How many times can the Fish & Game miscalculate ? They predicted a record run for Chinooks this season and they were wrong and had to close down the season to sport fishers in lot of the sound. Then there was the Sockeye season , which too was mis calculated and the numbers were not significant as they had thought. Now the Dogs are being closed to all sport fishers in the skokomish and the lower Hood Canal when will they learn to count? Don't open any season till you get what you need first and ban the nets and the odds are the fisheries will improve. lets be fair if you are going to shut down a seson for one group make it to all, including the Natives. I know this is highly unlikely.
Also there has been a lot of frustration on behalf of sportsmen who are frustrated with the Indians and their nets. You can't call Fish & Game because they have no jurisdiction in what they do, so I tried to go federal and they were a lot more helpful.
I called the NOAA office in Sand point (the law enforcement division) (206) 526-6133 and had asked them about tribal fisheries and other regulations. The officer told me that they too have no jurisdiction over the treaty and they govern them selves BUT they said they can step in and investigate and proscute if the tribal fisheries are breakinf the law. Like fishing in closed boundries, or fishing on days when they are not allowed to or any other illegal activity that is not within their treaty. You need to be specific and evidence would help. Example, like the two pups and the mother seal who were killed in the net and let to die on the beach.
I know some people in my neighborhood who do there own vigillante acts. Some of these guys will wait till the tribal fisheries set their nets and when they leave they will go and shred the nets or cut the marker buoys.
They figure since no one will listen to them they will handle it.
Just my two cents for today.

Having fished for most of my life, I share many of the frustrations in Aerofly's note ... the unfortunate thing is that we seem to looking over and over again for a solution to netting in rivers from an agency that has no jurisdiction. Netting in the rivers is a reality within our current legal system. If laws are being broken within that system (and evidence can be presented), Aerofly seems to have found someone willing to listen.

Please do not mistake my opinion ... the legal reality of Native American's netting in the rivers does not excuse gross mismanagement of native runs by the state or anyone else for that matter. Having been involved in volunteer work for some time with local government, it is a political reality that those with the best organizing and mobilization skills tend to shape the debate.

Several other threads on this board seem to be mobilizing such an organization. I applaude those that have stepped up with funding to support such an effort. Myself, I will donate where I can, but as I would imagine with most of us, cash is not our biggest asset in this fight (as individuals) ... our personal involvement is. Please donate where you can, what you can, whether it be money or time. Once a movement is funded, most ventures pass or fail by the determination of it's volunteers. If you care, I mean really care, get involved!

Lastly, I have one concern with Aerofly's post, and not one that is directly his problem but did prompt this reply. I do not believe that there is ever a justification of mess with another's private property, especially if that property is legally obtained and used for legal purposes. Destroying nets will not ingratiate this movement to the public at large. Public opinion is very critical in these types of debates and I guarantee that it will become absolutely critical with all the interests revolving around this issue. In addition, pubic opinion has a way of forcing behaviors that laws never will.

See you on the river.

-Dave

[This message has been edited by djstein (edited 11-18-2000).]