HomeMy WebLinkAbout062123 Take Action to Protect the Public's $14_4M Investment in Salmon Recovery________________________________
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Join this week's Commission meeting or send an email calling on the WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to implement the Columbia River non-tribal gillnet buyback
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ACTION ALERT
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Endangered sockeye salmon swimming up the Columbia River with wounds from gill nets. Photo: Conrad Gowell
Take Action This Week to Ensure the Public's $14.4 Million Investment in Columbia River Salmon Recovery Doesn't Go to Waste
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First off, we want to sincerely thank the hundreds of individuals who have already taken action by calling on the WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to implement the essential wild salmon
conservation measures in the Columbia River nontribal gillnet buyback program. Your support and attention to this important issue is already making a difference in our effort to protect
the public's $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery.
We're reaching out to let you know if you haven't taken action yet, there's still time. We also wanted to share another exciting opportunity to make your voice heard on this issue and
others at this week's Commission meeting, which is being held in Seattle for the first time in 25 years!
Last year, building on the recommendations of independent scientists and state fishery policy dating back to 2013, the Washington State Legislature came together to fund and pass a $14.4
million voluntary nontribal gillnet license buyback program with the core objective of protecting and restoring threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.
This science-based policy <https://default.salsalabs.org/T2e16e9da-b3f2-4feb-8d5e-dc95e99d87ad/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9d1ee41b3> requires the reduced fishery impacts to threatened
and endangered salmon associated with purchased gillnet licenses to be retired or reserved for conservation through increased escapement of wild fish to spawning grounds or by transitioning
the commercial sector toward mark-selective fishing with sustainable alternative fishing methods like fish traps or seines, proven to protect wild salmon while reducing straying of
hatchery produced fish to the spawning grounds.
Instead, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has blatantly ignored this conservation intent and failed to reduce gillnet fishing effort to any extent. The public’s $14.4 million
investment in salmon recovery has been fully disbursed to the fishing industry, yet the Department of Fish and Wildlife has maintained the same amount of harm to wild salmon in the
gillnet fishery.
All the while, every ESA-listed salmon and steelhead population on the Columbia River is lagging behind the state's recovery goals and the proportion of hatchery fish reaching spawning
grounds in numerous tributaries continues to dramatically exceed federal limits designed to prevent the extinction of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission holds the responsibility for deciding whether they will take action to provide one of the most significant gains for wild salmon conservation in decades,
or whether they will allow the public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery to further harm and perpetuate their decline.
It's imperative that we come together to call on the WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to provide a directive requiring the Department to implement the bedrock conservation measures in
the nontribal gillnet buyback policy.
TAKE ACTION
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Send an Email to the Fish and Wildlife Commission
Urge the Commission to direct the Department to implement the buyback as intended by the Governor and Legislature and to protect the public's significant investment in wild salmon recovery.
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Testify at this Week's Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting in Seattle
For the first time in 25 years, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will be meeting in Seattle this week. Join us at the meeting on June 22 and 23rd at Seattle's Marriott Residence
Inn @ South Lake Union <https://default.salsalabs.org/T1b724283-adae-40fa-9d7c-8c16b8438a39/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9d1ee41b3> to voice your support on this important issue during
the open public comment sessions starting at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday June 22 and 8 a.m. on Friday June 23.
While you are there, stop by and visit with us and other members of the Washington Fish & Wildlife Reform Coalition at our welcome reception beginning next door each day. See below for
more details!
June 22-23 Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting Details & Events
Thursday, June 22
Join us throughout the day in the Welcome Room!
* Time: 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Feel free to stop in the welcome room next door to the Port Townsend Room more than an hour before the Commission meeting starts at 12:45 p.m.. The welcome
room will stay open during meeting breaks and after the meeting concludes at 5:25 p.m.
* Place: Port Townsend Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 800 Fairview Ave. N, Seattle. <https://default.salsalabs.org/T8f802aeb-0e83-421c-b1be-6e4e979dffa2/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9d1ee41b3>
* Details: Please attend the first Seattle Commission meeting in 25 years to help us make sure the Commission knows how much people in this area care about our fish and wildlife. We
encourage you to testify during the open public comment session at 1:30 p.m. <https://default.salsalabs.org/T3ea1c78b-1e24-4b62-b1fb-7cd0839939cc/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9d1ee41b3>
about this issue or any fish and wildlife topic that is important to you, or to speak about agenda items <https://default.salsalabs.org/T71698268-11f0-405a-8820-b9bd41945367/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd
-07d9d1ee41b3> including the Commission's proposed conservation policy. Whether or not you testify, join WFC and other members of the WA Fish and Wildlife Reform Coalition in our welcome
room, where you can pick up a button to show your support for state wildlife, while talking to representatives of many of the diverse groups that are part of our coalition. We will
also provide refreshments and light snacks.
We encourage all attendees to dress in green (for terrestrial wildlife) or blue (for marine life), and to pick up a pin when you arrive to show that you are at the meeting to support
wildlife.
Friday, June 23
Join us for a Morning Welcome Reception!
* Time: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. We will be on site with donuts and coffee/tea service before the Commission opens its public comment session at 8 a.m., as well as during breaks and after the
Commission meeting ends at 3:25 p.m.
* Place: Port Townsend Room, Residence Inn by Marriott, 800 Fairview Ave. N, Seattle <https://default.salsalabs.org/T2f21c3ab-a014-43e7-bf9c-0787a25891e6/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9d1ee41b3>
.
* Details: Members of the WA Fish and Wildlife Reform Coalition will be on site to welcome those unable to attend the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Thursday, as well as the
dedicated advocates willing to attend both days. You can join us before open public comment at 8 a.m <https://default.salsalabs.org/Tb0cd0b59-fca7-44ca-9bdf-85ddd6aa97d0/e1f9ba72-dc83-4f20-90cd-07d9
d1ee41b3> ., and we will be available during meeting breaks to provide information on our efforts, as well as donuts, coffee, and buttons to show your support for state fish and wildlife.
We encourage all attendees to dress in green (for terrestrial wildlife) or blue (for marine life), and to pick up a pin when you arrive to show your support for all species.
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Thank you for all you make possible.
Our work is only possible thanks to our community of members and supporters. We hope you'll consider making a donation today to support our continued work protecting and restoring the
Northwest's ecosystems and the diverse species that depend on them.
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Wild Fish Conservancy
PO Box 402 | Duvall, Washington 98019
425.788.1167 | info@wildfishconservancy.org
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