The Online Source for Washington Fishing Information
Lead Ban "Washington Anglers Have Their Say"
Updated: December 4, 2009, 11:23 AM ET
Washington Anglers Have Their Say
By Colin Moore
Bassmaster.com
Though Santa Claus gets the most letters in December, the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission might be a close second this year.
Apparently, a massive letter-writing campaign from recreational anglers in the state has swamped commissioners with complaints about proposed restrictions on the use of lead weights and lures. The proposal was made at the commission's November meeting by spokespersons of a group called the Loon Lake Loon Association, which wants the state to limit the size of lead weights to no lighter than 1 ounce, and the length of lures composed at least partially of lead to no shorter than 2 inches.
The association contends that loons die of lead toxicosis after they swallow small weights and lures inadvertently as they ingest gravel to help grind up food in their gizzards. Though only two people spoke on the subject in November, several representatives of recreational anglers are expected to have their say when the commission convenes here Dec. 4.
Mark Byrne, conservation director of the Washington Federation Nation, will be among the speakers and will voice the concerns of bass club anglers regarding the effects of any such restrictions on recreational fishing in general.
"From what I've heard, fishermen from around the state have written letters and voiced their opposition," said Byrne Thursday evening. "It's too bad the meeting is on a workday, but there will be enough of us there to get our message across.
"Basically, I'm going to talk about the effects of this unfounded, unscientific proposal on all of us who enjoy Washington's lakes, rivers and coastal waters," continued Byrne. "Such a restriction will have a devastating effect on John Q. Public and family fishing in general. I don't think that anybody has really stressed the implications that this will mean for the state's economy and conservation efforts in general. I plan to provide some important details."
After pondering various proposals in December and January, the Commission will announce new hunting and fishing regulations at its February meeting.
Washington Anglers Have Their Say
By Colin Moore
Bassmaster.com
Though Santa Claus gets the most letters in December, the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission might be a close second this year.
Apparently, a massive letter-writing campaign from recreational anglers in the state has swamped commissioners with complaints about proposed restrictions on the use of lead weights and lures. The proposal was made at the commission's November meeting by spokespersons of a group called the Loon Lake Loon Association, which wants the state to limit the size of lead weights to no lighter than 1 ounce, and the length of lures composed at least partially of lead to no shorter than 2 inches.
The association contends that loons die of lead toxicosis after they swallow small weights and lures inadvertently as they ingest gravel to help grind up food in their gizzards. Though only two people spoke on the subject in November, several representatives of recreational anglers are expected to have their say when the commission convenes here Dec. 4.
Mark Byrne, conservation director of the Washington Federation Nation, will be among the speakers and will voice the concerns of bass club anglers regarding the effects of any such restrictions on recreational fishing in general.
"From what I've heard, fishermen from around the state have written letters and voiced their opposition," said Byrne Thursday evening. "It's too bad the meeting is on a workday, but there will be enough of us there to get our message across.
"Basically, I'm going to talk about the effects of this unfounded, unscientific proposal on all of us who enjoy Washington's lakes, rivers and coastal waters," continued Byrne. "Such a restriction will have a devastating effect on John Q. Public and family fishing in general. I don't think that anybody has really stressed the implications that this will mean for the state's economy and conservation efforts in general. I plan to provide some important details."
After pondering various proposals in December and January, the Commission will announce new hunting and fishing regulations at its February meeting.
Views: 64
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Aaron Christel on
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Nice.
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Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on
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Anyone get any word how the hearing went?
ciao,
Marc -
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Hey Marc, no word on how it went, but this was fresh in the in box...
Carl Burke will be testifying on behalf of the industry on # 31 and 32 on Saturday. We hope you can join him or have sent in testimony already. Thank you.
December 3, 2009
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501
Re: Opposition to Regulation proposal #31
Honorable Fish and Wildlife Commissioners,
The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association appreciates this opportunity to comment on proposal #31 the use of single point, barbless hooks on all tackle when fishing in the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to McNary Dam. The NSIA represents over 300 businesses dependant on healthy fishery resources and meaningful sport fishing opportunity. NSIA’s businesses are the infrastructure for the nearly ¾ of a million Washington anglers. In 2006 our industry supplied 14,245 family wage jobs, generated over $1 billion in retail sales, while paying $88.5 million in state taxes and $117 million in federal taxes. NSIA seeks to represent economic, cultural and environmental health to the state.
