Yesterday's IFPAG Meeting

[Don Wittenberger]

The Inland Fish Policy Advisory Group (IFPAG) is one of several citizen advisory boards providing public feedback to WDFW. IFPAG's advice is non-binding on WDFW management, but IFPAG nevertheless offers the freshwater sport angling community a valuable opportunity to influence WDFW policy and budget decisions. Members are appointed by the director to 2-year terms, and most represent fishing clubs or have related businesses (e.g., resort owners). IFPAG covers all non-marine fisheries, which means we've got trout, salmon, steelhead, and warmwater people together in the same group. I was appointed as an at-large member speaking for tiger muskie anglers, but after Muskies Inc. Chapter 57 was organized, I was designated as the club's legislative/policy liaison person, and now sit on IFPAG as the Muskies Inc. representative. In general, in IFPAG meetings, I present the club's positio, not my personal views.

Yesterday's meeting was especially significant because we're in a major rulemaking year, and this was the last meeting before the public comment period closes. Naturally, the meeting focused on rule proposals. There was a fair amount of discussion of muskie-related issues at yesterday's meeting, which I'll get to shortly. Please bear with me as I plow through this background stuff.

Tiger muskies are a tiny fishery, and muskie anglers are a very small group in the larger scheme of things. As you would expect, most of WDFW's budget, staff, and management are focused on the state's native fish and game species -- in the case of fish, this means salmon, steelhead, and trout. Billions are being spent by federal, state, and local governments to save salmon and steelhead runs. Needless to say, salmon and steelhead are the top priority, and it will stay that way. If a conflict occurs between salmon/steelhead and a warmwater species, the salmon/steelhead will take precedence. Nevertheless, as opportunities to fish for salmon and steelhead have declined, quite a few anglers have switched to warmwater species (primarily bass and walleyes), so the influence of warmwater anglers has grown; and for a number of years now, WDFW has maintained a separate warmwater program whose management and staff are devoted entirely to managing and enhancing warmwater fisheries, which is a good thing for warmwater anglers.

There was a huge row at yesterday's meeting over a proposed rewrite of WDFW's anti-snagging rules. These rules are designed to keep rogue anglers from illegally snagging salmon in the lower Columbia River. Apparently this is a rampant problem in some areas. The bone of contention is that the proposed rules focus on gear instead of behavior. They attempt to hinder snagging by outlawing gear that can be used to snag fish, which includes nearly all walleye and bass lures. This would make fishing for walleyes or bass illegal in the Columbia. The walleye and bass groups are outraged, and made their displeasure known at the meeting.

While this does not directly affect muskies, I think the warmwater groups should stick together, and we need to support them on their issues so they'll support us on our issues, because none of the warmwater groups are individually strong enough to have much influence on policy. There is strength in numbers, and by combining forces, we have a stronger collective voice. The bass and walleye folks on IFPAG have been very supportive of tiger muskies, and we need to reciprocate and support them on their critical issues.

WDFW's warmwater program manager, Steve Jackson, said WDFW can deal with the objections to the new rule by means of selective enforcement. He said the rules are aimed at salmon snaggers and wardens aren't interested in citing bass and walleye anglers. I replied that, from my lawyer's perspective, it's undesirable to rely on the subjective and discretionary judgment by enforcement officers. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges will have a problem with it. Courts won't tolerate selective enforcement, and will throw out citations en masse. The proper way to deal with this issue is in the wording of the rules, which have to be clear and unambiguous.

By the way, as this exchange shows, I'm not a parrot for the WDFW management line, and if I disagree with WDFW staff I'll say so. I may run something by Steve in advance to make sure my comments don't fumble the science, but he doesn't tell me what to say, nor do I rubber stamp WDFW's official positions. No one has accused me of that, but I want to make sure this point is crystal clear to everyone.

Steve Jackson gave a brief outline of personnel and organizational changes occurring within WDFW. These will affect us. Key warmwater people are retiring and will be replaced with new people. The organizational structure also is changing somewhat, with duties being shifted and personnel being reassigned. Some of the people staying on will have different job titles and functions. Up to now, many of the warmwater program's managers and staff have been very supportive of tiger muskies, and some like to fish for them. Let's hope this will continue, but be aware we're going to be dealing with new people, and we're facing some unknowns. This means over the next few years muskie aficionadosl need to pay closer attentive to what's happening inside WDFW, and we may need to educate the incoming managers and staff about our fishery and its needs.

George Orr, the newest appointee to the Commission, attended yesterday's meeting. He's a former Democratic state legislator from the Spokane area, and his brother is a well-known walleye angler from Tri-Cities who has been an IFPAG member for years. George undoubtedly will be the key Commissioner to warmwater anglers. Most Commissioners aren't sport anglers to begin with, and only a couple years ago, the 3 Commissioners with any angling experience were all from trout fly fishing groups. George, like his brother, is a long-time walleye angler, and is the first warmwater angler to sit on the Commission. In addition, he knows what a tiger muskie is, and I think he's going to be supportive of our fishery.

