Just got word from Gary Hulsey, that shellfish managers are proposing a 4 day a week season and a limit of 4 per day. Not sure which areas, maybe all?

It's time to write the Commission and tell them NO! Here is a tidbit from Gary.

It will only take a minute folks... PLEASE email or call the Commission!

360-902-2267

commission@dfw.wa.gov

I have gotten a bunch of emails on this issue. Seems that the commission is once again ignoring the public or more than likely misrepresenting the public's desires. Here is one short email note I am sure JD won't mind me sharing: From the feedback I have heard this is the opposite of what the crab advisory board and the crabbers out there are saying. OK to the weekly restriction days but no to the reduced limit....What happened to reducing the commercial catch and spreading the lopsided share to sports crabbers?

Just like normal we are going to take it in the backside

I had heard rumblings about the reduction in days per week although I thought it was going to be 5 days per week.

I had not heard about the reduced daily bag limit.

Bummer.

More info... This is from Corey Freeman via Gary Hulsey

I have sent my e-mail to the commisioners office.

Commission@dfw.wa.gov

Steve

Thank you for posting the commisions email. I too have sent an email. I am finally at the end of my rope with the WDFW and the commercials getting complete run of the fishery has got to stop!

CF

Thanks my email was sent this morning.

Sent my email today.

The only way I could even consider supporting a proposal such as this is if the allocation issue were addressed and the total commercial catch, including the tribes, were reduced by a similar percentage (1/3 less crab and about 40% less days crabbing).
Of course I am not holding my breath waiting for our commission to actually listen and I am almost positive that the legislature or governor would want to do anything about something people actually care about. They will be busy revamping our election process in order to put the parties in controll of the ballot counting and changing the ballots to have only one place to mark, democrat or republican.

WDFW staff wants to push this through NOW because they know we'll NEVER go back to what we had, even with newly appointed Commissioners.

I hope Gregoire follows through with her assurances.

BOHICA, funny! I haven't heard that since I was in the Navy years ago!

Sent my email and also a fax today...

Sent my e-mail today - There is no way we should let this happen - How many recreational pots are really out there? I would guess that we may not have even caught 1.5 million pounds

It won't matter what the commission does. Nothing will stop the Bolt quota. Once it's reach the season ends. why not make the season last by smaller limits and fewer crabbing days a week? Get rid of the puget sound enhancement tax. What's being enhanced? for whom?

Bobert - You are right that there is little we can do to overturn the Bolt issues, but we still need to fight for our fair share of the remaining 50% of the harvestable shellfish (and salmon / steelhead).

Right now the big issue that we can fight is the unballanced allocation of resources to the non-indian commercial harvesters. There is no need to reduce our season as long as teh majority of the harvestable resources are being allocated to the commercials.

SA

I just called Olytown.

On January 14 in the afternoon the “Staff” is going to present this proposal to the commission. This will be followed by public comment.

I didn’t have time to write down all the info that the person answering the phone gave me. But, she promised to e-mail me the agenda and dates and all the stuff.

If some one gets the info before me post it up other wise as soon as it come it I will.

I for one will make the drive to Olympia on the 14 and how many other days it takes.

I sent mine and included the mission statement from thier own website. I asked to consider econimic viability, recreational opportunity, allotment considering those factors and protection of the resource for the future.


Mission statement is below. (Seems to me the paragraphs are in the wrong order, but that is a debate for a different day...)


Sound Stewardship of Fish and Wildlife

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In pursuit of this mission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife will strive to achieve these goals:

Department-wide leadership that is effective, efficient and results in public confidence in department management.

An environment of respect and trust within the department fostering quality management and decision making.

Recruitment, development and retention of a diverse, effectively deployed and well-trained workforce.

An informed public, participating in policy development and contributing to quality decision making.

Partnerships with public and international entities, tribal leaders, public volunteers and service groups to share responsibility for fish and wildlife.

Effective practices partnerships with landowners and land use decision makers to maintain and enhance habitat.

Maximum fishing, hunting and non-consumptive recreational opportunities compatible with healthy, diverse fish and wildlife populations.

Sustainable management of marine resources to maintain the economic well-being and stability of the state's fishing industry and to enhance recreational and commercial fishing in state and offshore waters.

Bobert,

Consider this. If there was 35 million pounds of crab harvest... the tribal share is 17.5 million.

Sport was 1.7 million.

Non tribal commercial is left with 15.8 million!

Why should the sport crabbers be the ones to "sacrifice" because of Boldt? Does the non tribal commercial share look fair to you compared to sport crabbers?

I've sent an email as well. Once again this is outrageous. We're the one's getting hosed.

I was just out fishing from Everett twice in the past week and the tribal and non-tribal crabbers are still going strong. Have been since before our brief summer season and everysince we quit. I don't count them but it looks like more pots than I ever saw out there when our quota was being fished. So think about it we get what was it 50 days of crabbing and they get 5 to 6 months.
Recreational fisherman put the most into the economy. Tribes run the fisheries in this state and what they don't take is then given first to the remaining commercials and we get piece meal that's left. I just heard yesterday that the tribes have been fishing crab on the ocean for some time and the non tribal commercials are having tizzy fits because they can't start until mid January.

This is my letter of retraction.

I was caught in a knee jerk reaction due to figures presented to me buy various reports of the impending WDGF commission actions.

Although the figures appear to be correct, they are just a little deceptive. Please understand I’m not saying anyone tried to pull “one” over on anybody. I am just saying after some brief research, What I read ain’t the way it is. I will attempt to put these figures into a prospective that some folks won’t be happy with.

All figures are close enough for government work.

35,000,000 pounds State wide
17,500,000 tribal
1,700,000 sports catch.

These figures are correct as close as I have been able to determine so far.

BUT why are we talking statewide figures when this pending action only effects the greater Puget Sound area.

The figures as reported to me by a “Staffer”

Crabbing seasons for the greater Puget Sound

2002/03 Commercial 2,848,000 pounds
Sports 1,339,000 pounds
Total 4,187,000
Tribal about the same total of sports and commercial (remember it’s the law)
Total-Total 8,374,000 pounds

2003/04 Commercial 2,877,000 pounds
Sports 1,707,000 pounds
Total 4,584,000
Tribal Lets figure the same again
Total-total 9,168,000 pounds

2004/today Commercial still open they haven’t reached the quota of 2,623,000
Sports Closed early because of over quota 1,575,000
Tribal same-o same-o
Total-total 8,396,000 pounds


So the figure of 1,700,000 for 2003/04 seems to be correct. But there are a few pounds of crab missing from the equation. Like 25,832,000 pounds to be exact.

Where’d that 35,000,000 figure come from?

Lets try adding in marine areas 1-2-3 aka the Pacific Ocean. And that my friends doesn’t belong in the equation. Why? You ask, well I’ll tell you why, causes you can go out there right now and drop your two pots and take your 6 crab. And you’ll be able to it this time next year too.

I see this debate as to allocations or do the commercials deserve about 1,100,000 pounds more than the sporty or how accurate are the figures.

As it stands now it’s static.

According to my source (the staffer) there was an overwhelming outcry for a longer season so the sporty could crab on Labor Day. As I recall it upset me, that, on the last summer holiday, all I could do was look at the Hood Canal.

As the gambler would say—You gotta know when to hold them and when to fold them.

I fold.