We need to find a way to get this state back to salmon fishing again !

[BOWHUNTER45]

I know we have some fishing in Washington but Salmon are my main concern . All the rules and closures are seriously hurting us and our youth ..I find it So sad when a person lives right in the heart of some of the finest rivers in Washington and the state continues to close out fishing down . The tribal fishing has to stop or they need to give us part of their quota So we can enjoy the resources too ! Maybe we need to come up with some kinda petition and send it off to the Government ...The state is so broke but they continue to push on and take away more than we are receiving ..How can it be So difficult for them to realize how much fishing has an impact on the local economy . More so than say hunting ...a lot more people fish than hunt ...I8f they want money then they need to pull their head out of their butts and state MANAGING our resources ..My biggest complaint is (QUOTA ) once they receive the quotas they want in the hatchery they should open up recreational fishing in the rivers where they know more fish are coming .The traps at Baker Dam have been getting some good returns and I just can not see how they can give us a season one year and shove it in our face the next ...If they receive the fish they need then it should be fair game for us to catch fish and help out the economy ...This year would be a prime year for them to collect some revenue from fishermen and give the local businesses a boost to recover from all the misspending this state has created ...A buddy of mine takes his kids fishing the other day ...Just little kids ....He puts out a couple salmon rods and has the boys practicing casting with their spinning reels ...the wardens come and check them out and sees the boys are fishing with extra poles 
 yeah I GUESS it was his fault for letting them do that  So they write my buddy a ticket for $87 ..fishing with extra poles ...yes I know they done wrong according to the laws but my point is why keep pestering the kids ! If these kids could be fishing and enjoying themselves this county I live in would be a much better place to live ....I am really getting sick of it all ....Then the officer tells him ( thanks for taking your kids fishing ) Again the only 3 people standing on the bank of the river trying to enjoy a day of quality time with your children ! AND MIND YOU .....The nets go in today 
 I need a stiff one right now !

[Mfowl]

I agree we should be able to fish with multiple rods on our salmon and steelhead fisheries provided we have the 2 pole endorsement.  So long as people aren't exceeding their limit I don't see the problem. Its too bad we the sporties have to bare the brunt of decreasing opportunities while the kill nets ravage whats left of our fish stocks. I am still mourning the loss of my favorite summer fishery in Elliott Bay!

[npaull]

Native netting isn't helping for sure. The hatcheries have also been proven (again and again) to *reduce* total fish numbers, and yet for some reason people keep pushing them... They are a totally asinine, money-wasting, fish-hurting program that should be stopped. We should eliminate all hatcheries and focus on preserving and improving the habitat. This region has the potential to produce absolutely astronomical numbers of fish if the habitat is good.

[Practical Approach]

Native netting isn't helping for sure. The hatcheries have also been proven (again and again) to *reduce* total fish numbers, and yet for some reason people keep pushing them... They are a totally asinine, money-wasting, fish-hurting program that should be stopped. We should eliminate all hatcheries and focus on preserving and improving the habitat. This region has the potential to produce absolutely astronomical numbers of fish if the habitat is good.

Could you please post or point the group to your source for hatcheries reducing total fish numbers?  I had not heard they were an issue.

[snowpack]

I've read in the past that it is suspected that 80% of the fish destined for Washington are caught while in Alaska or off the coast of BC.  So, we only get the last 20% or so to split up.  There was a case not too long ago about a seafood company in Seattle that had the scales set wrongly on its trawlers--the scales would read about 30% of actual weight on one.  So, just one company was actually taking up to more than 3 times its quota.
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021090866_sundaybuzz02xml.html

[Antlershed]

Native netting isn't helping for sure. The hatcheries have also been proven (again and again) to *reduce* total fish numbers, and yet for some reason people keep pushing them... They are a totally asinine, money-wasting, fish-hurting program that should be stopped. We should eliminate all hatcheries and focus on preserving and improving the habitat. This region has the potential to produce absolutely astronomical numbers of fish if the habitat is good.

