Cape Flattery Closure Area

[Swede]

If the proposal was submitted and allowed to proceed after the June 1 cutoff we do have some options. I spoke to a few folks that I know in Government Affairs.

1) Washington State Executive Ethics Board File a complaint.
2) Leak the story to the local press and see if there's any interest in writing a story. This is something, if I have all the facts, I can execute.

Need to make sure its true.

[Pipe Dream]

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Swede:

Here is the link to the Sportfishing Rules Proposals page which provides the timeline for the Rule Adoption Process (Major Cycle) which includes 1 June cutoff for proposals and 13 October for end of regional public meetings for discussion with final comments by 1 Dec:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule_proposals/index.htm

I am not skilled enough to pull the actual pages but here is the link to the proposed changes with the 16 October additions beginning at page 146. The date of addition is clearly shown; who and how they were added is pretty well known but not "proven" yet. Anyway, the process has been violated and someone is guilty!

[boater]

did anyone other than the people in this link know about this ??

Tiger, China and Canary Rockfish: help protect their habitat | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

[Swede]

I'm moving forward with my 2nd idea. See if there is any interest with the local media writing a story.

[ploughman]

Originally Posted by Swede

I'm moving forward with my 2nd idea. See if there is any interest with the local media writing a story.

I know that the town of Forks writes in to WDFW regarding their position on halibut seasons. You might want to call them and talk with the mayor and see if they are aware of this. I would guess that they won't be real happy and willing to take a stand regarding the economic impact to the region. I would think that the local press would also be interested in this.

Side not to mods, Is there a way to merge these two threads? Sorry again for screwing this one up.

[Plus1]

ok

[Pipe Dream]

Interesting that the writer headlines this with the need to preserve habitat yet in the body acknowledges that it is within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. How much more protected can the habitat be? LaPush next?I believe Plus1 posted a list of areas identified for possible MPA status and that the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was one of those listed. Many of the others were areas already in some sort of category or another; I particularly noticed several National Wildlife Refugees.

[Plus1]

ok

[J.D.]

In regards to the proposal by Commissioner Jennings for the closure to the near shore area of the Strait side of Cape Flattery, I strongly feel that this is a very bad idea. Not only will the limitation of these productive near shore waters restrict angling opportunity in MA-4, but I also believe that it will cause the average small private vessel operator to venture into more dangerous less protected open waters west of the proposed closure.

Marine Area 4 is with out a doubt the greatest small boat recreational marine fishery that Washington offers. And that is due in large part because of the relative availably and accessibility of bottom fish opportunity in the protected waters of the western portion of Strait of Juan De Fuca in MA-4, combined with migratory salmon. In the Summer months with Salmon fishing is closed east of Sail Rock and anglers in small non-ocean going vessels are forced to fish to the west. But because of the popularity of the productive strait side bottom fish fishery, anglers in these small vessels will now be forced to chose to concentrate their efforts either east or west. And that limitation will encourage an operator of a small non-ocean going vessel into the open pacific possibly risking their life in the exposed open waters. Or even yet to the tourist economy of small businesses like Snow Creek Resort in Neah Bay, small boat anglers may chose to stop going to Neah Bay all together now that they don't have the productive areas of the inside waters.

From the standpoint of the recreational scuba diver, this section of our Washington waters is already arguably the best dive area in all of Washington's waters to begin with. Why completely eliminate one user group's availability, in which the recreational sport fisherman are the majority user this popular recreational area, for such a small gain to another user group (recreational sport divers) who are the minority?

Again, what will such a restriction do to the small businesses that cater to the small boat owners in Neah Bay? What compromise to recreational fisherman's safety will take place? Why do sport anglers, who all purchase WDFW fishing licenses, have to make such a tremendous sacrifice for a considerably smaller user group? These are the questions that should be discussed among the WDFW Commission when they are considering this proposal by Commissioner Jennings. It sounds like this proposal is not based on any science, but based on personal preference without regard to all WDFW recreational license holders who count on the unique opportunity afforded by the protected waters of the Western Strait of Juan De Fuca.

Thank You for Your time in reading my comment regarding Commissioner Jennings's proposal to eliminate bottom fish and halibut opportunity from accessible small boat waters in MA-4.

John Hansen.

[KeyWest]

Even better - file a law suit. Until folks in the fishing community start to adopt the same sorts of techniques being used by the enviros - we will fail. Organize, retain a lawyer, and start suing the state.

[fishnazzi]

Originally Posted by KeyWest

Even better - file a law suit. Until folks in the fishing community start to adopt the same sorts of techniques being used by the enviros - we will fail. Organize, retain a lawyer, and start suing the state.

This is true statement.......................Maybe CCA is working it.......................but who the hell knows???????? it's a secret

[Plus1]

ok