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Old 10-27-2018, 04:48 PM   #1
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Exclamation Important Message foe PNW Boaters

The message below is from the Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW):

IMPORTANT message for all my friends that boat in the PNW. Please read:

To ALL RBAW Members:

The Washington state task force created to evaluate the decline of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) released a third round of updated draft recommendations for public comment on October 24th. The draft recommendations are meant to be near term actions to benefit these three orca pods.

The Task Force is accepting public comment on this latest draft, via an online survey: LINK.
Note that the recommendations summaries in this SurveyMonkey are VERY abbreviated; our greatest item of concern can only be fully appreciated by reviewing the FULL-TEXT (especially of recommendation #19) at THIS link: https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/de...e_10-24-18.pdf
Survey responses on the latest draft recommendations must be submitted by the above SurveyMonkey link, by NOT LATER THAN midnight on Monday, October 29, and will be provided to the Task Force.

Please note that is not necessary to rank every recommendation; the survey is arranged such that respondents may click on just the items of interest, then select submit on the final page.
Following are some thoughts on a particular troubling proposal:

Draft recommendation 19: Require an annual “Be Whale Wise” certification for all recreational boaters on the inland marine waters, and ensure that all boaters are educated on how to limit boating impacts to orcas.

Wayne here: The devil's really in the details on this one. What's not mentioned in this question (but called out in the more complete text (available draft is the desire to stick this $10 on top of boat registrations. NMTA and the Recreational Boating Assoc of WA strongly encourage you to reject this notion/piling on of boat registrations.

This proposed fee is unfair, unnecessary, would present a logistical nightmare to administer and collect, and ignores the fact that recreational boaters were absolute team players during this Task Force process - despite the fact that no scientific basis or data exists to show boaters are the problem when it comes to sharply reduced populations of Southern Killer Whales.

The $10 fee also sends an incredibly mixed and conflicting message to boaters: On the one hand, other recommendations we're working WITH you on, are predicated on keeping boaters a safe distance away from Killer Whales; the $10 fee is supposed to be a payment for anyone who intends to go close to them! That makes no sense.
Let's remember, too, that boaters ALREADY pay far more than their fair share to the State of Washington. A recent Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC) study shows taxes and fees on boaters add up to about $80 million a biennium and services provided back to us are about $64 million.

We boaters are by far the most significant contributors toward Derelict Vessel Removal and Aquatic Invasive Species prevention
(tacked onto our yearly registration!) , and we continue to pay a Watercraft Excise Tax even though similar excise taxes on vehicles and aircraft have been mostly or entirely repealed.
Boaters are also good stewards of the environment - we work on Clean Boating programs, established the Boater Education program, agreed to phase out copper-bottomed paint on vessels, serve as the major outside-funding contributors on Aquatic Invasive Species and Derelict Vessel Removal programs, and much more.

Thank you for your interest in this issue, and please let us know if you have any questions. We will report more on this Task Force in the coming weeks and months.

Sincerely,
Wayne Gilham
President RBAW
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Old 10-27-2018, 05:40 PM   #2
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Maybe they should shut down all the whale watching boats.
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Old 10-27-2018, 06:32 PM   #3
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Greetings,
Mr. ASD. This issue ties in directly with the Columbia River gillnet thread IMO. As Mr. Lepke noted, the sharp decline in bait fish is affecting everything upwards in the food chain along with destruction/alteration of the environment (Mr. MM).


The proposed legislation/levy/tax is yet another in the long line of knee-jerk reactions by politicians who think ill conceived, feel good "fixes" meant to appeal to the voters, will work.



VERY similar thought process for the establishment of NDZ's within sight of municipalities that regularly have "oopsies" with their sewage.


Mr. NW. I don't think the elimination of whale watching would necessarily be the best approach. The general public HAVE to be made aware of the state of the oceans and the creatures therein. That being said, intelligent, informed non-emotional decisions must be made to protect the dwindling resources of the seas. Perhaps, although I very much doubt it, a fix can be found. More taxation is NOT the fix.
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Old 10-27-2018, 07:05 PM   #4
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Maybe they should shut down all the whale watching boats.
I agree on the sentiment. The business of commercial whale-watching boats is to approach the whales. Better to assess a fee on whale-watching boat passengers rather than innocent boaters. The fee should be sufficient to reduce commercial whale watching. ... Also, there should be a limit one can intentionally approach whales. Perhaps 100 yards/meters.
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Old 10-27-2018, 08:43 PM   #5
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There is already a 200 to 400 yard (depending on direction) limit around the whales. The recommendations also include licensing of whale watching boats with limits and the requirement that the whale watching boats equip AIS.

