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Speech for Northwest Burn Center/Salmon Derby Fund Raiser
Director, Jeffrey P. Koenings
July 25, 1999Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Jeff Koenings, the Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
First, this event brings together two things I have enjoyed throughout my life - running, jogging, walking as well as fishing. People ask the connection between the two - to me it obvious - both are good for the heart.
- Exercise for the physical well-being of the heart.
- Fishing (in my opinion) for the spiritual well-being of the heart.
Both are good for the heart and thus both are good things!
Second, I enjoyed running my 30 miles a week (I must admit that was several years ago) by myself - now I jog, but with my family - It's become a family thing.
When I go to fishing group meetings my heart is gladdened by the enthusiasm, but it is also saddened because I see few children, and few families. That's a concern to me and events like this can change that - because families that recreate together stay together - and that's a good thing.
Third, a sense of family creates a sense of community and that's what I see here. A sense of community that extends beyond Seattle to encompass the entire Northwest from Alaska to Idaho to Oregon. You are providing services for burn victims not only throughout your area, but also outside your immediate community, and that simply is a very good thing!
I'm here to thank all you, especially you runners and anglers, who turned out today to send children suffering from burns to summer camp.
While the focus today should be on suffering children and the Northwest Burn Foundation and Port of Seattle Fire Fighters who do so much for them, I know some people are puzzled by the concept of a Salmon Derby in this era.
People are wondering why is all right to continue fishing for salmon in Puget Sound?
We all know by now that several salmon stocks, including Puget Sound chinook, are now protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. That's the powerful federal law responsible for bringing the bald eagle, symbol of the United States, back to health. It's the law that preserved old growth forest for Northern spotted owls and many other animal species that depend upon ancient trees. And now the power of that law is focused on Washington's salmon.
And rightly so.
We have wild salmon runs that are in desperate trouble. Others are weak and need to be rebuilt.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife, in addition to much of the rest of state government, from Governor Locke down, is mobilizing to what is right and effective for these icons of Washington.
Conservation of wild salmon runs drives all of the complicated processes that end up with fishing seasons that permit events such as the Firefighters' Salmon Derby.
The truth is that while some wild stocks are in trouble, some are very healthy. Washington also has a very large hatchery system that produces large numbers of salmon. While hatcheries now are playing a major role in restoring wild stocks, most of the millions of salmon they produce are born to be served over the barbecue.
Sport and commercial salmon fishing seasons are crafted to harvest these healthy stocks while returning adult salmon from weak wild stocks to their native rivers to spawn.
We rely on science and innovation to accomplish the twin goals of conservation and harvest - both are tightly linked or coupled to provide for the sound stewardship of those natural resources.
Since Monday, for example, people fishing in the ocean from places like Westport and Ilwaco must release coho salmon that have an adipose fin on their backs. Fish with that small fin on their backs are likely to be wild and must go back to the streams to spawn. Coho with no adipose fin were raised in a hatchery - they go into the boat. Since 1996, the Department of Fish and Wildlife has produced 113 million marked coho. We have begun marking hatchery chinook the same way and by next year we hope to be marking many millions of hatchery chinook with similar clip marks.
Marking fish will be a major tool in the effort to accomplish the twin goals of conservation and harvest i.e. sound stewardship.
The anglers and commercial fishers in the audience know there are many more requirements this year about gear that must be used to protect wild stocks. They know that favorite fishing areas are closed at times when salmon from weak wild stocks are present.
IN FACT, WASHINGTON SALMON FISHING HAS ENTERED A NEW ERA.
Skeptics must not think salmon fishing is just about having fun on the water. It is important recreation to many people. But it also is a way of life to many of our Indian and non-Indian neighbors.
It also is big business. One recent study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded anglers in Washington in 1996 spent $704 million on gear, bait, fuel, gear and other fishing necessities. It produced 16,700 jobs, $46 million in state sales tax revenue and $40 million in federal income tax revenue. Commercial fishers generate millions of dollars more in economic activity.
We've worked very hard to sculpt fishing opportunities from the overarching requirement to get more wild salmon back to their home rivers to spawn.
Now look around at this crowd at Bell Street Pier. All of you–who represent the massive population growth Washington has undergone in recent years–must be prepared to change if you want more wild fish runs to be restored to health.
- You and your neighbors compete with wild salmon for water to wash cars and grow crops.
- You compete with wild salmon when dams are built to provide the power to light your homes.
- You compete with wild salmon when subdivisions and malls and parking lots are built so the rain can't soak into the ground but instead build powerful floods in rivers.
Washington can continue to grow and function as a major player in the global economy. But we must learn to do it smarter.
Let me leave you with this thought: we'll never be able to rebuild our weakest wild salmon runs until you and I make our rivers better homes for fish.
Thank you for coming out today to help bring some light into the lives of children who suffer so much.
Thank you.
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