Not just a fish, a way of life.

The following is an impassioned letter to fellow fisherman of the Pend Oreille River whom are very concerned over planned gill netting of the Northern Pike. Washington Department of Fish and Game needs to reduce the population but the conflict arises over how, when and why.

---

I think what were all forgetting is that Washington State doesn’t want Pike and their plans don’t involve making our fishery on the PO River a trophy fishery. They are only worried about protecting the other bodies of waters from the Pike and the other species in the river. They will not implement regulations on them as you have to keep the small ones since they can’t enforce that. I have been told by more than one person from the state that this whole thing isn’t about making this a better Pike fishery. It’s all about the Cutthroat trout and Bull trout and other natives to the river and them getting into other bodies of water. What fish in the river are actually native to this area?  Bass, perch, sunfish, crappie, no they were introduced. We can speculate all we want about what they should do or will do. However, from what I have been told this whole thing is about reducing numbers and finding the best way to reduce them to keep numbers in check. Their reports show the numbers need to be reduced by 55 % just for a start to keep the numbers in check. The problem is the state doesn’t have the money nor man power to do this and the Tribe only has 3 people to try and accomplish this. After talking to 4 different people on this, whom are directly involved, I don’t see them being able to do a large scale gill netting. Time will tell on that I guess. I am totally against them targeting the bigger fish and totally agree that a summer time gill netting to remove small fish would be the best thing if they have to gill net at all. I keep asking if the state agrees that they can’t totally remove the fish at what point do you manage them to make it a profitable fishery for Pend Oreille County and the rest of us that depend on the river for our lively hoods. I think its time they embrace change. The change is these fish are here to stay so lets all get together and find the best way to keep numbers in check and the best regulations that can be enforced. I want to thank everyone on here for their comments and concerns about the PO River. We all need to come to the meeting on the 22nd and get all your friends to go to show we do support the fishery and we are all concerned about what is proposed. We all need to remember the Salmon and Trout fisheries run this state and Pike are not the fish of choice unfortunately. We do need to keep contacting our local legislators to tell them we do not want the Pike listed as “evasive species” or to be removed by gill netting them. I for one know by contacting these people they are listening to our concerns, and many of them are on our side because they to fish for the Pike on the river. Keep making the calls and signing the petitions to save the Pike....I will never give up the fight for the protection of the Pike on the river their in my blood and they are my livelihood.....Craig