FIN at the Capitol

OLYMPIA — FIN stopped by Washington's capitol Friday to say hello to Gov. Gregoire.

Gregoire said Friday that the "federal government must give economic help to hard-hit West Coast fishing communities." Federal officials have banned chinook salmon fishing off the California coast and most of Oregon this year. In Washington, sport and commercial fishing for chinook and coho will be cut sharply.

Gregoire says the state has been working with fishing communities, exploring job and training options. She hasn't tapped emergency spending accounts yet or declared a state emergency, but the governor says that's on the table. Gregoire is right that our fishing communities need our help immediately, but if the Governor is serious about restoring Pacific salmon, she must lead on the pertinent issue in Washington — restoring Columbia and Snake River salmon by removing the four lower Snake River dams.

Please call Gov. Gregoire and urge her to take the lead in Washington and the West Coast by bringing people together and creating long-term solutions that will restore our wild salmon and protect our fishing heritage. Gov. Gregoire: 360.902.4111.

After our stop at the capitol, we headed to Fish Brewing Company, where we talked to local Olympians about the plight of Snake River salmon while enjoying frosty pints of Fish Tale Ale.

Fish Brewing Co. has been a long time supporter of Save Our Wild Salmon because for brewmaster's and salmon alike — cool, clean water is a necessity.

Pacific salmon are an indicator of a healthy riparian ecosystem. If we keep damming our salmon to extinction, we might just do the same to another icon of the Northwest — our microbrews.








Maya Oleynikova jumping out of FIN in Olympia.

Lance and Brent at Fish Brewing Co.

Fish Brewing Co. manager Max Dejarnatt inside FIN.

Fish Brew Pub bartender Jill and her sister Gwendolyn.
Det var dejligt at mode dig i gar! Undskyld for skrive i dansk, men jeg kun tale dansk.