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Letter from Restarurants Unlimited

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  fcch 
#1 ·
Folks,

Here's a letter that the Wild Steelhead Coalition received from Restaurants Unlimited, the parent company of Cutter's Bayhouse, where they serve wild Hoh River steelhead.



Here are the "interpretations" of the letter:

Long version:

Hi!

I love steelhead, but we make money off them, and if we don't, someone else will.

So, we won't stop selling them until someone makes us.

Good day.

Steve Stoddard
CEO Restaurants Unlimited

Short version:

Blah, Blah, Blah...

Eff off.

Sincerely,

Steve Stoddard
 
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#3 ·
Yeah, . . . . .but

"Please leave us ALONE" is a nice idea. So is "It's not our fault - hate the game, not the player"

It's already been tried, tho, and the WDFW has no authority in this matter. The ONLY arena we have to fight in is the political or the retail.

Shipping wild Hoh River Steelhead to Los Angeles or Atlanta probably isn't nearly as cost-effective as offering them right here in the Seattle area. And I can't imagine the demand would be that high either. RU (or the supplier they go thru) can afford to pay the Natives top dollar if they're offering it locally - practically straight from the OP to your local restaurant.

And that's whats driving the slaughter - a guaranteed contract at $XXX per pound for the Hoh tribe.

So sorry Steve, but if boycotts and protests are what you want your Restaurants are an easy mark and a nice public forum for publicizing the unregulated commercial harvest of our endangered State (game)fish! :)
 
#4 · (Edited)
Todd Ripley said:
So, we won't stop selling them until someone makes us.
I didn't get that from the letter as he stated that "we have discontinued our use of Wild Hoh river steelhead in all our restaurants." I took the comment about demand in LA or Atlanta referred more to the efficacy of threatened boycott, not that they were still selling the fish in these markets. Am I missing something?
 
#5 ·
dc,

Restaurants Unlimited has restaurants all over the country...including LA and Atlanta.

The sale of wild steelhead was discontinued because the season is over for fresh steelhead, and this time of year they switch over to fresh halibut (every year).

They intend to sell wild steelhead again next winter, here and in their restaurants nationwide.

The fact that they, or someone else, will buy the fish and sell it here or somewhere else is not sufficient reason to me to continue buying and selling wild steelhead, especially when the specific run that the fish are coming from has consistently provided a run size sufficient for fishing and for escapement, yet, due to overharvest, has missed escapement about half the time.

Fish on...

Todd
 
#6 ·
Well now Mr. Stoddard, you've thrown down the gauntlet.

You're correct in that we will not affect other restaurants in LA or Atlanta with this boycott.

That's pretty shortsighted.

You are a Seattle-based company that own restaurants across the country and will be very easy for us to affect nationally here locally.

One of the things you can do to help our cause is to sell wild Hoh River Steelhead next year because we can then throw pickets out in front of your restaurants. Of course, that will be after we inform the media. People in Seattle, as you might know, are still very environmentally and ecologically conscious.

Your customers will find that simply not ordering steelhead will be an easy way to protect an endangered species and the WSC will get the media attention and forum we have always needed to reach and inform the general public, not just fishermen, in our battle with the WDFW and politicians in Olympia.

So please help us, please.

Leland.
 
#8 ·
OPEN LETTER

To Steve Stoddard
Resturants Unlimited

So Steve,
What kind of "Avid" Outdoorsman are you?
Avid: "Greedy, Avaricious, Esurient, Money-Hungry" kind of Outdoorsman who does not give a rip about anything more than bonking as many animals as he can untill there all gone?
Or are you.....
Avid: "Eager, Enthusiastic, Livly, Spirited" kind of Outdoorsman who is loyal and intent on having a "Keen Intrest" towards the fate of these Animals?
You see, Steve, the word has two meanings, so there is a need on your part to specify.
Me thinks, if you truly had an intrest in the fate of these Hoh River Steelhead, it would have come across in your letter to Richard...... But, I did not see it!
The "Fight" is most certainly with companies at the "Retail" level, as well as any groups, and any other level that might be deemed a threat to the success and well being of this, and other, species!

So, what kind are you Steve? Time to lay it on the line bud

The two descriptions of the word Avid quoted above can be found in the Rogets International Thesaurus - 6th Edition
I, follow the second description....

Deerhawk
 
#9 · (Edited)
Todd,

As you posted the letter on the I*Net, I guess its part of the public record.

Would you mind if I downloaded the image to send out to some of our US offices ?? I had spoken with some associates on the West coast when this first came out and got some positive action from them.


Thanx,

Christopher Chin
Chief Forester
Louisiana Pacific Canada Ltd.
Division Quebec - Chambord OSB
 
#11 · (Edited)
Todd,

Just to communicate the reply you got to some interested people in the Vancouver office. I like, when I can to use real documentation. Keeps everyone on an even keel when documents are exchanged, instead of quotes and interpretations.

I work in the forest resource management field, so communicating documents is always better than "well, he said that they said ...".

Thanx for the OK, ... PS I like the work your people do.
 
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