#236698 - 03/10/04 07:46 PM
Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Juvenile at Sea
Registered: 10/18/01
Posts: 156
Loc: Woodinville
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A little info I was told about today my favorite fishery. I will start from the beginning...
In 1994 recreational fishers agreed to increase the cost of sport fishing license from $8 to $18 to start a program to enhance Puget Sound hatchery Chinook production. The Skykomish was included in this in 1996 by enhancing the Summer chinook production. Since that time the stocks have done well, very well! And beginning in 2002, a selective fishery was introduced into the Sky, with very good success! The season was set for two months with one hatchery Chinook per day limit.
In a recent article in the Herald(Everett) Chad Jackson was quoted by Wayne Kruse saying that funding would not allow expansion of this fishery (enforcement and monitoring).
It blows my mind that we paid for these fish for the last 8 years and now they are trying to take away this fishery we just got back and has been very productive! Not to mention that last yrs projection was 5200 and this yrs is 15300 marked Chinook! Dont they have to monitor Summer Steelhead? So they would be out there patrolling anyhow... Just makes me mad!
We ALL need to attend the meeting in Mill Creek at the region 4 WDFW building! And voice our opinions! 6PM. See you all tomorrow.
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#236699 - 03/10/04 11:24 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Juvenille at Sea
Registered: 01/02/03
Posts: 145
Loc: Mill Creek, WA
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Count me in Brian! I'll will see you there. I had heard about the projected return for this year & was very pumped! What a lame-O excuse. Why can't they just keep the promises they make to us? The more of us who show up & voice our opinions the more likely they are to re-think their plan of action. Jim
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#236703 - 03/11/04 12:08 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Alevin
Registered: 01/12/04
Posts: 9
Loc: Woodinville
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Jerry, we agrred to tax ourselves 10 years ago to pay for these fish.They dont want to extend or expend this fishery because wdfw says they dont want to have to monitor or enforce it.If they dont want to give this to us then they need to refund the $10 increase that we took 10 years ago.(psre)That increase was to pay for our blackmouth wich they rape in pillage in the chum fishery,(commercial) but thats a different topic for a different time.
Scott Weedman
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#236705 - 03/11/04 01:48 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Alevin
Registered: 01/12/04
Posts: 9
Loc: Woodinville
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Jerry, I do not agree with that .I am working right now with NSIA, state rep kirk pearson of monroe,tony floor of NMTA to get mill creek to open up the sky from the wallace to 1000 ft up stream 1 of the mouth, from june 1st-july 31st.
Chad Jackson, Region 4 Biologist Department of Fish and Wildlife 600 Capital Way North Olympia, WA 98501
Dear Mr. Jackson,
The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association is a regional organization encompassing the States of Washington, Oregon and Idaho boasting more than 300 business members. These members include Three Rivers Marine of Woodinville, The Duffle Bag of Everett, GI Joes, Fred Meyer, Pure Fishing and other large and small businesses, groups and individuals.
As you know, the run of summer Chinook to the Skykomish River is expected to be 15,700, approximately tripling last years return. This is an exciting proposition for an extremely popular fishery that generates thousands of angler trips and economic activity for a state with the 4th highest unemployment rate. Given the high numbers forecasted for this run, there is every reason to expand this fishery from the parameters of last year.
In order to protect and grow the tourism/sportfishing related jobs for our region, we suggest that the Summer Chinook sport fishery be open from June 1st until August 1st with a bag limit of two Chinook per day. To facilitate fully capturing the opportunity this strong run represents, it is our opinion that the fishery should be expanded to include the area below the Lewis Street Bridge to 1,000 feet above the mouth of the River that is currently closed to fishing and has not been included in the proposed fishery for this year.
To assist the Department, NSIA members are willing to provide the signage and placement thereof to indicate the boundaries, season, and bag limit changes for this fishery. Many sportfishing groups have also offered volunteers to help with the creel census in order to reduce the costs of expanding and increasing this fishery.
These hatchery fish are all marked, thus alleviating the concerns of accidental retention of wild stocks during a selective fishery. With the lower boundary being 1,000 feet above the mouth of the river, there will be limited risk of intercepting the Snoqualmie wild run. With the hatchery escapement needs of 750 fish, there is no reason not to increase the time, area, and bag limit for a popular fishery.
