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#227475 - 01/12/04 09:36 PM Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
ReiterRat Offline
Gearhead

Registered: 12/10/99
Posts: 482
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Oregon Commission Votes Against Oregon Sportfishing

In a decision that shocked the Sportfishing Industry, thousands of anglers and several Oregon legislators, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to reduce sportfishing in the Columbia River to support a struggling gillnet industry.

The Commission reduced the Spring Chinook sport fishery by up to 28%. Ultimately, they determined that the commercial fleet needed a larger share of the prized sport fish because the netted wild fish cause twice as many mortalities in the commercial fishery than the sport. Wild fish are released from both fisheries, while abundant marked hatchery fish are kept. Nearly twice as many released fish die (18.5%) from the nets as from a sport caught (10%). The rates are even higher for the wild steelhead tangled in the nets.

"This is an outrage to the community that funds OD&FW, funds conservation, and does all the heavy lifting for agency budgets" said Dan Grogan, President of NSIA and President of Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor. "This ruling is a joke in a time when Oregon desperately needs jobs and the state agency needs license dollars. Portland has one of the highest unemployment rates of any city in America!

This curtailed fishery will probably match up with last year, and be reduced to 150,000 trips. We could see a loss of 50,000 trips, or $5 million in economic opportunity.


The commercial net fishery in the Columbia is the last gillnet fishery anywhere in the lower 48 states. The bulk of fresh Columbia River Spring Chinook salmon are sold through terminal fisheries, which have very little impact on ESA listed stocks and through Indian treaty fisheries above Bonneville Dam. Last year, only a few thousand fish were caught in the controversial mainstem net fishery.

Once again the sportfishers are getting screwed by the state !!!! Please call or write to any or all of the following.


Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission 360 902 2448
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission 503 872 5276
Dr. Jeff Koenings, Director 360 902 2947

Governor Gary Locke 360 753 4110
Governor Ted Kulongoski 360 378 3225
C/O bob.nichols@ofm.wa.gov or nancy.biery@gov.wa.gov


Write a letter to the Fish & Wildlife Commission expressing your support for (600 Capitol Way N #43149, Olympia, WA 98501 1091, Fax 360 902 2947). Tell them to establish effective protocols that help ensure the sport fishery is not damaged by the commercial fishery. Copy your letter to Governor Locke 503 378 3225, and your legislator.

Thank you for your help!

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#227476 - 01/13/04 12:10 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
Double Haul Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/07/99
Posts: 1558
Loc: Wherever I can swing for wild ...
Thanks for the heads up Rat,

Not to mention the impact on wild steelhead as by catch in this fishery, what an outrage! I urge all of you to call or write!
_________________________
Decisions and changes seldom occur by posting on Internet bulletin boards.

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#227477 - 01/13/04 05:54 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
Jaydee Offline
2010 SRC Champion!

Registered: 12/19/03
Posts: 1002
Loc: Paradise City!
If that's the reason, than why don't they do a comercial troll fishery for springers in the columbia instead of increasing the chance of gill killing fish that is supposedly protected by the ESA, like in the salt? I'd guess the state makes more dinero off of a gill netter permit than a troller's. Who knows.
Thanks for the info.

J.D.
_________________________
RIP Tyler Greer. May Your seas be calm, and filled with "tig'ol'bings"!


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#227478 - 01/13/04 08:15 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
silver hilton Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 10/08/01
Posts: 1155
Loc: Out there, somewhere
You can write your congressman using the web. Below is some text that you can use as a basis for an e-mail letter. PLease take a moment and send your man/woman in Olympia a note.

I have taken the steps to make it easy. First, go here and figure out who your representative is here. You enter your address and it gives your your folks. Then, click on the link for the reps and senators, and most will have an email address. Finally, write them a note, or use some of the words below, to ask them to contact the Commission personnel listed below, and ask for a larger allocation for the sportsfishers.

See, easy! It will take you just minutes, and may help our fishing.


Clip below here.

