Local fisherman offers commentary on legislation

To The Eagle,

I would like to offer a few comments regarding the recent Oregon state legislature action to ban gillnets on the Columbia River late in its legislative session. It is noteworthy that the Oregon legislature is not acting on the "public will" per se, as just last fall the anti-gillnet group Coastal Conservation Alliance-sponsored Oregon state initiative was rejected by a vast majority of Oregon voters.

Further, Oregon's latest legislative action is likely not legal under a Washington State Supreme Court case, State v. Tom Svenson, which decided that one state under the guises of membership in the Columbia River Compact must enact the same law at the same time. In this case it's the Oregon state legislature acting without the Washington state legislature to ban gillnets on the main stem.

It seems totally unfair to commercial fishermen and their communities to constantly be treated in such a one sided and unfair manner.

What is really needed is a region wide Columbia River Fisheries Summit to address the “Big Picture" management problems and solutions--like the Clinton era Northwest Timber Summits held in the Portland area in the 1990's over the Northwest Forest Practices (Spotted Owl issues).

Certainly, a power grab by recreational interests whose end means is to catch the greater allocation of fish on the Columbia River using the Endangered Species Act as an umbrella really doesn't serve everyone's interest well.

Tim Tarabochia

Skamokawa