Guys,
This is from today's forksforum.com:
WDFW Commission fishing ban discussed
Posted on Tuesday 02 March @ 11:07:54
by George McCormick
Forks Mayor Nedra Reed discussed the Fish and Wildlife Commission adoption of item that would require the release of wild steelhead at West End Business and Professional Association last week.
She made three main points regarding the way the decision was arrived at.
First, no where on the agenda for that meeting was it indicated that the issue of steelhead catch and release would be discussed and voted on, she said.
Secondly, there is zero science backing up the decision, Reed said. Local groups say steelhead are healthy. And third, there was no input or discussion with the Tribes.
A decision of this scale has been tailored toward a special interest group, Reed said. We contend the decision was made inappropriately, she said.
The economic impact on the community needs to be examined, she said. There is a way to protect the resource and preserve the economic base.
The City of Forks may push forward on this issue, Reed said. Challenging the decision will take significant time, effort, and resources on the part of the city. We need the support of the residents of Forks, and the business community.
Reed, Rod Fleck and Dan Leinan will meet with commission chairman Will Roehl and other state officials at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 3 in Olympia.
The commission voted 5-3 for the moratorium after it was introduced by Commissioner R.P. Van Gytenbeek during the meeting. Coincidentally a number of representatives of fly fishing groups also attended the meeting which has led Reed, and others, to contend that it was a set up and led to the concern that the way the decision was arrived at was flawed and possibly illegal. If it wasn’t illegal, it was morally wrong, Reed said. This was a set up. It was an well-orchestrated event. The fly fishermen arrived at the meeting by the bus load.
Roehl voted against the ban.
If the commission doesn’t rescind its decision, Reed said other alternatives are petitioning the governor’s office and legal recourse.
If I see proof that the runs on our rivers are unhealthy, I’ll be the first to say let’s shut it down, she said.
Right now we are vying for the resources and it’s going to be a difficult situation, Reed said.
Petition circulating opposing WDFW commission decision
A petition addressed to the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission raises 16 questions that should be considered but apparently weren’t by the commission.
It (moratorium) is not needed, said Ruby Swagerty, co-owner of Three Rivers. If it was needed it would be all right.
For the people in the city to come out here and try to stop us from having the fishing we were raised on — that’s outrageous, she said.
It’s also very hurtful for them to say we’re ‘fish killers’, she added.
For us it’s not an issue of doing less business, Swagerty said. I know Three Rivers will make it, but I know the town of Forks will be hurt.
An Aberdeen fisherman getting coffee at Three Rivers agreed with Swagerty. I’m against it (the ban), he said. It’s going to be rough for the town.
I’m not as concerned about the catch and release on my business as I am about it being unneeded, Swagerty said. We have some old-timers who have always taken care of our fishing resources and they must be heart-broken.
Ted Miller, owner of Road Runner Shuttle said he’s kind of stuck in the middle.
In the future a lot more people may come over for the sport but I don’t think they should change it strictly to catch and release, he said. Maybe cut it to retaining two fish a season may be a way.
It’s going to hurt everybody in Forks, Miller said. A fisherman who comes over here that I shuttle told me that he had six or seven friends that come over here to fish that won’t come if they can’t keep a fish.
The petition reads:
Attention steelheaders and their friends
The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission recently passed a two-year statewide ban on the retention of wild steelhead by sport fishers. This means that starting April 1, 2004 and continuing for at least two years (likely forever if their ruling sticks) only hatchery steelhead caught in Forks rivers and elsewhere can be kept. Wild fish, those that were not marked by clipping off their adipose fin, will have to be released. If you do not like this ruling contact the Commission. Polite, intelligent letters giving the Commission good information as well as your opinions may be the best way to turn them around. They are meeting again in Olympia on March 12 and 13 and some time will be available then for public comment if you can attend. Call Susan Yaeger, executive secretary of the Commission to find out the exact time schedule and format for public testimony 360-902-2267. She is very helpful. These meetings will take place on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, room 172. This building is at 1111 Washington Street SE. If you can write the Commission their e-mail address is commission@dfw.wa.gov, their fax number is 360-902-2448, and their mailing address is 600 Capitol Way N, Olympia 98501.
The Commission voted 5 to 3 in favor of wild fish non-retention, so you have to change the mind of only one of those voting in favor in order to derail this train. So give it to them. Here are some points for your letter or in-person testimony, but using your own words and experiences probably makes a greater impact than if a bunch of us sent the same letter.
