Editorials

Below are letters from several guides expressing their views on the management of Alaskan fisheries and other issues that affect the guiding and sportfishing industries.  These letters are published to inspire others to follow suit.  Contact your local fisheries administrators and legislators to express your views.

Here is a recent letter from Joe Connors:

This is Joe Connors. I have been on top of the situation relative to the sales tax increase, the bed tax and the new way of calculating fishing packages. I am sorry to say that while various actions by the Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly were taken over the past few months, very few guides and or lodge owners participated in said process.

The current situation relative to Kenai Peninsula Borough Ordinance 2005-09 is a simple one in that it has been already been passed by the assembly. Unless a movement to repeal it is successful, each of the 3 parts will be placed into effect within the coming year/s. An effort has been taking place by ACT and several guides including myself and Irene and Herman Fandel to obtain enough signatures of Kenai Peninsula voters to have this ordinance placed on the ballot for everyone to vote on. We spent the past weekend at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik seeking signatures. Much time and effort was expended and we were successful but we still need close to another 1,500. These signatures need to be obtained by September 15.

It has been difficult to get people to help with the process of seeking signatures and the only other way to be successful is to hire people to do this. The opportunity came up to hire several people to do this work and a total of $1,500 was needed. The Kenai River Professional Guide Association has given $500 to this effort and the Fandels and myself have committed to coming up with the remaining $1,000. However, I do believe that this financial responsibility should be shared by other members of our profession and industry. At this time I am asking others to give me or Herman/Irene a call and help us out with a financial contribution. We greatly appreciate any and all help. Thanks, Joe Connors

Here is a recent letter from Greg Brush to George Pappas, area management biologist for the Kenai Peninsula Management Area:

From: Greg & Sherri Brush
Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 11:06 AM
To: 'george_pappas@fishgame.state.ak.us'
Subject: RE: Commissioner's press release on all actions

George, I realize that you likely know all this, and that your hands are pretty much tied in your present position, but I am going to reply to the ADF&G's Commissioners recent press release (on all recent Fish and Game actions) that you forwarded to me anyway. I do want to thank you once again for keeping me in the loop during this busy time of year! You are a good area manager. I am also going to pick my words as carefully as possible here, as I am a bit upset right now. I have a bad habit, which I am working on little by little, of letting my emotion get the best of me. I obviously feel strongly about this and am passionate about our area's special kings. I also hope you wont view my personal opinion as a direct attack of ADF&G, the Commissioner, the Board of Fish or commercial fishermen. All in all, Alaskans enjoy a wonderful public process called the Board of Fish, and they do a good job and should be commended for their time and efforts. Likewise, ADF&G manages our complex fisheries well for the most part. And I understand that commercial fishermen need to make a living also, and I hold nothing against them. My final disclaimer is to residents who should continue to be allowed reasonable and controlled harvest of sockeye salmon to fill their freezers through the PU dipnet fisheries. HOWEVER, we all must be held accountable for our choices and actions, so here goes: Although I am almost used to these types of Emergency Orders, these most recent ones shock even me! I could go on and one about the stocked runs of sockeye and the politics of this practice, but we have all have heard that before, and hopefully the end of this is in site. I am replying to you in order to make