5
5-Salt Fever
Guest
There is a move a foot in Oregon that might be of interest to Sport Fishing interests in BC. This movement started on a local fishing forum just like this one.
Issue:
Sport Fishing receiving an equitable share of annual salmon harvest in Oregon State.
Specifics:
Recent vote by Oregon State Fishing Commission to allocate a greater share of the available Columbia River Spring Chinook Harvest to Commercial Gil-Netters has raised considerable noise within the Sport Fishing Community.
Specifically, the vote by a commission member who owns a Commercial Fishing Supply Company - Englunds Marine Supply of Oregon and Washington. No surprise his vote was in favor of great commercial allocation. Most feel he should have excused himself from this vote for conflict of interest reasons.
Reaction:
Subsequently, his vote has started a grass roots Boycott of his business. A movement that now included several major business customers and 2-3000 sport fishing customers. Further, this boycott caused the Oregon State Governor to comment on the subject calling Sport Fishing's boycott of Englunds Marine Supply, “un-ethical” among other things.
This can be read in the Portland Oregonian News paper editorial found at http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1087402&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
Further Developments:
Of particular interest is the number of businesses that benefit from the nearly USD 3-billion per year economic contribution to Pacific Northwest economy from the Sport Fishing Industry – an amount that exceeds the Commercial contribution by to the regions economy by 90% according to statistics published in Salmon & Steelhead Journal magazine recently. Those same business (boat, tackle, marine equipment manifactures/suppliers etc…) have begun to flex there economic and political voice in the process after long suffering at the hands of a commission and government the fails to realize that 98% of the funds for hatchery support, fish management, economic growth come not from commercial but sport fishing industry.
Long story short:
We Sporties got tired of getting screwed by commercials share of harvest allocation; got tired of commercial harvest methods that are responsible for the near extinction of native steelhead and salmon stocks; got tired of having our economic contribution be over-shadowed and ignored by special interest and cronyism with in Oregon Fish and Game Department and Oregon State Government. Slowly and surely we have been lobbying with our wallets, our letter writing, our vote and support of elected officials.
Impact those who appoint commission members. Impact commission members. Build strong political lobby efforts. Only then you will begin to change the decisions that hurt native fish populations and your fishing opportunities, to those in favor of your interests – restoration of fish populations to historical level for all can enjoy and pass this hobby on to your future generations.
It’s your fishery, you fund it, you own it, and yet, you get near zero say in how it is managed – fight to get back.
Edited by - 5-Salt Fever on 01/28/2006 10:59:36
Edited by - 5-Salt Fever on 01/28/2006 11:03:31
Issue:
Sport Fishing receiving an equitable share of annual salmon harvest in Oregon State.
Specifics:
Recent vote by Oregon State Fishing Commission to allocate a greater share of the available Columbia River Spring Chinook Harvest to Commercial Gil-Netters has raised considerable noise within the Sport Fishing Community.
Specifically, the vote by a commission member who owns a Commercial Fishing Supply Company - Englunds Marine Supply of Oregon and Washington. No surprise his vote was in favor of great commercial allocation. Most feel he should have excused himself from this vote for conflict of interest reasons.
Reaction:
Subsequently, his vote has started a grass roots Boycott of his business. A movement that now included several major business customers and 2-3000 sport fishing customers. Further, this boycott caused the Oregon State Governor to comment on the subject calling Sport Fishing's boycott of Englunds Marine Supply, “un-ethical” among other things.
This can be read in the Portland Oregonian News paper editorial found at http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1087402&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
Further Developments:
Of particular interest is the number of businesses that benefit from the nearly USD 3-billion per year economic contribution to Pacific Northwest economy from the Sport Fishing Industry – an amount that exceeds the Commercial contribution by to the regions economy by 90% according to statistics published in Salmon & Steelhead Journal magazine recently. Those same business (boat, tackle, marine equipment manifactures/suppliers etc…) have begun to flex there economic and political voice in the process after long suffering at the hands of a commission and government the fails to realize that 98% of the funds for hatchery support, fish management, economic growth come not from commercial but sport fishing industry.
Long story short:
We Sporties got tired of getting screwed by commercials share of harvest allocation; got tired of commercial harvest methods that are responsible for the near extinction of native steelhead and salmon stocks; got tired of having our economic contribution be over-shadowed and ignored by special interest and cronyism with in Oregon Fish and Game Department and Oregon State Government. Slowly and surely we have been lobbying with our wallets, our letter writing, our vote and support of elected officials.
Impact those who appoint commission members. Impact commission members. Build strong political lobby efforts. Only then you will begin to change the decisions that hurt native fish populations and your fishing opportunities, to those in favor of your interests – restoration of fish populations to historical level for all can enjoy and pass this hobby on to your future generations.
It’s your fishery, you fund it, you own it, and yet, you get near zero say in how it is managed – fight to get back.
Edited by - 5-Salt Fever on 01/28/2006 10:59:36
Edited by - 5-Salt Fever on 01/28/2006 11:03:31
