Originally Posted By: eyeFISH
The first major target that CCA-PNW has put on its agenda is the lower Columbia gillnetters. Seems like a noble first target for a pro-sport conservation group. What I have seen posted by the anti-CCA crowd over the past year or two is that we REALLY need to be careful what we wish for. Here is the ANTI's mantra in nuts and bolts.

1) Don't wish the CR commercial fishery off the river. They are the main reason hatchery fish are being produced in any significant numbers. If the commercial fleet goes away so will the hatchery plants.

CONCLUSION: a vibrant commercial fishery is necessary so that there will be hatchery fish for us to catch. More for them, more for us.

2) Don't wish for the elimination of non-selective gillnets... that'll just allow the commercials to catch a bigger portion of the available hatchery fish.

CONCLUSION: Gillnets are necessary to keep the commies from maximizing their catch potential given the allowable ESA impact. Less for them, more for us.


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Please clarify if these are not the positions being articulated by the ANTI's.

If you take 1) plus 2) you get the status quo.

Is that really what you folks want for our fish?


The hatchery fish are not going anywhere, despite what GL says...they are paid for by Mitchell Act funding that is in place as mitigation for the dams, they are not there to feed a commercial fishery.

For about the 100th time, I want non-tribal commercial fishermen completely and utterly off the LCR...gone.

As far as #2 goes, that's kinda right...those pushing the selective commercial fishery seem to be under the impression that killing the same amount of wild springers, while killing four (or more) times the amount of hatchery springers will somehow be good for fish and fishing, when in reality it will have no effect on wild springer numbers or recovery, and will make sportfishing considerably worse.

If I were just to put on my wild steelhead advocacy hat, then I'd be all for this plan...it will certainly be better for wild steelhead, since they have to all be released, anyway...any technique that releases them better will be better for them.

If the CCA would come out and say "This will be good for steelhead, and even though it won't help salmon and will make salmon fishing for hatchery springers worse, we're supporting it to help wild steelhead", well, at least they'd be telling the truth.

Every year these BB's fill up with springer fishermen whining about how bad the fishing sucks when the nets were in the night before...just wait to hear the whining when the nets were in and caught four (or more) times as many hatchery fish before you got to go fishing.

I guess we can just blame it on the sea lions?

Fish on...

Todd
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