Make your voice heard loud and clear

To the editor:

Frontiersman readers who value and enjoy sports fishing for salmon in the Valley rivers and streams should read Howard Delo’s column in Friday’s paper, “Now it’s time to be heard.” The Valley rivers are being seriously depleted of salmon, in large part due to the commercial harvest of salmon for processing in Cook Inlet and in the ocean. (The column is available online in the Sports/Outdoors section at Frontersman.com).

To quote from Delo’s column:

“The BOF needs to hear from folks who use the Valley salmon populations about how the recent downturn in returning salmon numbers has impacted Valley businesses and borough economics in general, changed a family’s ability to harvest a food resource, affected quality of life in the Valley, etc. The BOF will get an earful from the commercial side about how they and their children will starve if they aren’t allowed to harvest every available returning salmon in Cook Inlet and how the current regulations inhibit their ability to catch fish.

“As an example, the commercial drift fleet group has submitted more than 50 proposals calling for the total elimination of any meaningful regulations on the drift fleet during the season, significant restrictions on dipnetters, loss of fishing time and severe restrictions on methods and means used by the sports fishing community, etc. If folks representing these in-river user groups fail to attend and explain why these types of proposals are bad for the fish and even worse for our Northern District communities ... the BOF might support regulation changes that will serve as the death knell for our returning salmon.”

The Board of Fish meets from Jan. 31 to Feb. 13 at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, 555 West Fifth Ave., Anchorage.

If you can’t make the Anchorage BOF meeting, comments may be submitted no later than Jan. 17 by mail, attention BOF Comments, ADF&G, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526; fax (907) 465-6095; or online at 1.usa.gov/1gJFGKZ.

The Board of Fish on meets once every two years and this will be the last best chance to voice your concerns.

Terry Nininger

Wasilla