1. The Forks area rivers support the best wild steelhead fishing in North America. Neither non-tribal nor tribal fishing has hurt the productivity of these runs.
2. Sport fishing for steelhead generates substantial income to many Forks residents-guides, motels, restaurants, gas stations, tackle, bait sales, etc.
3. Wild steelhead spawning escapements have been adequate to excellent for as long as the record has been kept.
4. The stream habitats are relatively productive because much of the spawning/fry rearing waters are in the Olympic National Park.
5. The upper reaches of all rivers, generally above highway 101, are already closed to catch-and-kill fishing for wild steelhead. This provides much spawner protection and gives the catch-and-release folks many miles of lightly fish waters.
6. Most fishing now occurs in the lower, catch-and-kill sections indicating that most fisherman like the opportunity to take a nice fish home now and again, even though many fish are voluntarily released.
7. You can only keep five wild steelhead a year anyway, which is very restrictive compared to the past, and has given these stocks adequate protection.
8. Forks area timber sales generate much of the revenues for state public schools. The rest of the State should listen to the wishes of Forks residents before passing down locally unpopular decrees.
9. Judge Boldt also said that the non-tribal fishermen had the right to 50% of the harvest, as well as the tribal 50% right. The best way to insure the non-tribal 50% is to catch it, and measure that catch accurately.
10. The opportunity to catch a trophy (20 pounder or bigger) steelhead brings many fishermen to Forks. Hatchery stocks and most other state rivers do not produce such wall-hangers.
11. The rivers are often out of shape for long periods, which helps the spawning escapements.
12. Catch and release need not be a law. It should be a choice as at present.
13. Catch and release is not needed for conservation. It will only allocate away from the current class of fishermen who may want to keep some of their fish, to another class of fishermen who do not. Neither group has it necessarily wrong, and the present system of extensive catch and release sections plus the five fish annual limit is a good and working compromise.
14. An unpopular and unnecessary law may be hard to enforce.
15. Already guide trips for April, 2004 are being canceled because of this pending change in fishing regulations.
16. The state biologists in charge of managing the Forks area streams think that this new regulation is not necessary.
Copyright © Forks Forum 2003
This is from today's forksforum.com:
WDFW Commission fishing ban discussed
Posted on Tuesday 02 March @ 11:07:54
by George McCormick
Forks Mayor Nedra Reed discussed the Fish and Wildlife Commission adoption of item that would require the release of wild steelhead at West End Business and Professional Association last week.
She made three main points regarding the way the decision was arrived at.
First, no where on the agenda for that meeting was it indicated that the issue of steelhead catch and release would be discussed and voted on, she said.
Secondly, there is zero science backing up the decision, Reed said. Local groups say steelhead are healthy. And third, there was no input or discussion with the Tribes.
A decision of this scale has been tailored toward a special interest group, Reed said. We contend the decision was made inappropriately, she said.
The economic impact on the community needs to be examined, she said. There is a way to protect the resource and preserve the economic base.
The City of Forks may push forward on this issue, Reed said. Challenging the decision will take significant time, effort, and resources on the part of the city. We need the support of the residents of Forks, and the business community.
Reed, Rod Fleck and Dan Leinan will meet with commission chairman Will Roehl and other state officials at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 3 in Olympia.
The commission voted 5-3 for the moratorium after it was introduced by Commissioner R.P. Van Gytenbeek during the meeting. Coincidentally a number of representatives of fly fishing groups also attended the meeting which has led Reed, and others, to contend that it was a set up and led to the concern that the way the decision was arrived at was flawed and possibly illegal. If it wasn’t illegal, it was morally wrong, Reed said. This was a set up. It was an well-orchestrated event. The fly fishermen arrived at the meeting by the bus load.
Roehl voted against the ban.
If the commission doesn’t rescind its decision, Reed said other alternatives are petitioning the governor’s office and legal recourse.
If I see proof that the runs on our rivers are unhealthy, I’ll be the first to say let’s shut it down, she said.
Right now we are vying for the resources and it’s going to be a difficult situation, Reed said.
Petition circulating opposing WDFW commission decision
A petition addressed to the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission raises 16 questions that should be considered but apparently weren’t by the commission.
It (moratorium) is not needed, said Ruby Swagerty, co-owner of Three Rivers. If it was needed it would be all right.