one point that I think is quite simple. Even a lay person, whether that be a visiting tourist or local, guide or private angler, sport or commercial fisher, should be able to grasp this one: all spring and summer (thus far) sport anglers have been restricted on both the Kenai and Kasilof rivers TO PROTECT OUR UNIQUE STOCKS. Recently, the set nets went out and the indiscriminate harvest (with the more attractive euphemism of "incidental by-catch") of these same Chinook (comprised of PROTECTED NATIVE and "NATURAL" stocks) began. So, all May and June a sport angler with a simple hook and line is required by law to release these "SACRED" fish, but commercial and personal use fishers are allowed access to them with the most effective, and more importantly, INDISCRIMINATING tools around. (Friendly reminder, a hook and line has no "incidental by-catch".) These openers were alarming enough, but now, with the Commissioners recent liberalizations, the bar is substantially raised and harvest of protected Chinook will increase dramatically. At this winters BOF in Anchorage, of which I attended every day for nearly two weeks, I repeatedly heard the department say that anglers must release Kasilof River Early Run natural Kings to protect them and allow their numbers to rebuild. For the past three years, EVERY ONE of these fish were required to be released by sport anglers to protect their limited numbers. (Hmm, think any protected Kasilof River Early Run natural kings were killed in the Kasilof district set nets in 2002, 2003 and 2004?) At this years BOF, the ADF&G stated that presently there was an excess of "plus or minus one thousand Kasilof river natural kings" and that these fish could actually support a harvest comprised of fishing them a maximum of " two days a week." (Hmmm, think the nets and PU gill and dip net fisheries are getting more then a hook and line angler two days a week?) Furthermore, sport anglers on the Kenai are required by law to release nearly all five-ocean fish (ie slot limit fish of 44"-55") the entire early run (May-June) to allow them to spawn and pass on this rare and unique gene. (Hmm, I wonder if a dip or gill net gets any 44"-55" SLOT fish?) Yet ADF&G, thru the Commissioners recent decisions, chooses to extend the PU gillnet fishery, increase open fishing area for the Kasilof PU dipnet fishery, and reduce the mandatory 48 hour closure and allow up to 12 additional hours of set netting! My question to you, and all fish and game managers is this: do you think any PROTECTED Kasilof river "natural" fish or PROTECTED Kenai River slot limit fish will perish due to these actions? Understand that I am well aware that sport fishers have been thrown the token bone of a bait liberalization on the Kenai River (of which many have questioned and criticized due to questionable sonar counts-a whole 'nother issue!) and increased sockeye sport limit on the Kasilof (of which few anglers participate in) to try to justify and appease us "greedy sportees", but that is pretty irrelevant in this discussion about the protection of our kings, isn't it? And I know enough about fish politics, the BOF process, and the over-escapement theory to understand how and why all this occurs year after year, and I fully realize that ADF&G is charged to follow the management plan (...most of the time! EO's pretty much give the commissioner the flexibility to go outside the plan whenever it is deemed "necessary" to avoid the dreaded over-escapement!) but what I don't understand is why the burdon of conservation is place upon sport fishermen. Can you, or any other person, please tell me why it is not equally shared among all user groups, and why it is OK to put the harvest of "extra" sockeye as a clear priority at expense of our PROTECTED kings? Honestly, if we are going to continue to allow such actions, jeopardizing the future of our fisheries and the unique genetic composition of our runs, then lets stop playing games and be done with it! In my opinion, no limit, no day or hour restrictions, and full-on snagging would serve well to expediate the direction we are heading, ending the pain, agony and frustration of all who truly care about our Chinook stocks!