Hi,

I am writing to ask for your support in the area of the Columbia River Spring Salmon Fishery. In the next few weeks, Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife will be deciding how to allocate the catching of Columbia River Spring salmon between sport and commercial fishermen. While the run this year is expected to be fairly strong, the season will likely be shut down for the sport fishermen, due to impacts on wild salmon that run at the same time as the hatchery salmon. The catch is allocated between sport and commerical fishermen, based on their estimated impact to wild fish. Both groups must let wild fish go, but some percentage of the wild fish will die due to handling. The sport catch mortality rate on these released fish has historically been 10% or less, and sport fishermen may be required to use certain handling procedures that will reduce this catch further. The mortality on wild bycatch by gill netters using tangle nets is 18%. The wild fish are anticipated to be about 30% of the overall run. Neither group can avoid catching wild fish - fishing by either group impacts the wild fish. However, sports fishing is almost twice as efficient as commercial fishing in harvesting the hatchery salmon within the Endanger Species Act guidelines.

Currently, proposals are on the table to allocate the impacts between sport and commercial fishermen 50-50, or possibly 45% commercial, and 55% sport. I'd like you to persuade the Washington State personnel engaged in this decision, specifically, Dr. Jeff Koenings, Director, Washington Fish And Wildlife Commission, Bill Tweit, Columbia River Policy Lead and Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River Harvest Manager, to allow a greater percentage of this catch for sport fishers. Dr. Koenig is at 360 902 2947, Mr. Tweit is at 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia WA 98501 - (360) 902-2723. Ms. LeFleur is at 2108 Grand Boulevard, Vancouver 98661 - (360) 906-6708.
Based on past history, this impact will require the sport season to be restricted sometime in mid april, right at the peak of the run. This is disastrous for sport fishermen, as the weather is just getting nice and the fishing just getting good when the season will be restricted.

It makes sense to allocate the catch more to sports fishermen for several reasons:

1) There are simply vastly more sport fishermen. Tens of thousands of sports anglers will pursue these fish, while there are only about 200 commercial fishermen.

2) Sports angling is more efficient in harvesting the hatchery salmon, in terms of the impact on the wild fish that occurs in catching fish. By allowing commercial harvest, we are in effect wasting a certain number of hatchery salmon that could have been caught by the sport angler. These fish will go unharvested.

3) The sports fishermen contribute much more to the economy per fish caught and per fishing day than the commercial fishermen do. The economic impact of sportfishing for salmon dwarfs the commercial gain from gillnetting. The commercial harvest is currently estimated to bring about $1,800,000 into the economy. Sportsfishers, on the other hand, spend an average of $100 a day for fishing. On a busy saturday in April, there will be 2000 boats fishing for salmon, with 2 to 4 people fishing. That is an estimated revenue impact of $600,000 a day. Three days of sports fishing will equal the economic impact of the entire commercial season.

4) These fish are raised to be caught. There is a large group of people that would like opportunities to catch them. Shutting down the sport fishery, which will certainly happen unless the allocation is modified, will reduce the opportunity for many people to catch these fish.

5) Finally, the commercial fishermen have been resistant to improving their catch methods to reduce mortality in the wild fish bycatch. Giving them 50% of the wild fish kill quota rewards them for not improving their catch methods and recovery tank usage.

We realize that the commercial fishermen feel vested in the fishery, and have a traditional stake there. However, in these days of declining resources, adjustments need to be made, and it is time to allow the sports fisher more access to this resource.

Please contact the Commision personnel shown, and ask them to weight the sport fishery more heavily in the catch allocation. We ask for a 70% Sport, 30% Commercial allocation.

Thank you.
_________________________
Hm-m-m-m-m

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#227479 - 01/13/04 11:11 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
HntnFsh Offline
Spawner

Registered: 06/24/01
Posts: 698
Loc: Toledo Wa
Silver Hilton,

Thanks for the help in the letter.My computer skills are pretty limited but I finally figured out how to copy and paste.For a great cause I might add.I just sent off emails to all 3 officials in my district.1 to each.In my name and then my wifes name also.
Thanks again for the help.
Rick

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#227480 - 01/14/04 01:31 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
Plunker Offline
Spawner

Registered: 04/01/00
Posts: 624
Loc: Skagit Valley
_________________________
Why are "wild fish" made of meat?

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#227481 - 01/14/04 02:45 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
get_my_drift Offline
Fry

Registered: 12/09/03
Posts: 22
Loc: Washington
This is not a done deal yet. WDF&W have always stuck by the commercial netters and ODF&W has leaned toward helping the sportfishing entity. They were studying 5 options for splitting the 2% Fed ESA impact (determines allocation) on Columbia springers between the commercials and sporties. They wound up being pressured into a switch around from last years allocations to favor the netters. But it's not stamped yet! The meeting in Olympia and in Oregon City on Feb 5th may still swing the decide ODF&W vote back in favor of the sportfishermen (who pay for these hatchery fish, I might add).

