Phil Goldberg’s recent letter concerning the reciprocal fishing agreement with the Yukon was right on. The local advisory board’s vote to rescind the agreement was also right on. Their first responsibility is to protect the resource, not to protect the local retailers or even the local commercial fishermen.
The Yukoners know a good thing when they see it and they have taken advantage of the opportunity. So many, in fact, that locals are getting concerned about the fishery as well as being crowded out of their fishing holes.
Most Yukoners drive down in their self-contained campers and motorhomes, for the weekend, some for multiple weekends, and some for weeklong vacations. How many, how often and how many fish are taken is unknown. All we do know is 2,200 licenses were sold and you can’t find a vacant fishing hole! You can’t manage a fishery without good, hard data and Fish and Game has none. And where is their enforcement?
Thanks to Marlena Saupe’s research on the subject, we know an Alaskan legislator initiated this agreement to help our Canadian friends during economic hard times. This is no longer the case and now our resource is in jeopardy. It was meant as a hand-up, not a hand-out.
Silvers are easy to catch, our rivers are road accessible and a couple can legally take home 12 silvers in a weekend! Do the math: 2,200 licenses times 12: The potential is astounding.
Dave Werner