PORTLAND – The following is a statement from Dave Schamp, Chairman of Coastal Conservation Association’s Oregon Board of Directors and a chief petitioner for the Protect Our Salmon Act (POSA), in response to changes made by the Oregon Attorney General’s Office to the ballot title for the Act.
“The changes made by the Attorney General’s office do not reflect the intent of the initiative, which is to end the non-selective over-harvest of Oregons native fish runs while maintaining a healthy commercial salmon fishing industry. The objective is to transition to commercial gear capable of selectively harvesting abundant hatchery fish and allowing for the release of wild fish.”
“We are disappointed with the changes that were made by the Attorney General’s office. The over-harvest of Oregon’s native salmon runs has been ignored far too long by many leaders in Oregon. Since launching POSA it has become very clear that when the public understands the horrific and wasteful toll that gillnets take on various forms of marine life — including endangered fish stocks — and that a better method of harvest exits, reform is strongly supported. CCA Oregon membership has increased sharply since launching POSA, providing another indication of the commitment to these needed reforms.”
“Banning the use of gill nets and tangle nets and using selective gear that allows for the release of wild fish is an effective, achievable way to create a sustainable commercial and recreational fishery for the citizens of Oregon. It provides a greater return on the investment that taxpayers have contributed to salmon recovery, and is consistent with Oregon’s commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of the state’s natural resources. Now more than ever, CCA members remain committed to advancing these vital reform efforts, and we intend to amend and re-file the ballot initiative to address the interpretation of the Attorney General’s office.”
Tags: net ban, oregon, salmon, selective harvest
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Coastal Conservation Association is launching a ballot initiative to help save the last remnants of Oregon’s iconic wild salmon runs, and to create a sustainable salmon fishery for current and future generations. The Protect Our Salmon Act would ban the use of gill nets and tangle nets in Oregon waters, including the Columbia River. The Act calls for the use of commercial fishing practices that selectively harvest returning hatchery fish, while protecting endangered wild salmon, steelhead and other species.
“Oregon’s failure to protect and enhance our wild salmon runs threatens the state’s credibility as a leader in sustainability,” said Dave Schamp, Chairman of Coastal Conservation Association’s Oregon Board of directors and a chief petitioner of the initiative. “Each year taxpayers, electric utility rate payers and others collectively contribute about $1 billion to recovery efforts, yet wild salmon, an important natural and economic resource for our state, remain on the brink of extinction.”
While habitat, hydro and hatchery improvements are important to salmon recovery efforts, a key issue has been overlooked: the method of harvest. Currently, the commercial fishing gear used in the Columbia River (gill nets and tangle nets) is non-selective and kills large numbers of ESA-listed and wild salmon and steelhead. Gill nets are designed to “gill” fish snared in the nets, leading to injury, suffocation and death before unharmed release is possible. Nearly all marine life that gets caught in a gill net dies, from salmon and steelhead to seals and seabirds. Oregon is one of the few places in the country to still allow gill nets, a method clearly at odds with the state’s long-standing commitment to sustainable practices.
To minimize any economic impact to commercial fishermen who currently use gill nets or tangle nets, the Act establishes a fund (and appropriate oversight) to compensate commercial fishermen for the transition to alternative, selective gear.
The Act does not affect any tribal fishing rights, or the right to use any fishing gear allowed under tribal fishing rights in the waters of the state of Oregon established by laws, treaty or otherwise.
CCA members will immediately begin to gather signatures to place this issue on the ballot in November of 2010.
“Banning the use of gill nets and tangle nets and using selective gear that allows for the release of wild fish is an effective, achievable way to create a sustainable commercial and recreational fishery for the citizens of Oregon,” said Schamp. “It provides a greater return on the investment that taxpayers have contributed to salmon recovery, and is consistent with Oregon’s commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of the state’s natural resources.”
Tags: ballot initiative, columbia river, gill nets, oregon, salmon
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