Crab opener

[stargazerwa]

I missed the opening of crabbing... how was it? I usually crab up near Ustilady (North end of Camano) or Hope I.

[Tedster]

We were up at Point Hudson, and it was GREAT, lots and large! :D

[Jiff]

We were at Burrows Bay. Not good. The Native Americans covered the bay with their pots on Tuesday. Had never seen them there before. We had company on Saturday so we needed several and bought 6 at $5/ea from a NA boat in the bay. They were all pulling their pots on Sat to take them to "the West Beach opening that we've never had before". To add insult to injury, we had to leave the boat in the water at Biz Point on Sat night with the pots in it.

[SomeSailor]

NA's hit it really hard at the beginning of this years opening and many areas that were not normally fished were hit. We saw them out last week off Steamboat Flats and you don't normally see them hitting it that hard. Oh welll... just bugs.. :)

[bradvo]

It sucked for me, I am usually in Garrison Bay where I do not think ya need bait, they are just happy to see a sqaure room to crawl in to.
i was in Liberty Bay where everything is contaminated so ran my tender out through agate passage and I think it was port madison where i was dropping- went back two hours later , one Dungy and a bunch of red rock. I would have liked to work it but the boat traffic was killing me so I started dropping on the northern end of Bainbridge on the west side before agate passage and just ended up with a stronger right arm.
Brad

[Randygh]

Crabbing was very poor for us. We set pots outside and inside of Fisherman's Bay. Same spots where I've had good success the last two years. I thought it might have been my bait, but when we moved over to North Bay on San Juan Island we got 6 keepers in one pot. We reset them overnight and they must have been picked early in the morning because they were empty and all the bait was gone. I had great expectations but was disappointed in my success. Oh well, we did get one good meal out of our efforts. :x

[Go Aweigh2452]

We kicked butt outside of Friday harbor. One pull got 9 crab keepers and many throw backs. The other trap had two keepers. We used salmon heads from Spud and bought a couple from the fish market on the pier. Overall, we got our limit both days we pulled traps.


Could have been more but I got BAD gouge from Harry who said crabbing was not allowed yet, not until 17 July... (it was after 1 July). SO I rushed out in my inflatible, got soaked and pulled my traps, dumped two keepers and all my bait, broke down my traps and headed back in only to find out he was wrong on his dates.... next two days catch made it all OK though...

Will be doing a bit of crabbing before heading East next Monday... Family loves those dungees...

[SomeSailor]

I think Spud made up for it with his live well travelling crab circus :)

He had (insert large number here) in there and they were shuckin' for hours :)

I missed Harry's chowder this year though... AND got no clam chowder :(

THAT is the bummer of not having a boat... you miss all the food as it hits the docks. :)

[bradvo]

If you guys are ever on the North end of the island and do not want to dig your own clams be sure to visit Wescott farms- Manila clams for 4 to five bucks a Pound. They will put out what the restaurants do not take and sell to boaters or those who drive up. we bought 11 pounds before heading to Poulsbo and had a wonder full feast on the docks.
Brad

[SPUD]

Doug gets the "master crabber award". Nothing like a live well to keep them all happy for a few days of stocking up for the party !

Spud

[3788sam]

Brad- Yep love to make the stop at Wescott - Clams and Oster on the BBQ!
Heck you can rent a car for half day at the airport for about $30 and save those dollars buying them at Wescott then market or resturant!

[Go Aweigh2452]

just another reason why I love this board... all the great info that comes out... manila clams are great...

[stargazerwa]

I spent last night on a bouy on te Eastern cove at James Island. Had one crab pot out for 7 hours.... nothing! I know this is proabably not a great spot to crab but usually I can catch some anywhere in the SJ's. Not even an undersized female.

[1northernstar]

Currents are too much on the east side of James. Best place around James is to find the white buoy over in the small bay on Decatur and drop them in that area.

[Jiff]

Interesting article at WDFW about unlawful rec crabbing on Sunday July 3:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=jul0605a

I suppose the wardens have to see you lifting a pot on Sunday, either that or confiscate all the pots in the water.