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Greg Brush

Greg & Sherri Brush
EZ Limit Guide Service
907-262-6169

PO Box 4278
Soldotna, AK 99669
www.ezlimit.com

-----Original Message-----
From: George Pappas [mailto:george_pappas@fishgame.state.ak.us]
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 10:43 AM
To: George_Pappas (E-mail)
Subject: FW: Commissioner's press release on all actions

The document attached is a press release from the ADFG Commissioner's office. This press release contains information about the management of the Kasilof River Personal Use gill and dip net fisheries, Kasilof River sport fishery, and the Kasilof Area Commercial Salmon Fishery.
-GP-
George E. Pappas
Area Management Biologist
North Kenai Peninsula Management Area
Division of Sportfish
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
(907)260-2920 Fax: (907)262-4709
43961 K-Beach Road, Suite B
Soldotna, Alaska 99669

Here is Joe's letter:

Here we go again!

The latest maneuver by the Commercial Fish Division of Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is astounding. Some how when native stocks need the most protection they have convinced the Alaska state board of fish to allow MORE fishing time for commercial fishers. Amazingly every weekend when most Alaskans can fish, Fish and Game has allowed extra fishing time for commercial harvest. This has occurred the last several years, a coincidence? A fluke? Maybe just happenstance? I don't think so! They have seem to forgotten these fish belong to you! The Daily News reports on Friday “fishing is good”. Then when you arrive commercial fish division issues “back to back” openings for the commercial fishers. You are now fishing in a desert! For those that are not familiar with the situation we face, commercial. fishers have continually supported a program to stock the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers with millions of sockeye fry for the last 20 plus years. Historic numbers (provided by fish and game) show returns of approximately 35,000 -125,000 fish to the Kasilof River. Surprisingly since 6.2 million fry a year have been dumped into Tustemena Lake this run has been inflated to returns of over 400, 000 (this means odds are the nets are in) . This is the cruncher. If an enhanced sockeye returns to Cook Inlet and makes it to spawn its offspring are now considered "wild". That's why commercial fish division say's, oh no, only 10% of are return is stocked. Meanwhile thousands of native Sockeye, Silver and King Salmon must survive the continual emergency orders issued by AK comm. Fish Division. This is the exact scenario that has decimated salmon runs throughout the world .One enhanced strong stock, Sockeyes, other less abundant natural stocks(kings, chums and silvers). Let's face it folks, mankind doesn't have a very good track record with salmon....something like zero and a thousand. Another interesting fact to this argument is that for the last two years we have heard about the "lack of public process" in the management of our fisheries expressed by our local advisory boards and commercial fishers. Many people have spent thousands of hours and spent countless days in motels to come to a compromise to solve biological and social fisheries issues. I do not blame commercial fishers for fishing. If someone told me it was ok. to fish I would too, but it is obvious that the long standing feud between Sport and Comm. divisions of the ADF&G has reached a level where the fish don't matter anymore. Suddenly after an hour phone call, the entire Cook Inlet management plan has been radically changed. A new precedence has been set. Our community is going to suffer and our economy will suffer. Most importantly Salmon are in more danger than ever. If the people of Alaska don't step up and let their concerns be heard our native stocks will meet the same demise as others worldwide.

Good luck next weekend!!!!

Joe Hanes, Soldotna AK 907-262-6388

Here is Lee Young's letter:

I fish the Kasilof River the last 2 weeks of July a lot. Over the past 5 years I have obtained historical data and traditionally it is a good run. The run this year is not materializing as it has historically. There are two scenarios........the commercial netting is wiping out the late run on the Kasilof or it is a poor run and needs protection. It's also possible that it is a weaker run and the nets are putting the hurt on this river and decimating the king fishery. For the benefit of netting sockeye the Kasilof River is losing its July run of fish.

Sincerely,

Lee Young

I read Joe's below letter and agree with his questioning of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game ADF&G, extra fishing time for commercial fishermen and the effect it is having on our local wild fisheries stocks. Native Sockeye, Silver and King Salmon may be able to survive a limited amount of this kind of management but this kind of constant back to back, year after year "resource abuse" can only result in decimated runs.

I believe it is a small miracle that we still have any fisheries left at all with this backwards management. Constant ADF&G emergency orders are survivable for enhanced salmon runs because this kind of a degenerative management cycle can be repaired each year with artificial replacements through stockings. Wild stocks endure this same degenerative fishing cycle but the damage cannot be repaired each year because ADF&G lacks the ability to stock wild salmon. It is the ADF&G's inability to repair wild stock damage from excess commercial fishing, which sets up long term declining trends for only wild stocks.

Anytime concerned persons point to declining wild stocks, the ADF&G just points to stable sonar numbers for enhanced stocks to make everyone believe we do not have a wild stock problem. If you believe what the ADF&G is selling eventually all wild stock will be replaced by enhanced stocks. Both us and the fish will eventually pay the price when enhanced and genetically similar stocks pick up a virus which would normally only kill off a small percentage of genetically diverse wild stocks. Instead of that virus wiping out a small percentage of a wild stock it will destroy the entire enhanced and genetically simular stock. Salmon genetics are very complex and I am by no means an expert in that field but this is a lesson in basic logic. The more similar a stocks genetics are today, the less likely that stock will survive in the future. This is the end result of stock enhancements; it may take years to happen but like a slow train it will eventually get to where it is going. Tustemena Lake sockeye stockings were a classic example of what is wrong within the ADF&G. These stockings were prevented by the courts when they should have been stopped by the ADF&G. It is this lack of genetic concern by the ADF&G which dooms many wild stock and later their enhanced replacements which will eventually also fail when the "correct virus" comes along. The ADF&G should be more concerned with maintaining genetically diverce stocks than making sure commercial fishermen can pay their bills or make a profit.

The ADF&G should only use a fisheries management procedure if the genetically weakest parts of a run can with stand the procedure. Right now the ADF&G manages as if wild and hatchery stocks are the same. This abuse of wild stocks may be changing within the department but it will take a long time to totally change. Right now the ADF&G has changed regarding this subject because they will no longer establish a hatchery run on top of a wild run. This is a change for the the better but the department has a long way to go in recognizing that wild stocks should run the show and not be an after thought with regard to all fisheries management.

Don Johnson
Soldotna, Alaska