The commercial gill-netting allowed in the Columbia River is destroying the salmon and sturgeon. Thousands of us protest it and by your own photos last month with the aerial picture showing just a small portion of the people who are affected by these nets. Sportsmen contribute thousands and thousands of dollars back into the community by fishing, and what does the commercial boat spend? Little to nothing. It is a part-time job for them to make a fast chunk of change in a few days, certainly nothing like the Discovery Channel television show “Deadliest Catch.”
Recently commercial fleets entered the Columbia River sweeping their nets clear across the river from the mouth to Beacon Rock and bragging about this success. After this fishing fleet of more than 100 boats is done, the salmon run this fall will be over.
We never know how much these boats catch, but sports fishermen are held accountable for their fish limit. These gill-netters belong in the ocean, not fishing this primitive style in the Columbia with modern technology.
Roger Burton
Vancouver