Don't like the *no Sunday* aspect?
I complained at fishregs@dfw.wa.gov

[SomeSailor]

And they do just that...

You're not allowed to crab on Sundays... so that means no pots in the water. They can pull your pot and write you a citation in the mail if they want.

I saw in the Holiday Market Report where they confiscated over 200 pots in Port Gardener alone a few weeks back.

Just like having a pole in the water constitutes fishing... soaking your pot on an OFF day is the same as crabbing.

The commercial and NA guys are allowed to stage pots in shallow water, but they have to be tied open and not baited and I think they have to record how many they have out and where they are.

[bradvo]

Well ya can add crab poacher next to my name, I ate them on Mon and Tuesday -catching them in wescott bay. I told my buddy ( neither of us looked at regulations,no excuse I know) that something was not right- I did not see other pots out ( maybe one or two) so we were the only ones on the docks eating crab. Might as well send them my catch card now , season is over for me. But i will have to change my dates on the card.
Next year I will pay more attention to the details, will I will try, maybe. Know I will really. I hope.
Brad

[SomeSailor]

It is getting pretty hard just to go out and have a good time. I've always thought they should just have limits and let you take them whenever.

Heck... if they figured 20 per person, per season, crab anytime you like... life would be so much easier. Maybe even charge per crab ($20/20 catch card or something)

[bradvo]

We took 10 crab, there was 2 licenses and 6 people. I guess I left some for others :lol:
Would have been a bugger to have been caught though.
It does gripe me this new schedule- If like this next year I will have to look and time my dates in my favorite crab grounds.
Usually after one day of eating it I am good for quite awhile. We were just going to go back and collect our gear if was still there- and it was and some 8 inch backs were in the pots :shock: so I coould not help myself. :evil:
Brad

[SomeSailor]

Yeah... I can get too much crab myself. After a couple good days... they're safe for the rest of the year. :)

I love crab... but eat way too much of it when the seasons start. Same with salmon. I smoke a TON of fish every year. It's great on those winter evenings though. :)

[Numbknots]

coming back from Ludlow on Sunday we say several pots set during the closed times. I sure was temped to set one out too!

the whole fishery is screwed up by the 'tribal" allecation of 50% of the harvest, that judge shoul have been $%%^ along with the decision handed down as to Columbia river tribal salmon fishing.

Aren't we all Americans???
Don't start me going, heck that is why I left Alaska in 92

Tim

PS: Even with Poulsbo Mikes great tip, I didn't get any crab On Friday cause "Numb (nuts)Knots" forgot to bungee the damn door shut on the pot!!! when I pulled it the last dungee left as the pot reached the surface (there was a note in it left by those big male dungees that thanked me for the mid day snack!!!

[SomeSailor]

It'll get better over the years. There's a commercial license buy-back program going into effect under House Bill 2287 that will zero out all commecrial crabbing in the Sound over the next 5 years.

Most people don't know that we "sporties" don't split with the Native Americans (NA). We split with the commercial crabbers. NA's get 50% of all the surplus catch... and we've been splitting the other 50% with commercial crabbers. There are 250 commercial licenses issued each year, each for 100 pots. Thats 25,000 crab pots in the water at any one time during the pre-season. (yes... they crab well before we start)

Best bet is to avoid the commercial areas altogether. Here's a nice map that helps:
http://www.iboatnw.com/gallery/data/media/24/P3_f_map_WA_PugetSound_crab_FHN.jpg

[Jiff]

Wow, if the commercial guys are all bought out in 5 years that'd be great. I wonder if that means the rec guys would then get all the non-Indian 50%.

Looks like the off-limits crabbing areas, except the "special management" ones, are mostly shallow areas or busy bays.

I like the idea of a total of 20 crabs per season for everybody. Don't know how they'd enforce that. I'm sure rec crabbing is like everything else, 20% of them are getting 80% of the crabs. Especially now with Sunday closed, the retired or people with time on their hands are getting the bulk of them.

