Dear Governor....

I'm kind of an idea guy. In fact just a few minutes ago as I was getting dressed I told MP that when you buy socks they should give you an extra one knowing that you're going to lose one. You know instead of a pack of 3 pairs or six socks why not seven ? And I'll bet there's guys all over the world that would like to see refrigerators made that magnets wouldn't stick to....so I got a few suggestions for our new Governor.

I was shocked this weekend to see the reporting on the Governors transition team.  For a candidate that ran on change I just don't get it. Appointed to his Fisheries team was the same old same old same old faces. Incredible, easily half of the members were on Tony Knowles transition team which I served on in 1994....I think. These are the same entrenched fisherman and bureaucrats representing the same views for their same self serving agendas. One of the commercial fishermen appointed from Cook Inlet here is a guy who spews venom when it comes to sport fishing. This is a guy who if he had his way everyone like me would go away, and stay away. So how's this situation change governor ? How's this progress ? One guy was quoted in the paper as saying he'd served on 4 transition teams...mmmm....do ya suppose we've heard enough from that guy ?

So you're wondering why I'm bitching. Well it's this. I think we need fresh faces , fresh insights and new ways of doing business to tackle the fisheries challenges we have and will have in the future. It's gotten to where the same faces in the Cook Inlet Fisheries allocation struggle don't really even represent their groups...what they represent is the fight. What they want is the status quo or even better yet to be transported back to the 70's.

So here's the deal. Here's the straight poop for those commercial  and sport guys that get appointed to
EVERYTHING.....Our area is an economic success. People want to live here , the gas / oil industry's future is bright. We are attracting service professionals in all kinds of fields, medicine, logistics and enjoying a retail boom. So, one day our area is going to be one big city and the hard working people who live and move here are not going to tolerate commercial dominance of the fisheries resource by gill netters or guided sport anglers....You see I feel we have more in common than we have differences. And the solutions to the challenges are simple. Both groups are going to need a smaller foot print and develop a cleaner  leaner industry. We need to do more with less.  Now that might sound like pie in the sky stuff to everybody but how do we move forward with the same old - same old- same old- same old.

Let me give you an example of this one guys way of thinking. In the Sept. 7 Clarion season end report.  The Board of Fisheries made changes to way the drift fleet was managed to try and get more silvers to the North for sport people. Everybody acknowledges that the silvers have been in severe decline so changes were made......Here's the quote... ' In 2013, drifters caught 163,193 silvers in the central district through August 12. Through August 11 of this year the fleet caught 65,678 silvers in the same area".  And oh, silver fishing in the Mat Valley was exceptional for sportsmen . So rather than say hey the changes worked or maybe it worked or even we hope it worked this guy says "  All that did was increase or fuel cost, made us less economic".

So what are we doing listening to people who won't even consider new things, new ways ? Lets get rid of him right now and how about the area Commercial Biologist who said this about the stunning reversal of silvers to the north..." At first glance , one could conclude that the new plans must have made a difference because coho salmon harvest was substantially less. While there may be some merit to that conclusion, there are also other factors that effect coho salmon harvest "....lets get rid of that guy too. Adios, hit the road, we don't need you if you can't see that if you REALLY do want to maximize sockeye harvest and minimize coho harvest that plans like this just might be the future. Or maybe both of you really don't want that...do you ?  You want em all.

WHEW...I got it off  my chest. We're jumping the jet soon and the next post you read will gut chuckle ya. In the mean time if any of you have influence or know the new Governor give him my blog address. Mile 14.