Where ever conservation and economics have dictated, NSIA has led the charge for selective sport fisheries for the live release and eventual spawning of wild salmon and steelhead. Since our inception in 1993 this has been the number one goal of the association. We worked in Congress for funding of mass marking trailers, worked with Canadians, Tribes, the states of WA, OR, ID, CA and in the courtroom to make the marking of hatchery fish a reality. What currently is seen as a no brainer to mark hatchery fish has been a long effort to realize and utilize in fishery management. Without mass marking, the sport fishing industry would be a shadow of what it is today.
As ardent supporters of selective sport fisheries we are keenly interested in the release mortalities that are associated with our fisheries. Today, more than ever Endangered Species Act management is the limiting factor regardless of healthy wild and hatchery stock abundance, so limiting mortalities expands our opportunities to access abundant stocks.
In our review of the existing studies on catch and release it has been repeatedly demonstrated that it is the location of the hook, not the size, barbed or barbless, or treble hook that contributes to higher mortality rates. Hooks deeper in the mouth/throat tend to have a much higher mortality rate than hooks that are in the jaw area.
The State of Oregon rescinded barbless hook rules in 1997 during the “Simplification” attempts and following assessment of gear restrictions. It was determined, barbed or barbless was not a real biological issue but is often mandated by social or political pressures. The data presented to the Commission reaffirmed that hook placement was the major determinant. The other factor for increased mortalities can be water temperature. The fact that most of the fishable water in the Columbia River below Bonneville is in Oregon would seem to create a logistical nightmare for anglers and enforcement agents alike. We are reminded of the old adage, “Never create a bigger problem than the one you set out to solve”.
Furthermore, it appears that salmonids are less fragile in freshwater than in the Ocean. The Pacific Fishery management Council has set the release mortality for sport caught coho at 14% with an additional 5% “drop off” rate. In river, the mortality set by the Columbia River Technical Advisory Committee is 10%.
Currently there are hundreds of thousand of lures in the pipeline for Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead fisheries. Most tackle is ordered at buying shows early in the year for delivery several months later. The manufacturing part of the loop is several months ahead of the orders. A step removed from this process is hook purchases. For a manufacturer to receive the best pricing on hooks their orders are generally large enough to serve a years worth of manufacturing needs. Rendering hundreds of thousand of lures illegal to use and inconvenient to the angler should only be done under a demonstrated conservation emergency.
Annually, there are approximately 400,000 angler trips for salmon and steelhead from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam in fishing seasons that are generally capped by ESA mortalities. NSIA is keenly interested in reducing hooking mortalities on ESA constrained fisheries, as this can allow sport access to a larger share of hatchery fish. Given the nature of gears and active bait techniques that are used in the large Columbia River sport fisheries, solid studies may well demonstrate that release mortalities could be less than 10% in reality. We strongly support this kind of important research for use by managers to comply with their conservation obligations and to supply meaningful sport fisheries on abundant hatchery stocks. We trust that the use of this monitoring would be applied to the fishery in a time frame that would allow the industry an orderly change of tackle, should the change in hooks prove truly warranted.
Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in this discussion. -
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Permalink Reply by Mike Bess on
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Below is a response I got today. To compare this issue to lead shot is asinine. These are the people representing us folks....
From: Swaim, Dru [Swaim.Dru@leg.wa.gov] on behalf of Hurst, Rep. Christopher
[Hurst.Christopher@leg.wa.gov]
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 2:02 PM
To: Mike Bess
Subject: RE: Constituent: WA State Lead Fishing Tackle Ban
Michael,
Thanks for your message. I have heard over the years discussions about lead
from a sports point of view, and I know that there were changes made to bird
hunting, that have had little to no economic impact. I hadn't heard about a
proposal about fishing, but it is important that all sides are heard when
considering any policy change, and I will take a look at this.
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: mike.bess@hbtmortgage.com [mailto:mike.bess@hbtmortgage.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1:29 PM
To: Roach, Sen. Pam
Cc: Roach, Rep. Dan; Hurst, Rep. Christopher
Subject: Constituent: WA State Lead Fishing Tackle Ban
HOUSE INTERNET E-MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE
SENATE INTERNET E-MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE
TO: Senator Pam Roach
CC: Representative Dan Roach
Representative Christopher Hurst
FROM: Michael Bess(Constituent)
SUBJECT: WA State Lead Fishing Tackle Ban
Aaron Christel said:Hey Marc, no word on how it went, but this was fresh in the in box...