Re, "You're not allowed to crab on Sundays... so that means no pots in the water. They can pull your pot and write you a citation in the mail if they want.
I saw in the Holiday Market Report where they confiscated over 200 pots in Port Gardener alone a few weeks back."

I would think the penalty would have to be confiscation. A name on a buoy doesn't prove that person was using it.

Too bad about your bungee, I had a door get stuck open once. Had to round out the hinge hooks. Biggest boner was using a trap with the rope connected to a steel clasp connected to the pot. Fine for about 8 years, until I was lifting a heavy load then suddenly no weight. Yup, rusted through.

[bradvo]

ahhhhh crab hopper or I mean Jiff- you too get your moneys worth. I finally tossed two pots away and bought new ones. Got tired of seeing the rust marks in my bilge from them.
Good to hear from somebody new or a name I do not recognize.
You must be a North end boater also??
brad

[SomeSailor]

Wow, if the commercial guys are all bought out in 5 years that'd be great. I wonder if that means the rec guys would then get all the non-Indian 50%.

That's exactly what it means. It allows NA fisheries to grow alongside the sporties. I think it's a pretty fair deal, and personally I have no problem guaranteeing 50% to Native Americans... I have more heartache guaranteeing a state owned resource to commercial interests.

[Jiff]

ahhhhh crab hopper or I mean Jiff- you too get your moneys worth. I finally tossed two pots away and bought new ones. Got tired of seeing the rust marks in my bilge from them.
Good to hear from somebody new or a name I do not recognize.
You must be a North end boater also??
brad

I still use the bottom-of-Birch Bay pot's partner that I got in '95 with my boat. Yeah, I tow a 2655 Cierra out of Lynnwwod and usually sling in at Edmonds or Skyline or ramp in at Magnusson. After I replaced the trailer brakes, no more saltwater ramps.

Re, "I have more heartache guaranteeing a state owned resource to commercial interests."

Same with salmon. Don't know how much commercial netting of Sound bound fish is going on nowadays, but I think it might have the potential to draw fishers from far and wide, making more money for the region than commercial fishing does.

[SomeSailor]

That'd be the best thing they ever did to the Puget Sound... but the problem isn't in the Puget Sound at all... it's the big processor boats that sit just offshore and take millions before they ever get into the Straits. :(

Luckily... crabs are pretty much self-contained assets. :)

[TollyWally]

"That's exactly what it means. It allows NA fisheries to grow alongside the sporties. I think it's a pretty fair deal, and personally I have no problem guaranteeing 50% to Native Americans..."

That's a fair deal? Perhaps you could explain to me just what it is that makes that fair.

If you want to have the ability to buy fresh Washington seafood at the grocery store or in a restaurant you need to have commercial fisheries.

The commercial crab fishery in this state has been ongoing for decades. Throughout almost all of that time sport crabbing was open year round with a 6 crab daily limit.

So what's changed? Oh yeah, some activist judge reinterpreted the Boldt decision giving away 50% of the crab to the indians. So now we have two commercial crab fisheries going on in Puget Sound, one regulated by the state, and one self regulated with no oversight what so ever except that provided by the new commercial fleet themselves.

Further more the regulated fishery, which has been in place for decades while still allowing a year round sport catch, is open to any citizen who wishes to participate by buying in to a limited number of permits. The self regulated fishery is restricted to certain groups of people by race.

I ask, you find that fair?

Now the regulated all citizen fishery, a respectable viable industry, is to be destroyed to make it more palatable to the general public that half of the crab have been awarded as racial spoils.

This is fair?

How would you like to have your job, your ability to pay your bills, your mortgage, etc. snuffed out because you were the wrong race.

I know a lot of you guys are retired military. Did you dedicate your careers to preserve liberty, freedom, and uphold the constitution or to
make it so an industry is declared off limits to any but those of a privileged race.

Some of you may not have a problem with that but I do.

