Chalk up one small victory for the fish.

Thanks to Todd and slabhunter who both took time out of their busy lives to help me make the case for the chronic harvest abuses plaguing Grays Harbor.

Todd led off with a discussion about the circumstances that led to this year's gillnet fishery harvesting more than twice the non-treaty share of wild GH coho. The recipe of designing fishing schedules to purposely harvest into escapement, PLUS making flawed assumptions about the mark rate of the coho run, MULTIPLIED by grossly underestimating the harvest efficiency of the gillnet fleet, EQUALS way more dead wild coho than they ever planned on. He also made his case from the perspective of a small business owner dependent on robust sportfisheries.

Slabhunter echoed those points and highlighted the perils of managing these runs in isolation. A more comprehensive approach to managing ALL the basin's fish resources is needed. Instead a priority is given to HARVEST HARVEST HARVEST using the least sustainable non-selective methods to the detriment of the wild stocks.

I closed our testimony with a condensed briefing of the Tier Plan and how Region 6 has habitually deviated from the plan... again stressing the repeated pattern of setting seasons designed to fish into escapement for not just this year's coho but for Chehalis River chinook in 2006 and 2007.

I know I'm preaching to the choir on this board, and virtually all of these points were already discussed in the other thread.

But let me tell you that I've testified before the Commission about these very same issues twice before and was barely able to raise an eyebrow among the commissioners.

This year, for whatever reason, the message resonated LOUD and CLEAR! Not sure if it was the repetition, or if we finally made the case that these abuses are NOT just isolated events but rather an irresponsible pattern on the part of Region 6. All I know is that we hit it right outta the ball park with three solid home runs! It was nothing short of a grand slam.

Their body language was unmistakable... they were genuinely interested and at the same time dumbfounded and disgusted at what we had to present.



Instead of being dismissed at the sound of the three minute buzzer, each of us was met with eager questions asked out of the commissioners' desires to have a deeper understanding of the situation. We literally overwhelmed them with our data... of course all of it supported by the appropriate WDFW documents.

They asked WDFW staff to explain why Region 6 chooses to willfully fish into escapement. The state Fish Program Manager drew the short straw in having to defend WDFW from our allegations, but she was completely unprepared to refute what we had to present.

The bottom line is that the Commission initiated a "blue sheet"... their special lingo for directing WDFW to assemble the history and data needed for the commissioners to better digest this issue. Ultimately, it will be the topic of a formal scheduled agenda item at a subsequent Commission meeting where it will be fleshed out in a more comprehensive fashion, hopefully with provisions for additional public input.

High 5's and big Props to you three for fighting the good fight and representing the our community at the meeting today. I understand It takes alot of work to prepare for these meetings, so my thanks is extended to all three of you.

Hurrah.......and many thanks to you fellows, you are appreciated.

Thanks, Steve

Congratulations on catching the commissioners' attention. It'll be interesting to see what comes of the "blue-sheet".

KUDOs!

Grays Harbor is an area I am passionate about fishing, I have been fishing there my whole life. Thank you to the three of you for taking your time to go to this meeting. -Shawn

To all, thanks for all the hard work and for helping make the Chehalis river basis a better fishery!

Good work guy's.

You guys rock. Instead of just bitching you are doing the hard work. I do think you will have an effect. Good on ya mates.

Congratulations gentlemen! I hope your time and efforts will bring big dividends for the fish in the future.


Captain

Thanks for all of everyones efforts. I hope your efforts bear fruit.

Perhaps...just perhaps...the tide is turning. Now wouldn't that be refreshing? It is curious that the deaf-ear treatment, you know the one, the one with the patronizing grin, was laid aside. I sure hope it sticks and maybe other basins will be looked at as well. Great job, fellas!!

Todd, Slabhunter, Doc:

Thanks for all the time invested, both on preparation and travel.

It will be interesting to be in attendance at any, up coming, meetings that are open to the Region 6 public...hope any meetings are made public way in advance of the actual meeting.

It really was kind of surreal, considering the fact that they get an idea of this Grays Harbor fishery every year and never do anything about it. When I was done with my spiel, Vice Chair Wecker turned to Dr. Koenings and Deputy Schor and said "Can someone explain to me why we are intentionally fishing into escapement?"...and was met with silence.

Commissioner Orr: "Mr. Ripley, where do the numbers you are citing come from?"

Me: "WDFW's own documentation...it's attached to the back of the packet I gave you." He flipped to them and his eyebrows went up.

That set the tone for the next little while, as our usual ten minute "tell 'em the story and then get dismissed" turned into over half an hour of back and forth questioning, commenting, and directing coming from the Commission.

I seriously think we made a big difference on this one.

Thanks for nice comments, guys, thanks to Hans for getting up there and talking from the heart, and especially thanks to Francis for insisting I participate in this one...this was a good one.

Fish on...

Todd

great job guys, I really would like to see a better managed fishery in that area.

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

If they accept our request to make this a formal agenda item for a future meeting, we'll need lots of folks to come and testify, even if all you do is step up and say "I fish there, and I'd like to see the area better managed"...

Fish on...

Todd

I wonder what the response would have been if this meeting would have been two weeks earlier. I think with Gregoire's re-election the commission has more freedom to act without political interference which can only help the resource. Everyone who listened to her interview on Northwest Wild Country knows that it will still require some help from the sports fishing community to get the present and future commissioners confirmed in the state senate. If this can be accomplished I think we will all be surprised by what the commission will do. I know that at least a couple of the commissioners are listening to the sports fishing community.

The mentions we made of the sport fleet's ability to fish much more selectively, and bring in more economic benefits to the region while doing it, definitely resonated, perhaps more than it would have two weeks ago.

Fish on...

Todd

I don't believe the response would have been different. The Commission has been heading this way for years.
They are good people, volunteering their time and skills.

GH was not an item on the agenda. This was public input. The Commission allowed testimony beyond the three minutes mark.

Kudos should go out to our DFW Commissioners for caring enough about our public resource.