For the people in the city to come out here and try to stop us from having the fishing we were raised on — that’s outrageous, she said.
It’s also very hurtful for them to say we’re ‘fish killers’, she added.
For us it’s not an issue of doing less business, Swagerty said. I know Three Rivers will make it, but I know the town of Forks will be hurt.
An Aberdeen fisherman getting coffee at Three Rivers agreed with Swagerty. I’m against it (the ban), he said. It’s going to be rough for the town.
I’m not as concerned about the catch and release on my business as I am about it being unneeded, Swagerty said. We have some old-timers who have always taken care of our fishing resources and they must be heart-broken.
Ted Miller, owner of Road Runner Shuttle said he’s kind of stuck in the middle.
In the future a lot more people may come over for the sport but I don’t think they should change it strictly to catch and release, he said. Maybe cut it to retaining two fish a season may be a way.
It’s going to hurt everybody in Forks, Miller said. A fisherman who comes over here that I shuttle told me that he had six or seven friends that come over here to fish that won’t come if they can’t keep a fish.
The petition reads:
Attention steelheaders and their friends
The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission recently passed a two-year statewide ban on the retention of wild steelhead by sport fishers. This means that starting April 1, 2004 and continuing for at least two years (likely forever if their ruling sticks) only hatchery steelhead caught in Forks rivers and elsewhere can be kept. Wild fish, those that were not marked by clipping off their adipose fin, will have to be released. If you do not like this ruling contact the Commission. Polite, intelligent letters giving the Commission good information as well as your opinions may be the best way to turn them around. They are meeting again in Olympia on March 12 and 13 and some time will be available then for public comment if you can attend. Call Susan Yaeger, executive secretary of the Commission to find out the exact time schedule and format for public testimony 360-902-2267. She is very helpful. These meetings will take place on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, room 172. This building is at 1111 Washington Street SE. If you can write the Commission their e-mail address is commission@dfw.wa.gov, their fax number is 360-902-2448, and their mailing address is 600 Capitol Way N, Olympia 98501.
The Commission voted 5 to 3 in favor of wild fish non-retention, so you have to change the mind of only one of those voting in favor in order to derail this train. So give it to them. Here are some points for your letter or in-person testimony, but using your own words and experiences probably makes a greater impact than if a bunch of us sent the same letter.
1. The Forks area rivers support the best wild steelhead fishing in North America. Neither non-tribal nor tribal fishing has hurt the productivity of these runs.
2. Sport fishing for steelhead generates substantial income to many Forks residents-guides, motels, restaurants, gas stations, tackle, bait sales, etc.
3. Wild steelhead spawning escapements have been adequate to excellent for as long as the record has been kept.
4. The stream habitats are relatively productive because much of the spawning/fry rearing waters are in the Olympic National Park.
5. The upper reaches of all rivers, generally above highway 101, are already closed to catch-and-kill fishing for wild steelhead. This provides much spawner protection and gives the catch-and-release folks many miles of lightly fish waters.
6. Most fishing now occurs in the lower, catch-and-kill sections indicating that most fisherman like the opportunity to take a nice fish home now and again, even though many fish are voluntarily released.
7. You can only keep five wild steelhead a year anyway, which is very restrictive compared to the past, and has given these stocks adequate protection.
8. Forks area timber sales generate much of the revenues for state public schools. The rest of the State should listen to the wishes of Forks residents before passing down locally unpopular decrees.
9. Judge Boldt also said that the non-tribal fishermen had the right to 50% of the harvest, as well as the tribal 50% right. The best way to insure the non-tribal 50% is to catch it, and measure that catch accurately.
10. The opportunity to catch a trophy (20 pounder or bigger) steelhead brings many fishermen to Forks. Hatchery stocks and most other state rivers do not produce such wall-hangers.
11. The rivers are often out of shape for long periods, which helps the spawning escapements.
12. Catch and release need not be a law. It should be a choice as at present.
13. Catch and release is not needed for conservation. It will only allocate away from the current class of fishermen who may want to keep some of their fish, to another class of fishermen who do not. Neither group has it necessarily wrong, and the present system of extensive catch and release sections plus the five fish annual limit is a good and working compromise.
14. An unpopular and unnecessary law may be hard to enforce.
15. Already guide trips for April, 2004 are being canceled because of this pending change in fishing regulations.
16. The state biologists in charge of managing the Forks area streams think that this new regulation is not necessary.
Copyright © Forks Forum 2003