Don't you just hate it when you read something in
the paper or magazine and you realize it is either
a lie or so bizarre it can't possibly be true. Or
maybe you know about a specific field or event and
see it mis-reported or worse the whole thing is
slanted in such a way you wonder if it is stupidity
The State of California recently banned fishing, all
fishing, around the Channel Islands. For no reason.
No data was produced to indicate there was/is/may be
a problem. Just a decision based on pop science. What
is pop science? It's when any group of people decide
they can make enough noise or apply enough pressure on
a political group (read government) to get their agenda
carried out. They just "say" there's a problem and they
want it fixed. Doesn't matter if there is a problem or
not. Where is the science in this one? The groups
claimed the Channel Islands were breeding and resting
grounds for all kinds of important fish. Breeding?
Probably, but not year round. Resting? What? Any
scientific papers? Any facts? Gee, don't bother them
with that stuff - they all know better. So the local
economy gets hit again, fishing is portrayed as nasty,
and the greenies giggle, hold hands and sing together.
Wonder what their next target
It just ain't right.
Washington State. Mismanagement of the salmon/steelhead
fisheries. I'm just going to skim off the top here. This
one is so bad it would take volumes. Hatchery fish planted
where they shouldn't be, competition between planted/hatchery
and wild fish. Over fishing, tribal excesses, gutless
legislature, wimpy Fish and Game Commission, nearly criminal
mis-management of the resources and complete failure to
enforce the existing laws. Really bad. So a few weeks ago,
on the front page of the Sun is an article titled,
"Why Snub Chum" revealing that our lowly chum salmon is
being sold all over the world as "wild Pacific salmon," at rather
hefty prices. The article goes on to explode the myths
about chum salmon being less than wonderful and how valuable
they really are.
In the very same article, (turn the page) "The mainstay of
the tribal fishery now is the sale of chum eggs as caviar
in Asian markets. At hatcheries near Quilcene and Hoodsport,
tribal members gather to catch chum in beach seines. The
fish are sliced open, the eggs are stripped out, and the
carcasses are thrown back in the water to feed the crabs."
It just ain't right. It's also a lie.
The crab numbers have seriously declined in the past 5 years.
Why? Because the State allowed Geoducks to be harvested
with pressurized air hoses which silted up weed and eel
grass beds, breeding and nurseries for baby crabs, parr
of cutthroat, salmon.... Did I mention our glorious State
also "allowed" the harvest of sea cucumbers? (Allowed
means the State sold them). Some more of that pop science.
No one really knew where sea cucumbers fit into the food
chain, until they were gone. And I do mean GONE. Turns
out these sea creatures filter a whole bunch of bad stuff,
including PCBs. And did I mention Orca Whales eat them?
And for some strange reason we aren't seeing the number
or Orcas we use to? So the carcasses are being wasted
because the price is caviar is higher than the price of salmon.
Just tell the bloody truth.
It just ain't right.
I'm not letting California off the hook yet either. There
is another plot afoot in the golden state. This one is
"Water Bagging." Don't laugh it's real. This is a scheme
to install cisterns several miles up the estuaries of
selected rivers, along with the infrastructure to pump
fresh water into giant bladder bags. These ocean-going
bags can then be floated elsewhere and the water sold to
consumers in other regions. Think this isn't real?
A Santa-Barbara based corporation was stopped from its
water-bagging activity on a British Columbia river and
is now suing the Canadian government for instituting a
"barrier to free trade." This isn't the first time Canadians have had
to fight to retain the rights to their own water. What?
It just ain't right.
I've stopped watching a couple of commercial networks on
television. Well, at least their news programs. It is
not a matter of bias. It is lies. And that isn't right either.
I'm sick of seeing people claim they are 'experts' when
they can't properly pronounce the name of the country
they are an expert on. When fiction is taken for fact.
When our country is at war with terrorists and the ACLU
is defending the rights of terrorists and child rapists.
This isn't an election year. The politicians think we
aren't watching. No one is paying attention. Wrong.
The people in both parties in Washington DC better get
it right - and straight. The people of this country are
not so stupid or self-absorbed as to allow our government
to put our country at further risk. Knock off the 'party
line crap' - let's see the U.S. Congress do what is right
for the country - not what is best for their party.
How about doing the Right Thing! ~ The LadyFisher
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