Could you please post or point the group to your source for hatcheries reducing total fish numbers?  I had not heard they were an issue.

Probably the Native Fish Society 

[Bullkllr]

Native netting isn't helping for sure. The hatcheries have also been proven (again and again) to *reduce* total fish numbers, and yet for some reason people keep pushing them... They are a totally asinine, money-wasting, fish-hurting program that should be stopped. We should eliminate all hatcheries and focus on preserving and improving the habitat. This region has the potential to produce absolutely astronomical numbers of fish if the habitat is good.

Could you please post or point the group to your source for hatcheries reducing total fish numbers?  I had not heard they were an issue.

There are a lot of studies that show in most cases hatchery stocking reduces wild fish numbers.
 I do not think there is any information to support hatchery stocking reduces numbers of hatchery fish, which would have to be included in total fish numbers.
In the present, we would have almost no fishing for salmon/steelhead if it were not for hatchery supplementation. In the long run, healthy runs of wild fish are probably a far better goal. For the forseeable future, some kind of balance between the two must is the only realistic conclusion.

So many issues at work here; drives me crazy when people try to simplify it to a single issue/cause.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I agree there is more than one issue ..But the biggest issue is commercial fishing ...we have raked the source for So many years and expect things to recover by continuing to do what caused it  For the amount of tributaries in Washington you would think we would be one of the most reliable resources on the planet ...Greed has killed this state ...nothing managed but money ...We should be enjoying live at it best by fishing and hunting ...especially being a western state ...Pretty sad the east coast has better management programs than the Great NW ... just makes a guy sick and now they are making things even worse ...What does a guy do ? Start raising some hell .. I can not imagine what it will be like when my boys hit 40 ....

[Special T]

Unfortunatly this has more to do with $$$ and power than salmon. The skagit valley is a perfect example. The Swinomish tribe is attmepting to prevent any new wells in the skagit watershed from being drilled. They feel that ALL of the water moving down the vally is part of the river and part of tribal water rights. This is under the guise of protecting salmon but has a lot more to do with $$$ from mitigation and such.

I think you will find that many fights will be over water in the future, here and elsewhere. It is the one area that afects us all and allows the state to reach into every part of our life.

[nwlynx22]

Hatcheries have provided many opportunities that would have otherwise been closed. Also they (hatcheries) can provide real time data on wild fish passing upstream and that data is not included in funding and that info goes towards season setting and quota. These issues will not be solved with less netting or other common blame games. We need to shut down areas on a rotation to naturally build the stocks up while not the most popular it would work. No removal of fish equals a 100% increase in spawning abilities. The only provision that would be helpful to netting comm. or native would be a zero by-catch rule.

[BOWHUNTER45]

You sure can not tell that the whiteman is top dog in this country now days ...huh ? The tribes have more power and money than the White man ..if they gave us some then I would not be So peeeesed off 

[WSU]

You sure can not tell that the whiteman is top dog in this country now days ...huh ? The tribes have more power and money than the White man ..if they gave us some then I would not be So peeeesed off 

The part that you are missing is that the "whiteman" harvests our fish in the sound, the straits, Washington's ocean, and then alaska for 2 to 6 years before they return and run the gauntlet again in hopes of making to the river.  Your share of "their quota" is caught in all of the above fisheries, and then some.

[BOWHUNTER45]

thanks for throwing that in 

[Dustin07]

...What does a guy do ? Start raising some hell .. I can not imagine what it will be like when my boys hit 40 ....

how about calling the game department and taking up some volunteer opportunities, or starting your own salmon farm to compete with wild caught. or ride a bike instead of driving since oil run off is killing some waterways like Hood Canal.

[snowpack]

Oil run off killing Hood Canal?  I know they get times of oxygen depletion that kills off huge parts of the canal, but where are you reading about oil?