Letter to the Editor
RE: Global Warming Threatens Northwest Salmon

From: Jadefa
August 2, 2004

Dear Editor

Global warming is a political issue. It has yet to be backed up by any scientific organization that doesn't have its hands in the pockets of the environmental special interest groups. To me a greater threat to fishing than a peculiar weather pattern is those who wish to keep humans out of nature completely, as if we are not already apart of it. This article does not enlighten, it tries to frighten. Instead of political statements you should stick to the great fishing reports that make this website one of my favorites.

The Fish Sniffer Response
By: Richard Alves
Global Warming Threatens Northwest Salmon

Please don't shoot the messenger!

Global warming is only a "political issue" at this point to celebrity druggies. The Bush Administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency and NOAA, provides detailed information about global warming and greenhouse gasses, at their websites. Great Britain, led by conservatives and Prime Minister Tony Blair, released a joint commentary with France saying we need to start doing something about global warming. This week the Dutch government declared, because of global warming, plants native to Africa have naturalized in Holland.

In addition, I quoted published and peer reviewed research from the University of Washington and the Conservation Director for Pure-Fishing (Abu-Garcia, Berkley, Stren et. al.). If you think environmentalist special interest groups control all these entities, you need to expand your news sources beyond the Rush Limbaugh show.

We, The Fish Sniffer staff, work our tails off advocating for angler rights. We work equally as hard to insure your children and grandchildren will have something to fish for.

My job is to keep you informed about issues affecting and threatening our sport.

Chinook are an incredible species which we have done our darnest, as a society, over the last 150 years to wipe out. THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD! If you fish salmon and want to continuing to so, you have to educate yourself about the issues and get involved in the political process.

I live on the Klamath, and I just can't describe the devastation to the salmonid fisheries I have witnessed over the last few years. IF YOU DON'T CARE, IF YOU DON'T ACT, there will not be a Klamath salmon in 15 years. This means in about seven years you will not be able to take a salmon north of the Golden Gate!

"My name is Wally Johnson. I'm a guide on the Klamath River. I was fishing down near Blue Creek a couple days ago (7-31-04) and found this fish dieing in the water. I netted it so I could look at it. The water temp. right below Blue Creek was 74 degrees. The steelhead are stacking up in the cooler water along the edge of the river. ( Just like a couple years ago.) Is there any way to get some more water???"

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