Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union Fall 1999 / Vol. 30, No. 2 Left to Right: Dan Theil, Sen. Mark Hatfield, William Holinstrom, Astoria Mayor Harry Steinbock The year 1964 - October 20th -- The big caravan touring the State of Oregon in opposition to Initiative 4 put on the ballot by sport fishermen to close the Columbia River to commercial fishing. They lost 2.5 to 1. The lopsided defeat of the proposed commercial fishing ban was a victory for Astoria-area residents who staged during the campaign an “invasion” of the Willamette Valley asking voters not to kill off a paying industry. This year 1999 - The sport fishermen in the State of Washington tried the same thing through Initiative I-696 and lost decisively. See also story on page 38 Task force takes Delay is newest channel-deepening option on Sally the to task Salmon Says… By MARK HINES, Of The Daily Astorian breaching dams Environmental analysts representing In 1941 the Corps of governments on the Lower Columbia Waiting for more data be- Engineers built Coulee River would like to blast a plan to deep- fore deciding on four Snake Dam without fish en the river channel right out of the wa- River dams is a possibility ladders. As a result ter. The plan by the U.S. Army Corps of despite a promise for a de- 40% of my spawning Engineers to deepen the channel by cision this year. The Na- ground was wiped out three feet from the river mouth to the tional Marine Fisheries forever. Now the Port of Portland would harm threatened Service, which had prom- politicians and the Corps and endangered fish species, stir up ised to recommend by this of Engineers plan on contaminated sediments, reduce water spring whether to breach dredging my Columbia River quality and cause erosion and other four federal dams on the for 2 years to deepen it by 3 feet problems, according to the Columbia lower Snake River for sal- more so larger ships can make it to River Estuary Study Taskforce. the Port of Portland, Oregon, so The project is vulnerable to legal at- mon, is now considering a they may prosper at my expense. A tacks because it violates a number of third option: delay. Federal deep water port at Astoria, Oregon federal laws, including the National En- officials said that they are could be built at half the cost and vironmental Policy Act, Clean Water weighing the possibility of not damage the fish and the Act, Coastal Zone Management Act and waiting to recommend until environment. The water is 80 feet the Endangered Species Act, CREST more scientific information deep off Tongue Point at Astoria, staffers said. was available. Oregon. CREST members, representing a net continues on page 4 2 COLUMBIA RIVER Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union One of the Oldest Conservation Unions on the West Coast—Since 1886 Associate Membership 1999 EDITOR Don Riswick Post Office Box 511, Astoria, OR 97103 Edwin L. Luoma, CPA Hunt’s Home Furnishings 503/325-2507 2703 Marine Drive 1535 Commercial Street PRESIDENT Bill Finucane Astoria, OR 97103 Astoria, OR 97103 463 Jerome, Astoria, OR 97103 Hump’s Restaurant, Inc. Mr. John Karamanos FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Alan Takalo P. O. Box 1136 Sunshine Dairy Foods, Inc. Route 4, Box 354, Astoria, OR 97103 Clatskanie, OR 97016 801 NE 21st Avenue SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Chris Doumit Conestoga Corporation Portland OR 97232 Post Office Box 342, Cathlamet, WA 98612 P. O. Box 1109 Martin Knutsen & Son, Inc. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Jack Marincovich Clatskanie, OR 97016 Insurance brokers & Agents Route 2, Box 67-A, Astoria, OR 97103 or West Coast Propeller Service 968 Commercial St 322 10th Street, Astoria, OR 97103 827 East Harbor Drive Astoria, OR 97103 Office Receptionist Secretary Arlene Graham P. O. Box 190 Link’s Outdoor Hours 8 am to Noon, Monday through Friday Warrenton, Oregon 97146 1254 Commercial CRFPU Board of Directors Sundial Travel Service Astoria, OR 97103 DISTRICT I Ralph Ennis 750 Marine Drive 14141 NE San Rafel, Portland, OR 97230 Astoria, OR 97103 503/253-1559 Vern Forsberg 28811 NW Main, Ridgefield, WA 98642 360/887-4089 The following individuals have made a DISTRICTS 2, 3 Jack Fowler 6349 Willow Grove, Longview, WA 98632 cash contribution to the Columbia River 360/425-4662 Gillnetter Publication, which will be used DISTRICT 4 John Kallunki, Director 79806 Blackford Road, Clatskanie, OR 97016 to continue the publication and mailing of 503/284551 this free informational newsletter. Greg Mustola 80190 Alston Mayger Road, Clatskanie, OR 97016 503/728-2248 We thank them for their support! Jim Hogan P.O. Box 324, Clatskanie, OR 97016 1999 503/728-3473 Jeff Lumijarvi Harold and Carol Wright, Warrenton Fred Korhonen, Astoria, Oregon Post Office Box 606, Clatskanie, OR 97016 503/728-2841 