Of course the Indian netters get a 13% impact for their "50-50" allocation. But that outrage is another whole big story!

Spawnout was right on with his post above. Write letters to the two state's Reps and legislators. Tell them a couple hundred thousand votes are finally going to swing against them if they keep siding with the commercial netters, instead of on the side of saving wild fish and on the side of sport fishers that pay by far the most per capita toward hatchery funding. Like he posted, it only takes a few moments. Much less time than tying up a few leaders! Washington reps have the most need for a wake up call. Here ya go:

Federal Senator
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Senator Patty Murray (Democrat-WA)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-0001
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
WebSite: http://murray.senate.gov/
E-Mail : http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Senator Maria Cantwell (Democrat-WA)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-0001
Phone: (202) 224-3441
Fax: (202) 228-0514
WebSite: http://cantwell.senate.gov/
E-Mail : http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

Federal Representative
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative Brian Baird (Democrat-03)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3536
Fax: (202) 225-3478
WebSite: http://www.house.gov/baird/
E-Mail : http://www.house.gov/baird/zipauth.htm

State Senator
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator Joseph Zarelli (Republican-018)
P.O. Box 40418
Olympia, WA 98504-0418
Phone: (360) 786-7634
Fax: (360) 786-7173
WebSite: http://www.leg.wa.gov/senate/members/senmem18.htm
E-Mail : zarelli_jo@leg.wa.gov

State Representative
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative Tom Mielke (Republican-018)
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Phone: (360) 786-7850
Fax: (360) 786-1066
WebSite: http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/members/d18_1.htm
E-Mail : mielke_th@leg.wa.gov

Representative Ed Orcutt (Republican-018)
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Phone: (360) 786-7812
Fax: (360) 786-1066
WebSite: http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/members/d18_2.htm
E-Mail : orcutt_ed@leg.wa.gov

------------------------------------------------------------------------
US Representatives
http://www.oregon.gov/index.cfm?CurrPID=840

US Senators
http://www.oregon.gov/index.cfm?CurrPID=839
_________________________
the mind's eye is not always 20-20

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#227482 - 01/15/04 11:46 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
grandpa2 Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 1796
Loc: Brier, Washington
Time for Washington Trout to step up to the plate and do something productive on this issue. Don't ya think?
_________________________
Join Puget Sound Anglers Today and help us support sports fishing. http://groups.msn.com/psasnoking

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#227483 - 01/16/04 12:49 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
bill w Offline
Alevin

Registered: 04/21/03
Posts: 19
i sent mine tks for link

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#227484 - 01/16/04 07:13 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
PhishPhreak Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 06/19/01
Posts: 1083
Loc: North Bend, WA

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#227485 - 01/17/04 01:34 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
Mike Gilchrist Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 06/19/01
Posts: 175
Loc: Federal Way
I need to make this short and sweet.

I have been involved in the springer allocation process since the agreement two years ago and deeply involved this year. I cant begin to provide all the info on all aspects of the process so far but I will say that it is incredibly important that this meeting be well attended by sport fishers.

For those who are planning to attend, know that I really appreciate it.

For those who are on the fence, please put your other plans aside and make this a priority. I understand completely that there is a lot going on in your lives. I personally have the additional responsibility of my 7 month old tomorrow so I have to take him with me. The sacrifice is worth it. Make sure to say hello, I will be easy to find.
_________________________
Mike Gilchrist

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#227486 - 01/17/04 11:08 AM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
Ron Bob Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 03/24/99
Posts: 343
Loc: Carnation, wa
Don't forget to send a copy off to your congressman and State Senators.

Ron Bob

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#227487 - 01/18/04 07:23 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
get_my_drift Offline
Fry

Registered: 12/09/03
Posts: 22
Loc: Washington
How did the Saturday meeting go?
_________________________
the mind's eye is not always 20-20

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#227488 - 01/18/04 07:39 PM Re: Oregon Commision votes against Sportfishing
eddie Offline
Carcass

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 2432
Loc: Valencia, Negros Oriental, Phi...
get_my_drift - Go here for a full discussion. The meeting went well for the good guys.
http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=016475
_________________________
"You're not a g*dda*n looney Martini, you're a fisherman"

R.P. McMurphy - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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