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Where have all
the salmon gone?
Pioneer Press
Fort Jones, CA
February 7, 2007
To the Editor:
Myself and many
other fisherman
were not happy
with the Klamath
River Salmon
fishing
regulations last
year, no adult
fish could be
kept. I was told
that this was
because of an
expected poor
Salmon return.
If this helped
we needed to do
our part and
support the
regulations to
help improve the
situation. Then
I find out that
the fishing
regulations did
not apply to all
Americans
equally.
The American
Indian tribes
towards the
mouth of the
Klamath were
allowed to set
over one hundred
gill nets that
take tens of
thousands of
Salmon although
the River was
closed to taking
adult fish. It
is no wonder why
we are having
poor Salmon
returns. The
regulations do
no good when
they are only
selectively
enforced. The
Fish and Game
Wardens were
told not to
enforce the
regulations
where it
concerns the
gill netters on
the river.
It makes no
sense to tell
the public that
the Salmon runs
are in danger,
close the river
to the keeping
of adult Salmon
by sport
fisherman
,threaten them
with large fines
if they keep
fish and then
allow over one
hundred gill
nets that
indiscriminately
take and kill
adult King and
Coho Salmon by
the tens of
thousands.. The
Klamath is the
only river in
California where
gillnetting for
Salmon is
allowed.
In 2005 the
Sacramento River
had 1.5 million
Salmon return,
no gillnetting
there.
This is not
rocket science,
if those in
charge want the
Salmon runs to
increase then
the gillnets
need to be taken
out of the river
and our Fish and
Game laws need
to be enforced
for all
Americans. What
good would it do
to take the
Klamath river
dams down if
adequate numbers
of Salmon can't
get past the
gill nets to
reach the upper
river areas. We
are all in this
together, Sport
Fisherman,
Commercial
Fisherman and
the Gill
netters. We all
need to do our
part.
The early talk
is that 2007
fall Salmon
season will have
the same or
tighter
regulations as
last year. The
powers to be are
willing to take
down dams,
reduce domestic
energy supply
and put many
people out of
work to increase
the Klamath
River Salmon
runs. However,
they don't want
to pull the gill
nets out of the
river or equally
enforce the laws
concerning the
catch of Salmon.
Please contact
your elected
representative ,
California
Department of
Fish and Game ,
Rod McInnis ,
southwest
regional
administrator
for NOAA
fisheries, and
encourage them
to work towards
stopping the
gill netting of
Salmon on the
Klamath River.
Encourage the
Department of
Fish and Game to
treat all
Americans
equally and
enforce the
fishing
regulations on
the entire
Klamath River,
and not just
pick on the
weekend sport
fisherman. It is
just possible
that they might
act on common
sense and the
concerns of
those that
elected them.
G. Horne,
Montague |
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