[Randygh]

The WDFW enforcement officers don't like to send citations through the mail because the recipient can toss the ticket in the garbage. If the ticket is not paid, an arrest warrant will be issued for the offender. If he/she is stopped by a law enforcement officer the officer will "run" the person for warrants. Some LE departments aren't going to take a person to jail because he has a warrant for fishing during a closed season. The person could see the inside of a jail cell until arraigned, but the offender simply has to tell the judge he never received the ticket in the mail. The WDFW can not prove that he received the ticket unless they send it by certifited mail and that just doesn't happen. So the department must show evidence to prove probable cause to a judge or the judge will dismiss the charges. Much less hassle to snatch the gear and figure the cost of lost gear is enough of a penalty.

[Randygh]

The WDFW enforcement officers don't like to send citations through the mail because the recipient can toss the ticket in the garbage. If the ticket is not paid, an arrest warrant will be issued for the offender. If he/she is stopped by a law enforcement officer the officer will "run" the person for warrants. Some LE departments aren't going to take a person to jail because he has a warrant for fishing during a closed season. The person could see the inside of a jail cell until arraigned, but the offender simply has to tell the judge he never received the ticket in the mail. The WDFW can not prove that he received the ticket unless they send it by certifited mail and that just doesn't happen. So the department must show evidence to prove probable cause to a judge or the judge will dismiss the charges. Much less hassle to snatch the gear and figure the cost of lost gear is enough of a penalty.

[SomeSailor]

That's a fair deal? Perhaps you could explain to me just what it is that makes that fair.

We signed a treaty... our courts held it up. If everyone felt strongly enough about it... change the law or break the treaty.


If you want to have the ability to buy fresh Washington seafood at the grocery store or in a restaurant you need to have commercial fisheries.

But, I can also buy it from Native Americans at a store. You know they get $1.25 a pound for the same local crab that sells for $7.99 in local Safeways don't ya?


The commercial crab fishery in this state has been ongoing for decades. Throughout almost all of that time sport crabbing was open year round with a 6 crab daily limit.

There are also MANY more crabbers out there.


So now we have two commercial crab fisheries going on in Puget Sound, one regulated by the state, and one self regulated with no oversight what so ever except that provided by the new commercial fleet themselves.

Not for long.


Further more the regulated fishery, which has been in place for decades while still allowing a year round sport catch, is open to any citizen who wishes to participate by buying in to a limited number of permits. The self regulated fishery is restricted to certain groups of people by race.

That's incorrect. There are only 250 commercial licenses available and NAs cannot crab year-round anymore than the Commercials can.


Now the regulated all citizen fishery, a respectable viable industry, is to be destroyed to make it more palatable to the general public that half of the crab have been awarded as racial spoils.

Racial spoils? It's been upheld many times in court. We signed the agreement, and the treaty has not been challenged to ratification. What else is there except belly-aching?


How would you like to have your job, your ability to pay your bills, your mortgage, etc. snuffed out because you were the wrong race.

The difficulties of the Native American people are pretty obvious as well.


I know a lot of you guys are retired military. Did you dedicate your careers to preserve liberty, freedom, and uphold the constitution or to
make it so an industry is declared off limits to any but those of a privileged race.

Last I heard our Federal Courts system has upheld all of the challenges to the law. All I can guess is that there is some legal basis for their decision?

[bradvo]

Mike says -The difficulties of the Native American people are pretty obvious as well.
I don't know Mike, I think it depends now on what tribe your from.
I am still looking for mine, I hope they operate Casinos and own marina's.
No actually I am too white for any of this.
Brad

[SomeSailor]

You want your kids going to school on the Res? Seen the housing out there?

I dunno... I don't think they're quite rolling in the crab dough... :)

[bradvo]

Not sure which tribe your talking about, just seen a 40 ft Cruiser pull into the Marina though- Paid for by Emerald queen casino money see the new sleek caddies and nice RV's showing up by natives from the tribe. The days of making the money off smoke shops are about gone.
I have seen some poor housing out in Muckleshoot reservation, but those who are left there are the same ones that fill there car up with gas, have a half gallon of whiskey with them and drive around until there drunk , run the car out of gas then stagger home wondering if there car is parked in the front yard or not the next day.
Times are a changing for these guys and gals, but some tribes not so lucky.
My good friend is from a not so lucky tribe, he has to earn a living the old fashion way and go to work like us white man do. How you say he do that then, His tribe get butt kicked by other tribes . Him big ***** and not stand up and win battle, crawl under rock or hide behind tree.
At least that is what he tells me.
So belonging to the right tribe does help, my friend can't even fish good.
Brad

[SomeSailor]

You sound a bit biased there Brad.

