OK... attended the inaugural Oly Chapter meeting tonight... now officially the Capitol City Chapter of CCA-WA, complete with newly elected officers.

Where is CCA headed on pertinent local issues? Here are six areas where the organization has taken an OFFICIAL position, as outlined by distinguished Govt Relations Co-Chair Frank Haw.

1) Promote and advance harvest reforms that mandate the use of truly selective techniques. HINT: gillnets ain't gonna git'er dun.

2) Spearhead efforts to salvage derelict "ghost nets" that continue to fish and kill years after they were initially "lost". This will be tied into a an education campaign that challenges everyday folks to consider how those nets got there in the first place and whether that is really the best way to conduct responsible fisheries.

3) Restore FULL federal funding of lower Columbia River hatcheries to fully meet the legal obligatons mandated by the Mitchell Act. CCA STRONGLY supports the role that hatcheries play in conserving and sustaining salmon stocks. (Feeling better now, Keith and Jerry?)

4) CCA urges more stringent monitoring of developing commercial fisheries for bait/forage species (ex. sardines) to ensure that their impacts on the forage base are within reason AND to ensure that the fishery is reasonably "clean" in terms of by-catch of junvenile salmonids.

5) HARVEST MANAGEMENT: Hold managers accountable for their pre-season run-size forecasts. Commercial fisheries are often managed on the basis of fixed harvest/exploitation rates to harvest to the very last fish. When applied to an inflated forecast, the potential for a front-loaded OVERHARVEST is greatly increased (HMMM .... 2008 CR springers ringing any bells?) The predictive value of forecast models must be made more accurate..... but until they are made so, managers should make every reasonable attempt to err on the side of caution and CONSERVATION. Moreover, the available harvestable surpluses of a commonly held public resource should be distributed to maximize economic benefits to ALL citizens.

6) Maximize the delivery of marine-derived nutrients into riverine ecosystems by 1) setting greater escapement goals for wild-spawning fish whose carcasses are naturally distributed throughout the ecosystem, and 2) expanding programs to artificially distribute hatchery carcasses (or processed carcass analogs - i.e. salmon pucks) into nutrient-deprived systems. (HMMMM .... isn't that all of them?)

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OK folks, there they are... take your best shot at the organization now. If you can't agree that these are worthwhile objectives, then the CCA is NOT the organization for you.

If you believe these are noble goals to pursue, then get on board. What are you waiting for?

And so as NOT to be confused with any so-called "$25 experts".... I am the fishNphysician, concerned sportsman, proud CCA member.... and I APPROVE this message!