Ronald Hoxie, Astoria, Oregon Richard Polo, Portland, Oregon Arnold Mart, Portland, Oregon John Grocott, Cordova, Alaska DISTRICT 5 Kent Martin, Chairman John Stevens, Beaver Creek., Oregon Felix Polasek, Longview, Wash. PO Box 82, Skamokawa, WA 98647 360/795-3920 K. J. Karna, Astoria, Oregon Mrs. Mary C. Wahl, Lynwood, WA Betty Olvey, Astoria, Oregon Rod Iverson, Portland, Oregon Mark Laukkanen 205 N. Welcome Sl., Cathlamet, WA 98612 Ted Farnsworth, Vancouver, WA Bruce W. Hansen, Portland, Oregon 360/849-4466 Herb Johansen, Marcola, Oregon Georgia Maki, Astoria, Oregon DISTRICT 6 Rodney Anderson, Astoria Ed Feary, Astoria, Oregon Dean Radger PO Box 35, Grays River, WA 98621 Robert Conyers, St. Louis, MO Pete R. Kelleher, Astoria, Oregon 360/465-2325 Art Leslie, Salem, Oregon Ivan and Ellen Washburn, DISTRICT 7 Arvo Peltola, Portland, Oregon Front Royal, Virginia Mike Barendse Route 4, Box 343, Astoria, OR 97103 Don Goodall, Dunedin, Florida Mark and Rhoda Ihander, Astoria Dan Lake, Spokane, Washington Mike Schmitz, Astoria, Oregon Rich Evans Route 6, Box 1020-A, Astoria, OR 97103 Floyd Matson, Naselle, Washington George Moskovita, Astoria, Oregon 503/458-6152 Robert Forness, Astoria, Oregon Vern and Diane Telen, DISTRICT 8 Irvin Rinell, Astoria, Oregon Hillsboro, Oregon Stan Johnson Route 2, Box 136, Astoria, OR 97103 503/325-0883 Please make your contributions to Abby Ihander Columbia River Gillnetter Route 3, Box 150, Astoria, OR 97103 503/3254865 P. O. Box 511, Astoria, OR 97103 GILLNETTER 3 Support the Editorial Columbia River Gillnetter publication! Commercial Gillnet Seasons The Columbia River Gillnetter is the only remaining publication on Designed by Fisheries Departments the west coast devoted exclusively to gillnetting. We have been Oregon and Washington making a difference for 30 years, but our continued existence is threatened by increasing production and mailing costs. Now more TO NOT CATCH FISH! than ever, we need a voice to represent our side of the issue, and The poor Gillnetter finally the Gillnetter is our only contact with fishermen, lawmakers and the general public. received a season on the If you would like to help, send donations to Columbia River after a Columbia River Gillnetter two-year lay off (forced off)! P. O. Box 511 Astoria, OR 97103 503/325-2507 ...Traditionally we do most of Your help is greatly appreciated our fishing at night because the Columbia River Gillnetter fish don't see the net in the dark. Publishing Crew This time we were restricted to a straight net of a 6-inch mesh to EDITOR Don Riswick fish from 7 AM to 7 PM days PRODUCTION Tom Wynn only. We were restricted to no Tamara Walker The Columbia River Gillnetter is slacker strings because we might published seasonally for the harvest a salmon along with this Columbia River Fishermen’s Union. Coho season. We fish according Articles, letters and photographs are to the tides in the lower 50 miles welcome for submission. of the Columbia. Big tides move the fish. Hold up tides cause little mon that sport fishing for salmon movement. Well, the opening day was opened again from Bonneville It has become useless to go to was the worst tide for gillnetting Dam to Buoy 10. Gillnetters got the compact meetings anymore of the whole Fall season ( 3 12- the shaft again. They do whatever which decide these seasons be- hour-day periods). Whether the they want with us. When is this cause everything is cut and dried Fisheries Department reads tide going to change? They also ex- beforehand. We used to attend books I don't know. At noon, 5 tended the treaty tribal gillnetting these meetings which are open to gillnetters were back on the dock from September 29 to October 2. the public but the word is out what here at Astoria and only one gill- They open the season for us after is going to happen beforehand. netter had caught a fish (one 8 the fish are all gone over the dam. The Fisheries Departments from pound silver) Oregon, Washington and Idaho are all gun shy. Why can't we get Many gillnetters do not have When fish are scarce in the riv- a break sometime? straight nets because for years er, seals and sea lions are fighting slacker nets were the best. What for every fish. One day, I saw two Slade Gordon is the politician fisherman in his right mind is goi- sea lions on opposite sides of my running for a 3rd term from Wash- ing to cut off the slackers which net chewing on the same fish. ington State. He controls the mon- take about two weeks to install for ey in Washington DC. He is a 3-day season? The only fishermen who caught fanatically opposed to dam remov- fish were those fishing on drift al. I am told the Indians plan to Traditionally, most salmon are rights up river of Tongue Point spend a million dollars to defeat gone from the lower river by the with diver nets, where lower river him in his campaign.