While I agree the fishing rules are leaned heavy in favor for a native American in this state... I still get my share every year.

I just looked at the demographics from the last US Census and only 1.6% of all Washingtonians are Native American or Alaskan Native Indian. They are also lagging far behind in per capita income when compared with any other minority in this state.

So if you're thinking they're getting rich on the casinos... I think the numbers might surprise you. I think if you checked around... you'd probably find many more 40 footers owned by lazy dot-goners who bilked their way into an IPO and cut and ran before everything fell apart. Most of those guys barely worked for a living... mush less fished or crabbed to get their share.

[bradvo]

You mean to tell me Mike those lucky bastards have found away to hide there income also. No wonder I give so much to United Way. Somebody has to help the ones who are not in the Casino business. Each family member of the Puyallup (Payslip) tribe gets 2,200 each for every child and sister , brother , mom dad. Family of 4 equal 8,800 a month- then add in the federal money, then the Marina or casino job, then the investment in the smoke shop then the big horse **** clams they take out of the sound. They diversify money better then a wall street stock broker's portfolio.
My buddy is from the wrong tribe.
I would like to become tribe member, but only to the payslip tribe.
Brad

[Numbknots]

Sorry to get this started (sorta ah) But in a "nut shell" that is where the Boat name originated? My Dad came to Alaska serving the "USA" as an infantryman in the "US Army" in 1948, He love the land so much he stayed and took part in the last homesteading (actually federal low cost lease) and in 1957 he moved his then 2 kids and a wife to Alaska from Colorado and we grew up in the Last Frontier??? Bottom line is it was with hard work and passion for preservation of a "Managable/Renewable Resource" that my Dad helped start the original "Guide Board" and was an active Hunting and Fishing Master Guide in Alaska. I grew up, Married and had three children (all born In Alaska) and found that they/us had way fewer rights to the Land we fought for, paid for and continue to pay for then those so called "Natives" that also evidently came there from somewhere else, (be it from across a land bridge to Europe/Asia or where ever. Darn it my Kids were Native Born Americans, born in the USA, and my taxes are continuing to pay for the schools, airports, and "social services provide for to the "Natives and darned if we White's can't even land a plane on "our lakes or runways" without permission and usery fees to the Indians??? Fair, give me a break!!!

Putting Casinos in the State of Washington, avoiding the taxes that that pay for the roads leading to them, (fair)??? Leaving fish to die in the nets strung 3/4's of the way across the Columbia river for as long as they want and then selling fish without any license, health standards, or restrictions? Fair???

Receiving Federal $ to pay for Addiction counseling, rehab housing when a self employed White Anglo Saxton American can't get it for less then $1000 a month (fair?)

Sorry, I don't buy it---

Tim

PS: I do appreciate others opinion and will refrain from letting this discussion evolve into a ****sing contest with my friends on the board, (I do continue to "Vote my beliefs" and participate in the System as we "elect it"

[SomeSailor]

You both sound pretty passionate about it. I don't know where you get your numbers Brad, but I had never heard about any $2200 tax-free dollars a month going to every indian in the tribe. That's a very good deal for sure if it's the case.

I do think though, that the salmon quotas are a perfect example of how the blame is getting shifted around. Check the statistics and you'll see that even though the Indian salmon harvests have dropped from 5.1 MILLION fish... to 500,000 fish since 1986... the runs are dwindling each year. Thats a factor of over 10:1 and where do you think it's gone. It's the loss of habitat... NOT the Indian catches. We miss the point by blaming everything on the 50% rule is all I'm saying.