The area that the SRKWs reside is right on the US/Canada border. Many of the whale watching boats come from Canada, so I assume that most of the business will just move up there if you ban whale watching in Washington.

One day this summer, there were more than 20 whale watching boats following one group of KWs.

The problem is REALLY complex and there isn't just one answer. I've heard opinions that it's probably already too late for the SRKWs.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...he-population/
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Old 10-27-2018, 09:08 PM   #6
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There is already a 200 to 400 yard (depending on direction) limit around the whales. The recommendations also include licensing of whale watching boats with limits and the requirement that the whale watching boats equip AIS.

The area that the SRKWs reside is right on the US/Canada border. Many of the whale watching boats come from Canada, so I assume that most of the business will just move up there if you ban whale watching in Washington.
Boats in BC waters must be 200 metres (656') from killer whales:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:27 AM   #7
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Survey completed. Thanks for bringing that to the forum.

I'm disgusted, but in no way surprised, there is yet another money grab in Washington. They already have information on marine wildlife in general, and whales in particular, all over the internet to include the Adventures in Boating Guide for Washington. I'll buy off on an annual certification for being Whale Wise just as soon as they do that for rules of the road.


Anyone who boats in the San Juans regularly sees the ridiculous behavior of the FLEET of large, fast whale watching boats. They are one of our areas biggest wake offenders, and don't just harass the SRKW population - they buzz marine wildlife all through the islands as part of their sightseeing for-profit businesses.

Deep breath, ooommmmm.
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Old 10-28-2018, 06:34 AM   #8
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A bit of geographic drift --

AK whales are smarter. They chase the commercial fishing boats to grab large quantities of salmon out of he nets. Mothers in fact teaching the youngsters how to bump the nets during retrieval to spring loose the, ahem, springs. Some fascinating stories from the AK Commercial and Fisheries guys in this regard.
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Old 10-28-2018, 09:35 AM   #9
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People see fish and whales as playthings.

I’ve seen hundreds of people come up from down south for fishing thrills in SE Alaska. They typically catch all they can doing nothing but fishing and send all those fish back to Ohio or wherever. A wrecking ball loose in wildlife. The hunters from “outside” even shoot bear cubs. Just want to kill something I guess.

Don’t look to Alaskans either for wildlife help. For them it’s all about the money. Tourism is big in Alaska. And wildlife is just there to kill.
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Old 10-28-2018, 10:09 AM   #10
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Stop netting herring just before they spawn, stop all fishing in the inland sea for ten years. Then the whales will have something to eat. Commercial fishers must go “outside” and all poachers have their boats impounded and sold. There you go, fixed it.
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Old 10-28-2018, 10:33 AM   #11
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Stop netting herring just before they spawn, stop all fishing in the inland sea for ten years. Then the whales will have something to eat. Commercial fishers must go “outside” and all poachers have their boats impounded and sold. There you go, fixed it.

Include crabs, prawns, clams, etc.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:04 PM   #12
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Stop netting herring just before they spawn, stop all fishing in the inland sea for ten years. Then the whales will have something to eat. Commercial fishers must go “outside” and all poachers have their boats impounded and sold. There you go, fixed it.
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Include crabs, prawns, clams, etc.
??

Fixed it? Fixed what? Scratching head vigorously.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:18 PM   #13
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Stop netting herring just before they spawn, stop all fishing in the inland sea for ten years. Then the whales will have something to eat. Commercial fishers must go “outside” and all poachers have their boats impounded and sold. There you go, fixed it.
Won't work. Too simple and the politicians will screw it up.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:20 PM   #14
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Are not the management of Orcas done by NOAA? The State of Washington does not have jurisdiction.
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Old 10-28-2018, 01:11 PM   #15
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So I assume the $10 fee will include personal watercraft, ski boats, the boats on Lake Chelan and Lake Roosevelt, etc. All boats that will never ever be anywhere near a whale. That sounds like my great state of Washington.
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Old 10-28-2018, 01:20 PM   #16
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??

Fixed it? Fixed what? Scratching head vigorously.
JD
You are TF's and real life proven expert on the salmon fishing business. Which then rolls in to all things related whether bears, whales, herring, seals or government actions.

Your thoughts?
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Old 11-16-2018, 01:57 PM   #17
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The final recommendations from the task force were completed. There is a provision in the recommendations that allows boaters to opt out of the $10 fee.

The recommendations for licensing whale watching boats (along with other requirements and limitations on them) are included.


Link to final recommendations:
https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/de...s_11.16.18.pdf
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