WDFW. . .what a Hypocrisy!

Sometimes I have been accused of "being down" on the WDFW and maybe that may be true! But one can only stand so much hypocrisy before they burst!

I just downloaded the new 2003 WDFW fishery regulations and I was reading what was stated on page 7. It said:

"STATEWIDE CATCH AND RELEASE AWARENESS DAY
AUGUST 30 2003
On this day anglers are encouraged to release their catches
Experience the thrill of sport fishing while voluntarily preserving our fish"

You noticed it said "their catches" and did not say release "wild fish"! Now wouldn't it be just grand if the WDFW would walk the talk and ask the gill netters to voluntarily preserve and release "our" fish on a similar "peck day" of their "gill net fishery"? Why is it always the "sport fishermen" that the WDFW is asking to "preserve" when it is the gill netters who take and damage the most?

As usual, we are being asked to preserve, while the commercial boys are being encouraged to take! And you wonder why we have listed species!

Hypocrisy. . . at it's best!!!


Cowlitzfisherman

maybe its to make up for all the fish that were taken on the "free fishing weekend" ?

Couldn't agree more man. Imagine how much better fishing would be on some of the rivers, (i'd love to see this on the green) if the netters pulled out.

Get your facts straight! I don't have any problem with some good old fashioned government bashing, but at least get your facts straight.

The WDFW has no juristiction over the tribes. So far as I know the only the tribes fish the green river. Remebmer the boldt decision? The tribes get half. Its the law. If you have a beef about the way the commericals are managed thats legit, but make sure you know whose nets are commericial and whose are tribal.

the tribes are supposed to get half, true, but do they, you dont see me catching over 100 fish a day on my rod, will you see 100 silvers in a net on the lower duamish....hell yeah you will...i dont catch many fish at all, but do i support the local fishing economy? hell yeah, but do the tribes, hell no (altho they do run some of the hatcheries) but they are federally funded..my tax dollars at work to feed the casino's....

Cowlitz,

I just gotta chime in. (I can see you shakin' yer head from here )

ONE STINKIN' DAY! Ya got 364 others to bonk your limit, ya can't just voluntarily C&R 1 day?

Hell, if you hate the idea so much, don't fish that day!

The commercials are extremely limited in the amount of days they can legally fish Washington waters. Sporties can legally fish some body of water somewhere in the state 365 days a year! Ain't that enough for you?

I'm pretty sure that the Cowlitz is one of those bodies of water that NEVER closes!

Think of it kinda like the"Great American smokeout." To raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, the American Cancer Society asks that you voluntarily give it up for one day a year!

There's NO conspiracy here. WDFW is trying to raise awareness about a fisheries management technique that, due to declining fish populations and increasing human populations using the resource, will some day probably be the only game in town if you want to go fishing!