Crab are no different. Why have our limits dropped? Are there more Indians? No... but there are MANY more little Bayliner Capris out there scooping them up on the weekends. :)

I'm just saying... put the conversation in perspective and put away the racist approach to our problems. Even if you outlawed tribal fishing altogether... we'd run out of fish in no time.

Not to mention the 150 tribal hatcheries in this state. What share of funding do you think they get from Boeing or Microsoft or Amazon.com?

[Numbknots]

SS,

I am passionate about the subject. I am not at all racist (I don't think?) I am just fed up with special preference given to "any people group"

as the 60's saying; "can't we all just get along"

This is America right!!

Tim

[SomeSailor]

Being "passionate" is a wonderful thing... it's just when we start talking in such generalities, we tend to start identifying problems being related to one specific group of people. In this case, it's a singular race of people. As unpopular as "racism" is as a word these days... by definition that's exactly what it is.

Most people are not as well informed as they might as first believe about the fishery rules and the mitigation funds that are set aside to maintain a fishery here in Washington state.

I know the system is full of graft as any beauracracy is... but I really don't have a lot of problem with them having a fishery here. The dwindling numbers are a totally different problem than "the injuns" taking too many fish. It's about habitat loss, not catch quotas or net mortality.

[bradvo]

Mike, race has nothing to do with it. Like I said my good friend is an Indian. The numbers came form the Tacoma news tribune, this is not Federal monies- this is gaming monies. Casinos were illegal for years, but then the Indians got preference ( BINGO), ( I could care less, I do not gamble ) My point is they are and can be mostly self sufficient- those that chose to be drunks , choose to be. It was your line about the Indians difficulties that got me started. tear drop.
I am off the Indian subject for now- I pay moorage at an Indian marina, they are more then great renters of the water front, they keep it clean and the rent is reasonable. The security could improve but hey-that's the world we live in today. I have had many first hand conversations with the staff and watch there catch roll up daily and the buyer there to meet them- quite a good organization they have going. the Casino is growing, the Bingo halls are booming the members are a whole 2,300 to 2600 by last estimate and share the wealth from the prospering business. Good for them-this tribe has been success full and hopefully will become good employers for many other people.
Brad

[SomeSailor]

Yeah... enough about the Indians. This started about crabbing and the woes we all face. This is a problem for everyone.

I'd love to see it turn into year-round sport-only fishery... but contractual obligations won't allow that to happen anytime soon.

The opportunity for everyone to get their share is there though. Most people (me included until a couple years ago) don't understand the way commercial and NA crabbers have to work around quotas as well as seasons. They can't just go out year round and take all the crab.

We're certainly putting a lot more pressure on the stocks through recreation though. I've never seen so many people chasing the bugs as I have in the last few years... pretty crazy out there.

[TollyWally]

Laughing out loud,


It's all about the indians. Do you understand the ramifications of the Rafeedie decision? It created a brand new, virtually unregulated, commercial fishery in places where traditionally there was no commercial fishery.

You seem to find it amusing that you can buy crab cheap for cash out of the back of a pickup truck. Do you actually believe that crab has been accounted for as part of any quota?

"But, I can also buy it from Native Americans at a store. You know they get $1.25 a pound for the same local crab that sells for $7.99 in local Safeways don't ya?

TollyWally said:
The commercial crab fishery in this state has been ongoing for decades. Throughout almost all of that time sport crabbing was open year round with a 6 crab daily limit.


"There are also MANY more crabbers out there."

So what do you think has more of an impact? An unregulated commercial fishery or more sport crabbers? Remember a year round sport crab fishery coexisted with the traditional commercial crab fishery for decades.


TollyWally said:
So now we have two commercial crab fisheries going on in Puget Sound, one regulated by the state, and one self regulated with no oversight what so ever except that provided by the new commercial fleet themselves.


"Not for long. "



TollyWally said:
Further more the regulated fishery, which has been in place for decades while still allowing a year round sport catch, is open to any citizen who wishes to participate by buying in to a limited number of permits. The self regulated fishery is restricted to certain groups of people by race.


