Dear NSIA Members and Friends,  

Now is the time for quick and important action.  The sport fishing closure of the Columbia from Bonneville to Tongue Point for fall chinook punctuates just how out-of-balance and unfair the allocation process is.  While commercial gillnetters continue to fish, we are left on the bank watching at a cost of millions of dollars to our regional sport fishing/tourism industry.

A recent article (Sunday, September 18^th) from the Oregonian reflects the prevailing sentiment of sports anglers from around the region.  Full text available below.

Adobe Acrobat: Fish, wildlife officials pull childish trick on anglers

Microsoft Word:  Fish, wildlife officials pull childish trick on anglers

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, PLEASE FORWARD THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR STATE (not Federal!) SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE IN WA AND OR!

NSIA is asking you to be part of the solution and contact your state legislators today.  Forward this article to your state representative and senator and let them know just how much these decisions hurt your business.  It is the only way we’ll see change any time soon. 

Our fish and wildlife agency's staff continues to feel that “equitable” means 50/50 when, in fact, there are thousands more sport anglers and tens-of-millions more dollars in sport fishing and tourism.  We continue to draw the short straw in this process and it needs to be fixed.  

For more than two decades we have tried to work inside the process and with the commissions. Today, we need to let our legislators know what’s going on.  They can’t help us if they don’t know how we are being affected.  The fact that millions of dollars in business and tax revenue are being lost and thousands of jobs are in jeopardy should serve notice that this is an issue our legislators must pay attention to and become involved with.

Let’s be clear here.  We have no intention of putting the gillnetters out of business. The market will ultimately dictate whether they have a viable business model or not. We just want our fair share. The non fishing public can still obtain salmon from the Ocean Troll Fleet, and the Tribal Fishermen, but our entire region is being short-sheeted by these types of closures, which turns many away.  The commissions need to hear from your legislators.  We believe that is the only way to create a process that better serves us…right now it is broken and this closure is evidence of just how broken it is.

Please join us and contact your legislator today.  You can find them easily by calling (in Washington) 1.800.562.6000. or visiting http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature to find your State Senator and State Representative (not Federal).  In Oregon, call  1.800.332.2313 or visit http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/findset.htm.  Change is difficult, and will not happen unless literally hundreds of you call and write.  We know the current processes are not working for our region.  Pick up the phone or write a quick letter, and together, let’s make things better.  If you need help, call NSIA toll free 866.315.NSIA, Carl Burke in WA 360-480-5920 or in OR, call Phil Donovan at 503 522 3023. 

At the very least, forward the article below, with a short, polite note or phone call from you.  The Legislature cannot fix the process unless you tell them it is broken!  Otherwise, nothing will change. Thank you.