I have received information from a very reliable source that Senator Bob Oke has called a hearing for Feb. 7th @ 1:30 in Senate hearing room #2 in Olympia. He has an agenda that should concern all sports anglers. He is encouraging as many sports anglers as possible to attend. He has requested that WDFW Director, Commissioners and Tony Floor attend.

1. He would like to make it mandatory to have impartial observers placed on all commercial fishing vessels in areas 10/11 to monitor commercial bycatch.

2. He wants to address the decline of blackmouth production/opportunity and the 10.00 Puget Sound Enhancement (blackmouth) charge that we have all been paying for so many years.

3. He has threatened to take measures to repeal funding for the blackmouth surcharge if sportsfishers are not allowed to fish for these fish.

4. He was quoted as saying: "It's time to draw a line in the sand, we want what we paid for."

I must be dreaming?!?!?! Is someone finally getting the clue that we are getting screwed??? How many years have we been paying this "enhancement fee" only to see production and opportunity steadily decline? You can bet I will be taking the afternoon off. I hope we can pack that room.

Looks like Jim Bain had gotten the same info that I did. Didn't see his post until I made mine.

I encourage anyone who can not attend this meeting to take the time to send Bob Oke an e-mail with your thoughts on these issues. His e-mail address may have been incorrectly posted in Jims post. It should probably be oke_bo@leg.wa.gov.

Dan

[This message has been edited by Dan Cody (edited 02-01-2001).]