Oregonian:
Do you truly believe that politicians are immune from the cash flow from commercial interests? Or that the interests of the local commercial fishers are not seen as the interests of the larger, more affluent commercial fishers (read that as the big guys help fund the little guys' battles as they perceive a loss here as a threat to other bigger, fisheries)?
That is why the citizens of Washington created the current Fish and Wildlife Commission to at least try and take management of our resources out of the hands of the politicians.
By the way, you failed to respond to my question about what would happen to those high end restaurants if CR springers were not to be available to them. Is your failure to respond an acknowledgment that I was correct???
And where are most of those discretionary dollars? I opine that they are in the more affluent communities. And, yes, some of those discretionary dollars, if not spent on fishing, will be spent on something else either the same day or on another day. But as JohnQ has suggested discretionary dollars potentially spent fishing in Ilwaco, Westport, Neah Bay or Sekiu simply don't get spent there in some form of alternate activity. So while the State may see that as a discretionary wash those depressed economy communities really do suffer.
You might want to check with Grays Harbor County's Chamber of Commerce as to the value of the fall and spring razor clam seasons that draw thousands to the beach. Or do you already know the answer to that too?
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Remember to immediately record your catch or you may become the catch!
It's the person who has done nothing who is sure nothing can be done. (Ewing)