Will the Rivers Run Dry?
What would it matter if we clean up Puget Sound but the rivers feeding it run dry? We came a small step closer to making sure we always have water…
Being Frank: A Traditional Belief
OLYMPIA (September 29, 2006) ― There is a traditional Indian belief that we do not actually own the land. We are part of it, and it is part of us. We are all temporary tenants and we’re responsible for its care. It’s a concept that is as valid today as it has ever been. If people can begin to understand their connection to the earth, they will treat it with much greater sensitivity than they have over the past century. These are the thoughts that come to me when I think about the so-called property rights initiative, I-933, which will be on your general election ballot in November. To say I believe you should vote no on I-933 would be an understatement. You should vote “hell, no!” I-933 is far more dangerous and damaging than you might think.
Hatcheries Aren’t Habitat
There’s no question that hatcheries have a role to play in salmon recovery, but hatchery fish aren’t wild fish, just like hatcheries aren’t habitat.
Hatcheries are absolutely needed to support some wild salmon stocks. Without them, those fish would disappear. Hatcheries make sure we have fish to catch. If we didn’t have hatchery salmon, no one would be fishing. Tribal treaty fishing rights would be meaningless.
Yes, hatchery fish are part of the answer to salmon recovery. Hatchery fish were never meant to replace wild fish, though, and we have to make sure that never happens. Only wild fish can carry us into the next century and beyond.