Salmon derbies do more harm than good.
Salmon derbies used to be get-togethers with local fishermen.
Not anymore.
Over the years, regulations have been imposed to help our salmon.
Hatchery fish were competing with wild fish, and so we shut down some of the hatcheries.
We have vastly reduced salmon seasons.
Each marine area gets a quota by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Once we get to begin fishing, they start counting the “encounters” we have.
Checkers at the ramps interview the fishermen as they come in.
If you caught four salmon and kept one, well, that’s four off the quota.
Salmon derbies nowadays are huge events.
When one of these tournaments hits our local area, fishermen come from all over the state.
What’s the end result after three days of 400 boats pounding on these limited amount of fish?
A lot of quota gone.
Ask yourself this question: Would you rather have more days on the water or get a couple of days to try to win some money?
It just seems insane to me that we are still having salmon derbies with the lack of fish and the small quotas we are getting.
If we are going to preserve what little opportunity we have for our future generations to enjoy salmon fishing in the state of Washington, then we need to concentrate our efforts to ensure that we get time on the water to go fishing.
There was a time and place for salmon derbies, but that time is gone.
Randy Powers,
Port Townsend