The Outdoor Line Forum

Long-time lurker and listener, first time posting. Nelly, I actually got to fish with you on Big Red with our mutual buddy, Phil "911" Michelsen and that monster (but really cool dude) Kevin Gogan. Talk about feeling small as an average-sized guy at 6 feet! Still have the pic of the fish!

Thank you to everyone involved - Director Unsworth, the WDFW and its delegation, and of course Nelly and this board for getting the word out. The details from the "negotiations" are critical to all of us currently on the outside looking in. We need to know about the tactics so we can mount a response. Please keep the detailed information coming. I'll keep listening on Saturday mornings!

I'm tired of the status quo. Things have to change. Fish have to come first, and impacts have to be shared by ALL. Reporting and oversight must be mandatory. I will do what I can to ensure I can continue to catch salmon with my son out of my own boat. I've emailed Will Stelle/NOAA and my Congressman. Washingtonians and the WDFW MUST have the support of our federal agencies, and we all need to DEMAND that the feds do their jobs!

Out.

Copy of my email to NOAA/Mr. Stelle :

Mr. Stelle,

I am writing you requesting that NOAA stand up and support fair and equitable fishing negotiations between the State of Washington DoF&W and the native tribes. The non-native approach has been fair and conservation based, while a few unreasonable tribes have held up what is supposed to be a cooperative process. As a member of a farming family that controls miles of stream bank and bed areas, we have bent over backwards to support fish habitat, however I cannot see this continuing to happen if Treaty tribes can continue non-discriminatory net fisheries while attempting to block non-native access to healthy hatchery runs of fish. Make no mistake, allowing a native fishery, while blocking or delaying a permit for non-native Puget Sound fishing, will stoke and enflame passions that will only destroy decades of hard work, to the detriment of all parties. Is this the legacy current NOAA leadership wish to leave?

Sincerely,
Chris Pomeroy

I am sorry to see there was no agreement, but at the same time I am glad to see leadership has put a stop to the one sided demands, agreements, and stopped giving up our rights. It is time we stop giving up our rights, and start making gains. I don't want this to happen, but I am prepared to not be able to fish this year if it means we make gains in the future. I have also lost all respect for NOAA and the cartoon leadership.
I keep reading and hearing that WDFW made or gave up concessions, but they were rejected by the tribes. I have not been able to find copies of the negotiations anywhere online. Does anyone know where I can find a copy of the negotiations? Thank you.

Tom in all your years fishing around here have you ever seen a threat to WA sportfishing as big as this?

Total closure of the puget sound/strait/san juans for potentially years?? I was reading it applies to anywhere chinook swim, so that means no steelhead in rivers and not even L. Washington would be closed. Seems like the apocalypse is nigh.

There'd be the obvious economic fallout which would be devastating. But I am concerned with such drastic and severe closures there'd also be "Fish Wars" type fallout.

Love,
Worried In Washiginton

STEADY BIG FELLAH... Hold on there...

As of right now, we have not lost a minute, not a day of fishing and until we do, I believe that we're going fishing.

Is this non-agreement troubling? Absolutely yes. Will it be a positive thing in the long run? Also and absolutely yes!

Some tribes have taken advantage of an unfair fisheries management scenario for a long time and who can blame them?

There are those that say the system was skewed to the non-tribal side in the days before the Boldt Decision.

However, now some tribes have shown and seriously overplayed their hand.

The tribes have completely underestimated the unanimous consensus among the sports anglers.

The support for Director Unsworth and WDFW has completely taken the tribes by surprise.

Now NOAA and our elected officials in an election year are going to hear us LOUD AND CLEAR!

Here's the CCA Voter Voice that is the quickest way to contact ALL of your legislators in one swift action!
Please step up and let your voice be heard!
The fishery you save may be your own!

https://www.votervoice.net/CCAPNW/Campaigns/46145/Respond

Nelly said: As of right now, we have not lost a minute, not a day of fishing and until we do, I believe that we're going fishing.
Traditionally in years past, Area 13 closes on April 30, and reopens May 1st then June 1st area 11 would reopen. There has not been very much going on in area 13 over the last several years and area 11 in June has been slow overall, but this year it will be lost opportunity. I brought these areas up so we can mention them in our letters to NOAA that we are losing opportunity beginning this Sunday. Amazing that 2 tribal groups are being the bullies and we are having to beg for this damn permit! NOAA needs to give us the permit asap with an apology and mediate the next NOF and tell the tribes that we have a right to conduct our fishery just as much as they do! They need to stand up to the tribes and remind them that they are required to respect our fishery and bargain in good faith, both of which they are NOT doing, so the tribes are in violation of co-management!

Nelly wrote:STEADY BIG FELLAH... Hold on there...

As of right now, we have not lost a minute, not a day of fishing and until we do, I believe that we're going fishing.

Is this non-agreement troubling? Absolutely yes. Will it be a positive thing in the long run? Also and absolutely yes!

Thanks for talking me off the ledge Tom! You definitely have the right attitude here.

Does anyone know if any of our elected officials have written or talked to NOAA to put pressure on them to get our permit?

Also, will there be a list of elected officials that took action in our favor so we know who to vote for and who not to vote for?

Thanks.

Personally, I've talked to my Congressman Rick Larsen and we spoke at length about this issue.
To my knowledge here's the only letter written from an elected official to NOAA:

Here's the letter that State Rep Chad Magendanz wrote to NOAA West Coast Fisheries Regional Assistant Regional Manager Bob Turner:

http://centralpt.com/upload/560/CCAconnect/19592_201604-27RepMagendanzLtr.pdf

Apparently, there are protests taking place this week due to the fact that the Swinomish are going in this week with a full-blown 25 boat gillnet fishery on the Skagit today.

To date, the Swinomish have not received a Section 7 permit from NOAA/NMFS but the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) is running point at the federal level to force NOAA into the paperwork that will legally justify this commercial fishery.

Stay tuned...