The latest news on next spring's Columbia chinook negotiations is that the "Unfair Pair" are trying to stick sportfishermen with a paltry 0.5% ESA impact allocation again; on an expected great return of 300,000+ springers (from a reliable source within).

That's a grim outlook, but not totally unexpected; particularly on the part of the Columbia Tribal Commission. It is unfortunate that the Fed. government, via the NMFS, sides with such a radical one sided interpretation! I hope that the state's lawsuit against the "Unfair Pair" gets us a least a 2% impact. Because it will be litigated under federal jurisdiction I think you could be right about a bleak outcome for sportsmen.

THIS IS GROSSLY UNFAIR! I also completely agree with you that we need lots of letters sent to our Congressmen! Jennie has a link from the Ifish mainpage to a page of State Senators and Representatives. Can someone post where to write to Washington Congressmen below this? Thanks.

I have written letters. I have made several public internet posts protesting this rediculous 0.5% allocation for fish that we pay for via taxes, fishing licenses, and tax on fishing related good and services. I tried to organize a protest rally last spring at Cascade Locks. If apathetic sportfishers won't make a small sacrifice to attend a rally for your deserved rights, then at least give back with a small amount of your time and write your Congressmen, telling them that the Col. Tribal Comm. and NMFS Col. fall and spring salmon allocation agendas and mandates are very unfair. That we have paid for these fish. That Indian gillnets kill all Fed. ESA protected native fish that swim into them. That sportfishers can fish selectively by releasing all native fish with adipose fins intact so that over 90% of them can successfully spawn. That even a 2% allocation to non-Indian fishers is not enough to be fair to us, but 0.5% is unacceptable and enough to cause a significant voter backlash in future elections!

Good numbers of letters mean something to our Congressmen. Great numbers of letters move them to action on our behalf! They can and will influence the Fed. factions that are in control of the NMFS. Very IMPORTANTLY, the Col. allocation issues aren't the only thing a letter campaign will affect. It can and will affect some Congressmen's input and voting on federal budgets for NW hatcheries! So please get going on this right away people. These decisions will be made in the near future, not next spring.

* I also make a call for someone with the time and leadership, perhaps from such as one of the Chapter Presidents of the Association of NW Steelheaders, to put together another attempt at a protest rally. It needs to be at the appropriate place and time, and given enough time and publicity to draw big numbers of fishermen. Liz Hamilton and Buzz Ramsey of NISA would be great to contact at Luhr Jensen in Hood River for info on the most effective way to go about this. They were enthusiastically helpful in suggestions they made to me last spring; it was just too short of notice for many and very unfortunately apathetic for many others. Let's take the opportunity and get after this one! - Steve Hanson (RT)


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Know fish or no fish. - RT



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