Moldy ran a post yesterday pulling information from this post (Osprey Steelhead News’ Don’t Let Hatchery Advocates Hijack WDFS’s Gene Bank Process), suggesting in part that CCA was behind a movement to derail plans to discontinue hatchery releases and designate the Wind, East Fork Lewis, Green and North Fork Toutle Rivers as wild steelhead gene banks.
It was reported the WDFW had indeed extended the comment period on the proposal (read in full here), though it appears the additional comment period and the Centralia meeting are to focus on the NF Toutle and Green Rivers from this WDFW press release.
Having personally been in Washington for just shy of two years, I’m a mere infant when it comes to understanding the web of disaster that is native fish management (particularly when it comes to wild steelhead) around these parts; you certainly can’t mention the topic in any setting without invoking fire and brimstone invective from at least one person in the discussion.
That said, I was a bit surprised to see the CCA tagged with the blame for a campaign to overturn the proposal. While no organization has a perfect record out there, from a distance the CCA appears to have been a very strong and even-handed player in the Gulf of Mexico for years; that’s been my only personal frame of reference and exposure to CCA. Perusing the WA CCA site today I couldn’t find mention of ‘anti-gene bank’ commentary, though it certainly could be buried somewhere. (I suspect the CCA’s stance on hatcheries draws the ire of a fair number of native fish folks, though that’s just a guess…). Disclosure – not a CCA member.
Digging around a bit more, there is posted a discussion here about a guy who thinks he heard the radio ad in Portland…
It would be utter insanity to let a small group of sport fishers derail establishment of the wild steelhead gene banks as proposed; here in Washington at least it appears insanity has played a role in wild steelhead management for years. No question, wild steelhead supporters need to out in force in Centralia this week.
That said, it’s also insane to paint an organization like the CCA as an evil actor when they could be / should be / very likely are an ally in terms of many (maybe even most) points of contention when it comes to PNW fisheries management. Nothing is going to change for better without broad coalitions pushing the powers that be to get it done.
A favorite mentor (Ed) used to caution that shooting real or potential allies in the ass only makes your opponent that much stronger and conserves his strength to fight yet another battle on another day. We need all the wild steelhead advocates we can muster to push needed changes through in the days to come.