George told us the Commission also is reorganizing itself, and among other changes, each Commissioner is now assigned to an advisory group and expected to attend its meetings. George is assigned to IFPAG, and it's an excellent fit, given his interest in -- and supportive attitude toward -- the bass, panfish, and tiger muskie fisheries. George said something yesterday that impressed me a ton. He said rules are worthless without enforcement, and he'll push for more enforcement funding. I agree 100%! In recent years, deep cuts have been made in enforcement staff, and the field agents are now spread very thin. Whensome people think they can get away with fishing out of season, violating size and bag limits, fishing in closed areas, snagging, etc., they'll do it. Obviously, this is very harmful to our fisheries. We need more enforcement resources, and vigorous enforcement in the field. Prosecutors also are a problem area too, because they're also spread thin, lack resources, and have their hands full with violent crimes and, in rural areas, a very prevalent meth lab problem. George recognizes prosecutors are part of the equation. I'm very pleased with his appointment and his presence in our advisory group, and we with the fact we now have a Commissioner we can talk to about our issues.

Steve Jackson updated us on muskie stocking issues. As you probably know, there'll be no stocking next year because WDFW of the time required to put in place safeguards against importing VHS (a fish disease) into our state. Things are on track to resume tiger muskie stocking in 2009, and right now look good in terms of future stocking. Egg supply issues haven't gone away. WDFW is looking at alternative sources, but the in-house broodstock proposal is very much alive, albeit not yet a going conc

[phil cogley]

Don,

that was a long article, but a very good one that helped explain alot. Can you tell me why the state has a heartburn about planting pike into the lakes. I understand they reproduce and might have a hard time controlling there numbers. I fish CDA chain lakes often and the pike are in good numbers, but so are the bass, crappie and perch. It doesn't seem like they just eat everything. This way we wouldn't have to worry about finding tiger eggs.

FEAR NO FISH!

[Don Wittenberger]

Northern pike are in Idaho, and no one seems to know how they got there. From there, they entered the Spokane River and Long Lake has had them for years. Now they're also in the Pend O'Reilles River.

There is ZERO sentiment in WDFW for having these fish in our state. They're seen as a threat to salmon smolt if they get into the Columbia River. In addition to the legal protections on salmon under the Endangered Species Act, billions of dollars are being spent to save the wild salmon and steelhead runs. Tiger muskies are tolerated because they can't reproduce, their population can be controlled, and they can be got rid of by halting stocking if they prove to be a threat to native fish. None of these things are true of northern pike.

And then there are the tribes. To the Indians, salmon are not only important economically, but are a central part of their religion and culture.

Before WDFW began stocking tiger muskies in Mayfield Lake, the biologist was required to get permission from several agencies and the Yakama Nation. The tribe didn't sign off on it, but didn't object either -- basically, they were too busy fighting the salmon wars -- so Jack got a reluctant go-ahead. Today, the state works closely with tribes on fish issues. I can't speak for the tribes, and don't know what they think of introducing northern pike to Washington, but I've got a pretty good idea their first question will be: "How will this affect the salmon?"

You also must deal with public misconceptions and paranoia. A couple years ago, someone caught a little tiger muskie in downtown Portland, which made the local TV news. The general reaction was, "OMIGOD THERE'S MUSKIES IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER THEY'RE GONNA EAT ALL THE SALMON CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Never mind there was only one, and it can't reproduce; you can't reason with blind fear.

Stocking northern pike in Washington waters won't happen. Northern pike getting into Washington WILL happen. They're already here, and it's impossible to keep them from spreading. They'll eventually get into Banks Lake, Moses Lake, and Potholes. They'll reproduce. They'll eat other fish. Some people will go nuts! It'll occur gradually, and they probably won't get firmly established in my lifetime, but it WILL happen because there's no way to keep them from migrating downstream, propagating, and establishing resident populations. Hammer handles (and big pike, too) are in our future.

[KUP]

Thank YOU, Don for taking the time to post this and the other report on the thread just above this one.
They both have very interesting points and it's great to be informed about what is going on at the State level.
We all appreciate it.

[Don Wittenberger]

KUP, it's important we all keep in mind that tiger muskies are guests in this state, and we could easily lose them if they (and we) are not well behaved. It's especially important to understand the tribes' sensitivities, and avoid words or deeds that might antagonize the tribes, as they have a lot of clout and we want them on our side or at least not against our favorite fish. Naturally most of our club members just want to know how to catch them, but I think the club has a role to play in educating its membership on issues that affect the muskie fishery.