Fisheries issues hardly ever black and white

As the summer draws to a close and fishermen begin to take stock of another season passing, talk almost inevitably turns to allocation issues. This year, sockeye returns to Mat-Su Valley streams have been particularly low, and Fish Creek and the entire Susitna River drainage are closed to sockeye fishing.

When people aren't catching fish, or can't fish at all, fingers are sure to start pointing.

Here in Alaska, our fish wars are almost legendary. At each state Board of Fisheries meeting, the commercial- and sport-fishing interests muster their respective troops to duke it out over who gets what.

Like many longstanding disputes, this one defies easy resolution. This year, Valley anglers blame the Cook Inlet commercial fishing fleet for taking fish bound for Mat-Su streams. The relative numbers may offer circumstantial support for this argument, but they hardly make a slam-dunk case.

Even so, the bottom line is that something needs to be done. Exactly what, is hard to say. But one thing is certain: Weekend fishermen cannot count on the Board of Fisheries process, as it now stands, to protect their interests.

As is the case with any activity out of which a dollar can be wrung, political factors come into play. A passing glance at a list of top contributors to political campaigns in this state reads like a Who's Who in the fishing industry.

It's not just the large commercial interests, either. Other well-heeled and well-connected organizations, such as the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, are also active players in trying to influence how salmon get allocated among user groups.

This group's name notwithstanding, it is not reaching into its deep pockets to defend the rights of residents to catch fish. It is there, first and foremost, for the guide industry. And while guides and related services are a vital part of the summer economy, just because they're catching fish with hooks instead of nets, does not make them any less a commercial interest.

Anyone who doubts this can ask a Soldotna resident if the KRSA has made it easier for them to catch a Kenai River salmon.

Where does all this leave the true sport fishers, those who are simply looking to feed their families and put some fillets in the freezer? The answer is a work in progress, but it most definitely begins with awareness.

Change rarely happens overnight, but a sustained effort will yield better results. Fishermen need to know who's lining the pockets of their elected officials, and they certainly need to insist on equal representation at the Board of Fish table.

Most important, though, decisions that affect fisheries need to be based on a serious science-based respect for the resource. Otherwise, someday there may be nothing left to fight about.