Carl Burke will be testifying on behalf of the industry on # 31 and 32 on Saturday. We hope you can join him or have sent in testimony already. Thank you.
December 3, 2009
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501
Re: Opposition to Regulation proposal #31
Honorable Fish and Wildlife Commissioners,
The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association appreciates this opportunity to comment on proposal #31 the use of single point, barbless hooks on all tackle when fishing in the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to McNary Dam. The NSIA represents over 300 businesses dependant on healthy fishery resources and meaningful sport fishing opportunity. NSIA’s businesses are the infrastructure for the nearly ¾ of a million Washington anglers. In 2006 our industry supplied 14,245 family wage jobs, generated over $1 billion in retail sales, while paying $88.5 million in state taxes and $117 million in federal taxes. NSIA seeks to represent economic, cultural and environmental health to the state.
Where ever conservation and economics have dictated, NSIA has led the charge for selective sport fisheries for the live release and eventual spawning of wild salmon and steelhead. Since our inception in 1993 this has been the number one goal of the association. We worked in Congress for funding of mass marking trailers, worked with Canadians, Tribes, the states of WA, OR, ID, CA and in the courtroom to make the marking of hatchery fish a reality. What currently is seen as a no brainer to mark hatchery fish has been a long effort to realize and utilize in fishery management. Without mass marking, the sport fishing industry would be a shadow of what it is today.
As ardent supporters of selective sport fisheries we are keenly interested in the release mortalities that are associated with our fisheries. Today, more than ever Endangered Species Act management is the limiting factor regardless of healthy wild and hatchery stock abundance, so limiting mortalities expands our opportunities to access abundant stocks.
In our review of the existing studies on catch and release it has been repeatedly demonstrated that it is the location of the hook, not the size, barbed or barbless, or treble hook that contributes to higher mortality rates. Hooks deeper in the mouth/throat tend to have a much higher mortality rate than hooks that are in the jaw area.
The State of Oregon rescinded barbless hook rules in 1997 during the “Simplification” attempts and following assessment of gear restrictions. It was determined, barbed or barbless was not a real biological issue but is often mandated by social or political pressures. The data presented to the Commission reaffirmed that hook placement was the major determinant. The other factor for increased mortalities can be water temperature. The fact that most of the fishable water in the Columbia River below Bonneville is in Oregon would seem to create a logistical nightmare for anglers and enforcement agents alike. We are reminded of the old adage, “Never create a bigger problem than the one you set out to solve”.
Furthermore, it appears that salmonids are less fragile in freshwater than in the Ocean. The Pacific Fishery management Council has set the release mortality for sport caught coho at 14% with an additional 5% “drop off” rate. In river, the mortality set by the Columbia River Technical Advisory Committee is 10%.
Currently there are hundreds of thousand of lures in the pipeline for Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead fisheries. Most tackle is ordered at buying shows early in the year for delivery several months later. The manufacturing part of the loop is several months ahead of the orders. A step removed from this process is hook purchases. For a manufacturer to receive the best pricing on hooks their orders are generally large enough to serve a years worth of manufacturing needs. Rendering hundreds of thousand of lures illegal to use and inconvenient to the angler should only be done under a demonstrated conservation emergency.
Annually, there are approximately 400,000 angler trips for salmon and steelhead from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam in fishing seasons that are generally capped by ESA mortalities. NSIA is keenly interested in reducing hooking mortalities on ESA constrained fisheries, as this can allow sport access to a larger share of hatchery fish. Given the nature of gears and active bait techniques that are used in the large Columbia River sport fisheries, solid studies may well demonstrate that release mortalities could be less than 10% in reality. We strongly support this kind of important research for use by managers to comply with their conservation obligations and to supply meaningful sport fisheries on abundant hatchery stocks. We trust that the use of this monitoring would be applied to the fishery in a time frame that would allow the industry an orderly change of tackle, should the change in hooks prove truly warranted.
Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in this discussion. -
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No economic impact? So a box of shells going from $5 to $20 doesn't impact my personal economy?
