<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1479" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Eureka
Times-Standard <BR></FONT><A
href="http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2719111,00.html"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2719111,00.html</FONT></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3># </FONT>
<P><B>Fishermen should remain tight on the Klamath</B>
<P>Friday, February 18, 2005 -
<P>The Times-Standard
<P>There was a time not so long ago when the various fishers of salmon on the
Klamath battled <BR>fiercely for their share. Thankfully, after years of work on
everyone's part, commercial, sport <BR>and tribal fishermen enjoy near-complete
peace over the allocation of the precious resource.
<P>Especially heartening has been the cooperation between the groups in some of
the most <BR>contentious years -- and certainly during the horrific 2002 adult
fish kill.
<P>For the most part, fishing has been decent for several years. But indications
are that the <BR>2005 salmon season might not be too hot. It appears that no
matter how the limited number <BR>of fish are parceled out, someone, maybe
everyone, is going to lose a little.
<P>Next week's Klamath Fishery Management Council meeting will bear out
recommendations <BR>for fish managers who will set seasons, bag limits and
quotas. From the looks of it, drafting <BR>those recommendations won't be easy.
Some heated discussion is anticipated.
<P>That's OK. People are passionate about salmon.
<P>But it should be remembered that the key issues that profoundly affect the
health of Klamath <BR>salmon stocks today -- the river's dams, water quality and
quantity and sediment problems -- <BR>need everybody's attention. While once
that might have been blamed on over fishing, it's not <BR>possible to make that
case today.
<P>As one fisherman said, "Fighting over the last fish is not a good long-term
strategy."
<P>That's most certainly true. Fishermen and American Indians don't appear to be
in the graces <BR>of the current federal administration, so it's more important
than ever to present a united <BR>front on these issues. The problem is not "the
other guy got all the fish," the problem is there <BR>aren't consistently enough
fish.
<P>Those who fish the Klamath and the ocean that supports its fish would do well
to come to the <BR>council meeting ready to make their case for salmon
allocation, but come willing to accept <BR>some sacrifice, too -- in the name of
unity.
<BR> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>