The Skykomish hatchery summer Chinook are funded through the Puget Sound Recreational Enhancement Program—a tax if you will—that anglers fought to pay in order in increase the quality of Puget Sound fisheries. The healthy returns in the Skykomish are the fruits of those labors. Please insure the sportfishing community derives the benefits of those investments. We stand ready to assist in the expansion of this fishery.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call Scott Weedman, Board Member, at (425) 415-1575 or Corey Freeman, WA Government Affairs Director at (360) 480-6646. Thank you for your time and effort working on this issue.
Sincerely,
Liz Hamilton Scott Weedman Executive Director Board Member
Encl: NSIA Membership List
Cc: Pat Patillo Kurt Kramer Bob Everett WDF&W Commission Director Koenings Rep. Pearson Rep. Dunshee Sen. Stevens Rep. Dan Kristiansen
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#236707 - 03/11/04 04:08 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Returning Adult
Registered: 10/04/01
Posts: 416
Loc: University Place
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Nelson - i think you summed it wisely - the enforcement element mentioned by Jackson is rediculous- they're going to be out there anyhow patrolling for summer run steelhead harvest etc... how did you do last year on the Sky kings? techniques worth sharing ? Thanks, Lofty aka Loften -
_________________________
Seaweed Happens
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#236708 - 03/11/04 04:23 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Juvenile at Sea
Registered: 10/18/01
Posts: 156
Loc: Woodinville
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Lofty- Got about one every other trip, and I was out 2-3 days a week.... No secret we tried kwikfish, bouncin eggs, floats etc etc.. And we always did best while fishin steelhead just free driftin... By chance is that you Craig? If it is, nice to hear from you hope all is well!
Bryan
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#236709 - 03/11/04 04:29 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Returning Adult
Registered: 10/04/01
Posts: 416
Loc: University Place
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Bryan - yeah it's me Craig. Hope all is well in n. sound waters ! sending ya an email as i speak -
_________________________
Seaweed Happens
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#236710 - 03/11/04 08:49 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Juvenile at Sea
Registered: 11/26/03
Posts: 210
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Hi All
I went to the Mill Creek meeting last year and the same question was asked and Curt Kramer gave the same answer as Chad has. If my memory serves me correctly he explained that $$ was an issue (cost per each enforcement/checker) and that they needed to be able to show the Tribes and Feds that we were not impacting the Wild Fish. I guess it boils down to, they only have the funds to monitor so much river. I can't make it tonight. It will be interesting to hear what they say. Thanks
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#236712 - 03/12/04 11:50 AM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Alevin
Registered: 01/12/04
Posts: 9
Loc: Woodinville
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Lots of great points steve your right we could be in some real trouble this year. The behind the scenes talk I heard this am is that if we do not get our **** together now we may not have a ocean season at all.
Scott
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#236715 - 03/12/04 11:27 PM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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River Nutrients
Registered: 11/25/01
Posts: 2834
Loc: Marysville
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Grandpa - Just for clarification - the $$ that WDFW was talking about for the fisheries was funds to monitor the catches (fish checkers if you will) not for enforcement. It is a fact of life that in this era of fishing for ESA listed species that it is necessary to document what the impacts of various fisheries are on those listed stocks. In this time of tigh dollars how to best use that limited resource is source of debate. Do they use monitoring $$ to expand a fishery like the Skykomish or to create new opportunties in other areas (example from last night - the Nooksack). A tough call that is likely influenced by were one lives - generally the preference is for a "fishery in my back yard".
Tight lines S malma
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#236716 - 03/13/04 12:02 AM
Re: Sky Chinook fishery in jeopardy!
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Spawner
Registered: 06/04/02
Posts: 937
Loc: Everwet
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I think wildfishlover is on the money- money being the key word here... Let's have statewide gambling, and then let the tribes try to compete.. They're gonna end up with some ritzy fireworks stands if they choose to continue on the course that they insist on following. Hit'em where it hurts- in their wallets. If they cannot or will not relent on their policy of raping the resource, then the state(being all-powerful) can apply some policies that may make the tribes think twice about their stubborn attitudes. Maybe a drop in casino revenues will make them reconsider, and maybe relent on their common practice of "US FIRST"...I must add, however, that it is not only tribal netters, but the commercial netters, that are pillaging the stocks of fish.Commercial and tribal, or a combination of the two, will ultimately destroy what is left of the fishery that once was Washington State's hertitage. What can we as sports fishers really hope to do to stop the downward spiral?
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Present AKA Knuckledragger
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