Homer Alaska - Letters

Dipnetting Rebuttal: I appreciate your concerns but do you have the facts or are you part of the Arizona immigration insanity?

Did you check with those folks that had an accent to find out if in fact they are not residents? We did. We found the Polish, German, Jamaican, Black and many other Alaska residents to be very interesting to talk to while we all fished together year after year. Most of them were from Anchorage, but some were from the Valley and places as far away as Barrow.

As far as abuse and disregard, I'm not sure what you meant, because other than perhaps twice as many people as in the past I didn't see abuse or disregard.

We, too, are long-time dipnetters. I saw people getting fish that were cleaning or filleting on the beach as usual. Perhaps some people don't fillet very well or efficiently, but, hey, the sea gulls get everything that is left and the tide cleans it all away.

Perhaps your question is just a matter of why so many people? Have you considered the facts?

1. How many rivers have closed due to low king runs, pushing everyone into the dipnet fishery for their harvest?

2. How has the state's huge push on tourists hit all our rivers with a huge impact? But do you think they are going to go out and purchase expensive nets, neoprenes etc. just to dipnet?

3. Are you aware of how many reports there are daily through television, radio and the Internet proclaiming where the fish are and aren't? This drives everyone to the same places to fish.

4. Why should we pay another fee when we already bought a license?

5. Have you ever seen any dipnetter stop and write down each fish and were you watching everyone? I know after catching 20 or 25 fish, I'm exhausted and the last thing on my mind is filling out my ticket, but I always fill it out completely and correctly before sending it in.

Lastly, how do you know people are taking more than their allotment? No where does it say each person from the household has to actually catch those 10 fish. Usually the head of household and some others do that part and Mom and others are at home processing.

Come on. Let us have something that isn't policed.

Julie Smith