Thank you Les Palmer (Peninsula Clarion, July 3). It’s about time someone of local stature stood up and expressed what so many of us feel. The fact that the king and halibut fisheries are declining can be attributed to many parties. The guiding business seems willing to keep taking money from the unsuspecting individuals, until the last king, halibut and maybe sockeye are gone. Also sharing the blame are the Department of Fish and Game leadership for failing to do the right thing and shut down a declining king fishery to allow it to recover instead allowing catch and release.
Equally at blame are the various associations that pressure the legislature or agencies to enhance their profit, the commissions and boards that are the rule makers but don’t have the level of fortitude shown by Les Palmer in his Friday column to listen to the biologists. Some way we need to reduce the number of guides on the river and salt water, and not take orders from the federal bureaucrats in Washington. D.C. (allowing Ninilchlk to place gill nets in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers). Finally apply common sense to saving the species and not be so greedy.
