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Tour brings farmers, fishermen together
published Oct. 29, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
BROOKINGS - Farmers, ranchers and elected officials from the Upper Klamath Basin toured fishing docks on the Southern Oregon and Northern California coasts Tuesday.
They were there to see what another side of the Klamath water issue looks like, and hear from those affected by it.
"We are not blaming the farmers up in the Klamath," said Ralph Brown, a Curry County commissioner. "We've all got a stake in it. We need to understand each other's points of view and where they differ."
Farmers and fishermen are often thought to be in opposite corners in the debate. About 40, half from each corner, came together Tuesday for the second time. Last month it was the officials from the coastal counties who toured the Klamath Reclamation Project.
The tour highlighted changes as the economic foundations along the coast shift from resources to tourism.
Craig Bradford, an economic developer in Crescent City, told of plans for an Arnold Palmer golf course, airport expansion and other changes to fuel tourism.
"It will be like a giant fishing lure, and it will draw people in here from all over and they will spend their money," he said.
Crescent City is in the middle of the fishing zone that has been restricted since 1985 to protect salmon from the Klamath River. The zone stretches from Port Orford to Eureka.
Crescent City's salmon fleet has dropped from about 300 boats to about 100, of which three-quarters are waiting to be sold or go after other fish, said Jim Waldvogel, area marine adviser for University of California's extension service.
Monday, the Basin delegation had dinner with the tour's hosts. On Tuesday, most fishermen took a rain check on the tour. They were trying to get some last hauls of salmon before the season ends Friday.
Earl Schultz of the Tulelake Growers Association said he understood.
"Just like us and our crops, they got to take advantage of the weather," he said.
Jim Whitsett, a fisherman who sails from Brookings harbor, was feeling under the weather, so he came along for the tour.
He said state and federal governments have overregulated the fishing industry, and many people have quit.
"We do experience a lot more pain than people in the Klamath realize," he said.
Fishing can be an expensive venture, costing up to $10,000 to $20,000 per year, he said.
So, it is painful when the fishermen can't go out and drop line in the water outside their own port, he said, "especially when you know there is a big run of fish and the biologists don't want you to get on it."
But Whitsett, 66, said he's not giving up.
"I'll fish until I die," he said.
Whitsett called the tour "a good education for all of us. They can go back and say there are some human beings on the coast who depend on these fish."
After impromptu lessons in coastal geography and meteorology, history and fish biology, the conversations got more specific and heated. One lengthy discussion focused on U.S. Rep. Wally Herger's pulling funding from a council that some in the coastal group belonged to.
During the conversations, the fishermen and officials backed away form the stances taken by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations in the court, saying the group doesn't represent Oregon fishermen.
Elliot Schwarz of the Rural Resources Alliance, a Brookings-based resource advocacy group, said he was encouraged by the results of the discussions and the tour.
"The beginnings of resolution are really apparent," he said.
By DYLAN DARLING
BROOKINGS - Farmers, ranchers and elected officials from the Upper Klamath Basin toured fishing docks on the Southern Oregon and Northern California coasts Tuesday.
They were there to see what another side of the Klamath water issue looks like, and hear from those affected by it.
"We are not blaming the farmers up in the Klamath," said Ralph Brown, a Curry County commissioner. "We've all got a stake in it. We need to understand each other's points of view and where they differ."
Farmers and fishermen are often thought to be in opposite corners in the debate. About 40, half from each corner, came together Tuesday for the second time. Last month it was the officials from the coastal counties who toured the Klamath Reclamation Project.
The tour highlighted changes as the economic foundations along the coast shift from resources to tourism.
Craig Bradford, an economic developer in Crescent City, told of plans for an Arnold Palmer golf course, airport expansion and other changes to fuel tourism.
"It will be like a giant fishing lure, and it will draw people in here from all over and they will spend their money," he said.
Crescent City is in the middle of the fishing zone that has been restricted since 1985 to protect salmon from the Klamath River. The zone stretches from Port Orford to Eureka.
Crescent City's salmon fleet has dropped from about 300 boats to about 100, of which three-quarters are waiting to be sold or go after other fish, said Jim Waldvogel, area marine adviser for University of California's extension service.
Monday, the Basin delegation had dinner with the tour's hosts. On Tuesday, most fishermen took a rain check on the tour. They were trying to get some last hauls of salmon before the season ends Friday.
Earl Schultz of the Tulelake Growers Association said he understood.
"Just like us and our crops, they got to take advantage of the weather," he said.
Jim Whitsett, a fisherman who sails from Brookings harbor, was feeling under the weather, so he came along for the tour.
He said state and federal governments have overregulated the fishing industry, and many people have quit.
"We do experience a lot more pain than people in the Klamath realize," he said.
Fishing can be an expensive venture, costing up to $10,000 to $20,000 per year, he said.
So, it is painful when the fishermen can't go out and drop line in the water outside their own port, he said, "especially when you know there is a big run of fish and the biologists don't want you to get on it."
But Whitsett, 66, said he's not giving up.
"I'll fish until I die," he said.
Whitsett called the tour "a good education for all of us. They can go back and say there are some human beings on the coast who depend on these fish."
After impromptu lessons in coastal geography and meteorology, history and fish biology, the conversations got more specific and heated. One lengthy discussion focused on U.S. Rep. Wally Herger's pulling funding from a council that some in the coastal group belonged to.
During the conversations, the fishermen and officials backed away form the stances taken by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations in the court, saying the group doesn't represent Oregon fishermen.
Elliot Schwarz of the Rural Resources Alliance, a Brookings-based resource advocacy group, said he was encouraged by the results of the discussions and the tour.
"The beginnings of resolution are really apparent," he said.
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