So what are your thoughts about NOAA?

1. Wild Fish Conservancy sued WDFW because WDFW did not have our HGMPs approved and in place. NOAA had over 11 years to go over these and chose not to due to them so they would not get sued. So they let WDFW get sued instead. Admitted in Senator Pearsons hearing. All hatcheries are now in jeopardy.

2. North of Falcon, I was on the phone (PSA) the entire negotiation in California with our PSA salmon advisors. We said no deal. They came back with you do not have the power to say no. So what good is all of the hard work by WDFW staff and all of our advisors? This was to be a co-managers meeting. Where is the "Co" and what does negotiation mean? Both of those to me say, we do have power to strike a deal. But are told otherwise.

3. NOAA sent a letter to WDFW about concerns on our 11 inner halibut days impacting those ESA rockfish. There is a meeting in Port Townsend to deal with halibut on a possible halibut closure in MA 7-10. This letter talks about impacting ESA rockfish while halibut fishing and recs possibly going after deepwater Lingcod where ESA rockfish might be. So while we might impact a handful of fish max, there are literally hundreds of tribal longline sets, equating to thousands of hooks on 1500' sets allover the straits and San Juans. The tribes are required to keep their rockfish if they get them on the halibut longline sets. But yet we are the ones being monitored.

We still have deep water derelict nets in the Puget Sound that are not removed deeper than 105'. These nets can impact those fish. Seals and sea lions completely are out of check and wiping out our fisheries. Cormorants and other birds are eating our salmon fry by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, but yet it falls on the backs of the recreational fishers of Washington state.