"That's incorrect. There are only 250 commercial licenses available and NAs cannot crab year-round anymore than the Commercials can."

No, Some Sailor that is not incorrect. If one would read my post accurately, one would see that I said that any citizen is permitted to buy in to a limited number of permits. Further more, the indians are self regulated, they set their own seasons against their quota. A quota they regulate themselves. Again I ask, do you honestly believe crab sold for cash out of the back of a pickup has been accurately accounted for? What about crab sold at the all you can eat buffet at your local casino?

TollyWally said:
Now the regulated all citizen fishery, a respectable viable industry, is to be destroyed to make it more palatable to the general public that half of the crab have been awarded as racial spoils.


Racial spoils? It's been upheld many times in court. We signed the agreement, and the treaty has not been challenged to ratification. What else is there except belly-aching?

You are not addressing the thrust of my comment. An established industry that all citizens have an opportunity to participate in may be destroyed to make room for an new identical industry limited to a specific racial group. I call that racial spoils.




TollyWally said:
How would you like to have your job, your ability to pay your bills, your mortgage, etc. snuffed out because you were the wrong race.


"The difficulties of the Native American people are pretty obvious as well."

So what are you saying? If your career had been spent participating in the private free market economy instead of working for the government it would be ok to wipe out your livelihood because of your race?

TollyWally said:
I know a lot of you guys are retired military. Did you dedicate your careers to preserve liberty, freedom, and uphold the constitution or to
make it so an industry is declared off limits to any but those of a privileged race.


Last I heard our Federal Courts system has upheld all of the challenges to the law. All I can guess is that there is some legal basis for their decision?

So I guess you're cool with that, making an industry off limits to any but those of a privileged race. I would be surprised if the majority of retired military feel that way, but I don't know , maybe they do.


It doesn't really sound like you are very well informed about all of this.

TollyWally

[bradvo]

Now that is what we like to hear, our members having a good laugh, where ya been anyway? Crabbing by chance :lol:
Brad

[SomeSailor]

It doesn't really sound like you are very well informed about all of this.

Actually... I think you should check your facts.

NA fisheries are managed jointly between WDFW and Tribal Fisheries. We (non NAs) get 50% of whatever they JOINTLY decide. It is regulated just like the commercial fisheries.

The exception is the guy who sells crab from the back of a truck. He's still breaking the law. So, the problem is enforcement... not the law.

You also are incorrect about commercial tickets. Their seasons (and NA commercial seasons) are set in advance... and DO NOT run year round as you state. Commercial licenses are at a 250 unit moratorium with an ongoing buy-out in place.

These are not racial-spoils. We signed a treaty. It gave the Native American the rights to half of a worthless fishery. Remember eating salmon as a kid? It was no delicacy. It was poor folk food. Crabs were considered garbage eaters. Salmon was caught for fish meal fertilizer.

I'm just saying that until the people of Washington decide they feel strongly enough to challenge it in Federal courts or work to buy the fishery out... it's just the way it is. Deal with it.

[Numbknots]

SS,

Your quote:
I'm just saying that until the people of Washington decide they feel strongly enough to challenge it in Federal courts or work to buy the fishery out... it's just the way it is. Deal with it.

is really accurate, I have caught myself bitching about other "people groups" getting un-equal portions of a lot of things when in reality those that made it happen for them were in one way or another appointed or elected by those that 'we the people' put in or allowed to be in power to just that. (dang it I hate it when I trip over my own self)

Now if I could only vote more then once???

Tim

[Go Aweigh2452]

Now if I could only vote more then once???

Sheesh!, its your right as a King County resident... ;)

[Numbknots]

Doug,

I am a Clark County Resident and as of yet we are still voting one per registered voter.

I did have to straighten out the 'DOL folks in Olympia today, when I went to licence my new "dinghy" they tried to charge me 8.2 percent sales/use tax when infact in my County we didn't approve any tax increase!!! There chart was incorrect and I had to get them to go to the election records to validate what I was telling them. I wonder how many just paid the "crooked piper?"

Tim