directing the nw cca, and members with your knowledge are sorley needed to push in the proper direction. I am not looking down on anything anyone has been doing, and i dont want to detract from their efforts by any means, I just believe that large numbers of members can better influence our government officials such as they are, maybe even Hatfield.