* We saw how they respected sportfisher's rights concerning the excess Columbia Spring Chinooks last spring! You don't suppose .....

FISHWIRE ADVISORY: A new issue of NW Fishletter (No. 111-10/10/2000) is
now online. Fishletter in Summary is a new feature of this advisory
notification. Subscribe/unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this
message. Fishletter is available at http://www.newsdata.com/enernet/fishletter/
--- FISHLETTER/97 IN SUMMARY:

[1] NEW PROBLEM FOR NORTHWEST: TOO MANY FISH
Fishermen and policymakers got together in Portland last week to discuss
ways to catch next spring's expected surplus of hatchery fish. One
unofficial estimate put the number of returning fish at more than 300,000,
with some saying it could be double that number. The head of Washington's
Fish and Wildlife agency said state lawmakers are questioning why the
state pays for hatcheries if no one can catch the fish. Tribal members
balked at attending the session, but showed up after the conference was
expanded to include discussion of hatchery and fish supplementation
issues.

* If they are having any problems figuring out what to do with all those fish, I think we can help them out with an idea! Right?!? Now with up to a half million springers coming up the Columbia next spring, which will dwarf the 190,000 unexpected big return last spring, what kind of excuse could the NMFS and Columbia Tribal Commission possibly come up with to keep us from having a big long mainstem springer season on these excess fish? We should have an open season thru the spring on those fish we paid for, at least up to Bonneville Dam! And a bigger "bubble" at the mouth of the Wind River. The states still have a lawsuit hanging over the "Unfair Pair" in regards to this profound issue. Stay tuned on this one! - RT




[This message has been edited by Reel Truth (edited 10-11-2000).]