This ran in my local paper the other day

Sport fishermen already getting enough

By Jerry Lowe

In 1995 and again in 1999, the voters of Washington state rejected initiatives favoring the sport fishing industry. Now, once again, these same selfish folks are trying to take our salmon away. This time under the veneer of conservation rhetoric and with the support of state Rep. Liz Pike, we now have a bill introduced in the Legislature that would effectively put our salmon into the hands of the privileged few.

There are close to seven million of us now. Why can’t we craft a bill that will spread this precious resource among as many citizens of Washington as possible?

Collectively, the recreational fishers contribute about 17 percent or approximately $25 million a year in license fees, not enough to cover the cost of steelhead and trout management by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Yet still, they want all the salmon as well.

Rep. Pike states that the public, represented by the commercial fishermen, is given preferential treatment concerning timing and seasons over these license holders. In 2014, recreational anglers could fish for Chinook salmon in Washington 365 days. In the Columbia River they fished for spring salmon for three months before the commercials got eight hours. In total, commercials fished for 51 hours and the sports fished almost five months. In the Columbia River summer fishery the sports fished the entire time and commercials fished 56 hours. To say the WDFW has limited recreational opportunity is not just a twisting of facts, it is a blatant falsehood.

In Willapa Bay, commercial fishing has been restricted more and more each year for the last 20 years while preferential treatment has been given to the recreational fishers. Now they have over 100 days, a net-free zone and a two pole endorsement. Yet Rep. Pike characterizes this as constrained. She also states that the recreational fishers contribute vastly more income to our area’s economy. Have you been to Willapa Bay, Ms. Pike? Where might you see this contribution? Bay Center? South Bend? Raymond? Tokeland? These are places where the entire communities have been devastated by WDFW recreational policies.

In October of 2014, at Top Foods in Aberdeen, coho salmon were selling for $80 apiece. Whole Chinook salmon were available in the Pike Street Market in Seattle for about $400. At these prices how many fish do these people, who hide behind the adjective of “sportsmen” really need? Bass fishermen are considered sportsmen but labeled persona non grata if they kill one. Hunters are happy and content to get one deer a year. Yet these fishers never get enough. Lots of them get 150 salmon a year and some catch over 100 Chinook. And Rep. Pike wants to give them more.

So where do we go from here? Instead of your bill, Rep. Pike, I suggest we increase the recreational license fee to more accurately reflect its true value. The original catch record card would have space for six Chinook and 10 coho. If an additional card is needed, it would have space for 20 salmon and would cost $1,200 instead of $12.

Hatchery production of steelhead should be curtailed and salmon production should be enhanced. These policies would benefit the state in many ways and help spread this beautiful resource among the people of our great state, instead of the chosen few.

Jerry Lowe is a resident of Ocosta.