Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

Casting Comment
A Bold and Necessary Step in the Name of Harvest Reform

By Gary Loomis
Vice President of CCA National and Chairman Emeritus of CCA Pacific Northwest
TIDE
Mar/Apr 2010

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS of my friend Chuck Yeager is, “You know you’re over the target when you start taking flak.” As 2009 ended, CCA took a bold step toward the target of Pacific Northwest salmon recovery. The Oregon chapter launched a ballot initiative, The Protect Our Salmon Act (POSA), which will ban the use of gill nets and tangle nets for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon in all Oregon waters — including the Columbia River. The Act calls for the use of commercial practices that selectively harvest returning hatchery fish while protecting endangered wild salmon and other species.

This is the first round in a long process. In February, Oregon’s Attorney General significantly amended the title of the ballot initiative, to the extent that the title no longer accurately reflected POSA’s intent. Although this was disappointing, it was not unexpected, and we remain positive about our efforts. Since launching POSA it has become very clear that when the public understands the horrific and wasteful toll that gill nets take on marine life – including endangered fish stocks – and that a better method of harvest exits, reform is strongly supported. We remain committed to these needed reforms, and intend to amend and re-file the ballot initiative to address the interpretation of the Attorney General’s office.

Although we have a long road ahead of us, it is well worth the travel, and here’s why. The commercial fishing gear currently used in Columbia River salmon fisheries includes gill nets and tangle nets, which kill Endangered Species Act-listed and wild salmon, among other species. Ironically, gill nets are banned in all of the ocean waters within Oregon’s territorial seas, but still widely used by commercial fishermen on the Columbia. It is an archaic, destructive practice that a handful of people are clinging to simply because they can.

Unlike previous ballot initiative attempts in Oregon and Washington, (1992 and 1995, respectively), the Act preserves commercial fishing jobs. The POSA establishes a fund and appropriate oversight to compensate current gill net permit holders for their transition to alternate selective fishing methods. And, POSA does not affect any tribal fishing rights in the waters of the state of Oregon.

While the Columbia River is managed jointly between Washington and Oregon, changing commercial fishing methods does not have to happen concurrently. In fact, every substantive change in commercial fishing in the Columbia started with one state taking action before the other, and CCA’s goal is for POSA to have a positive regional impact.

To appreciate the necessity of the ballot initiative – a costly and time-consuming process – it’s important to understand Oregon’s recent history regarding harvest reform. For decades, commercial and recreational anglers, conservationists, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife commission and legislators have been unable to move beyond allocation battles toward solutions that focus on conservation and sustainable harvest reform. Allocation is the objective, and Oregon has not been able to move past a practice that continues to deplete an imperiled resource. Adding insult to injury, taxpayers, electric utility rate payers and others contribute about $1 billion each year to recovery efforts, yet recovery eludes us.

Anglers can still find great fishing in parts of the Pacific Northwest (see Pat Hoglund’s article, Heavy Lifting, on page 27) and these kinds of places keep local anglers chasing the next great catch, while drawing visitors to live their dream of landing a salmon, steelhead or sturgeon. In spite of these bright spots, we cannot be short-sighted. Our region continues to be plagued by unpredictable and inconsistent runs. Year after year, fisheries biologists are frustrated by the growing lack of predictability, a boom-to-bust cycle that underscores the instability of our region’s marine resources.

We need to advocate for sound management – and a collective commitment to stewardship – to ensure robust, consistent runs for the future. The POSA initiative takes long overdue steps to bring Oregon’s fish management in line with the state’s national reputation for sustainable practices and policies, and shifts the focus from resource allocation to conservation.

Leaders are charged with building a world that they will never see, so that future generations may thrive. That commitment is at the heart of our conservation values, and embodies the spirit behind the POSA initiative. We have arrived at this stage because of a promise made to recover and protect our region’s marine resources. It’s now our responsibility to deliver on that promise for future generations.