Last Saturday at the WDFW Commission meeting, we watched in disbelief as the Commission voted to form a new committee of three Commissioners (Kehoe, McIsaacs, Graybill) to meet with three Oregon Commissioners to make drastic changes to the Columbia River Reform Policy. Listening to the staff report and Commission conversations, we were left with the impression that everything is once again up for grabs. For NSIA, this will be our fourth joint Commission review process of Columbia River harvest in 10 years!
The betrayal of the agreement is unfathomable when we look at how much the reforms have benefited the gillnetters, (see here) and contemplate the declining status of the runs in the Columbia. Orca are starving, many of the Columbia River salmon stocks are plummeting, and the WDFW Commission discusses ways to unravel the reforms.
Clearly, NSIA businesses need to reach out to your legislators and raise the alarm! Forward this letter from the five organizations with your legislators, both in the House and Senate. Call or write your Legislators (find them here) and let them know that:
- Rolling back the reforms will hurt your business.
- Ask them how WDFW can contemplate more gillnetting when stocks are plummeting, and Orca are in trouble
- Tell your legislators that you will stay in touch with them throughout the session to work on keeping the reforms in place, protecting salmon, orca and jobs, and instituting a gillnet buyback program.
- Be sure your Legislators understand how all this relates to NSIA’s ability to lobby for the Department’s budget, especially the Columbia River Endorsement renewal.
Take action today! Lawmakers are spending time over the holidays thinking about this very issue.
If they have any questions, have them contact NSIA’s Government Affairs Director, Carl Burke, 360.480.5920
This battle is far from over, but together we can get things back on track. Let us know what you hear back in your conversations with your legislators.