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Here is my response to Rep. Hurst;
Dear Rep. Christopher Hurst,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. It is much appreciated.
I though disagree in you comparing the Lead Fishing Tackle Ban to the lead shot ban for hunting waterfowl. These two issues are very different in many ways. It has been scientifically proven that the ingestion of lead bird shot has increased toxic lead mortality in certain species of waterfowl dramatically over the last several decades.
There was and still is a huge economic impact with the introduction on non-toxic bird shot. The average cost of a box of 25 rounds of lead shot is less than $10. The average cost of a box of 25 rounds of steel shot is between $13 to $17. The average cost of another type of non toxic bird shot that closely resembles the characteristics of lead is $20 to $25, and that's for a box of only 10 rounds! I know this is fact because I am an avid bird hunter... and I bought 3 boxes of steel shot over the weekend.
My hope is that everyone who has a say so in this matter understands all of the facts before making their decision....
Aaron Christel said:No economic impact? So a box of shells going from $5 to $20 doesn't impact my personal economy? -
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Just received this message from WDFW. Note the info about the proposed lead ban, apparently our voices are being heard. Not sure what the Commission asked of the Director, but at least this means they are noting the pushback about the ban!
NEWS RELEASE
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/
December 8, 2009
Contact: Susan Yeager, (360) 902-2267
Fish and Wildlife Commission hears comments
on sportfishing rule proposals
OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission took public comments on proposed 2010-2012 state sportfishing rules - and requested options for additional public-input processes on two proposals - during its Dec. 4-5 meeting in Olympia.
Dozens of people commented on several of the sportfishing rule proposals that would affect a variety of freshwater and saltwater sportfisheries in Washington.
The commission, a nine-member citizen panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), is scheduled to take action on the proposals at its Feb. 4-6 meeting in Olympia.
During the December meeting, the commission directed WDFW Director Phil Anderson to develop alternatives for public processes on two proposals that have drawn considerable interest. Anderson is scheduled to present the proposals at the commission's January meeting in Olympia.
The two alternative processes would address a proposal that would ban the use of small lead fishing tackle at 13 lakes in Washington, and a proposal that would close fishing for bottomfish and halibut off the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula.
Commissioners indicated that more public-input opportunities might be needed before a decision is reached on the two proposals.
The proposal prohibiting the use of lead weights weighing less than half an ounce or lead jigs measuring less than 1.5 inches is designed to protect loons from being poisoned by ingesting small lead fishing gear lost by anglers. The other proposal is intended to provide additional protection for bottomfish and halibut in an area extending 1.5 miles offshore and stretching about 4 miles from Cape Flattery east to Neah Bay.
Those, and more than 100 other sportfishing rule proposals, are available for review on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule_proposals .
Also during the December meeting, the commission took public comment on a proposal to offer hunters five additional multi-species raffle permits.
In other business, the commission approved land transactions in Skagit and Yakima counties, established a boundary on the Johnson/DeBay Slough Game Reserve, and appointed Michael Quimby of Olympia and Jerry Woods of Elk to its Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities.
The commission also was briefed on:
The history and current status of the Columbia River spring chinook fishery.
The status of the Puget Sound groundfish management plan.
The process for developing bag limit regulations for the 2011-13 recreational albacore tuna fishery.
The status of the white-tailed deer management plan.
Proposed regulations for the commercial sardine fishery.
Marine Protected Area Work Group activities.
The implementation of mineral prospecting rules adopted in 2008.
The history and current activities of the Commission's Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities.
Collaborative efforts to clean up the WDFW-managed access site at American Lake in Pierce County.
Information about future commission meetings can be found on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html . -
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Permalink Reply by Shawn O'Connell on
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This is good news, I just hope that they don't feel they have to find middle ground.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Lind on
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The Audio Transcripts of the Game Commission meeting Dec 4 and 5 are now available on the commissioner’s web site. http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html It is not looking like this issue is going away or dying any time soon. To save time you can go to part 2 and go to about 15:40 to hear what the plan for the future is.
Part 1 has the public testimony in it. It is not in any order so you have to go through all of it to hear the comments on the lead ban, about 2 hours. Each speaker got 3 min. so you can skip some. We had some excellent speakers on our side. Thank you to anyone that testified.
Here is an updated article I found on bassmasters dated Dec 8.
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/conservation/news/sto... -
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