Everyone and no one knew about rockfish program

Kodiak, Alaska

By John Finley

First we have Joe Sullivan withholding information we pay him to give us, then we have Linda Freed admitting she told him to do it. One close observer of Kodiak's political comedy wonders if she did it to protect Sullivan.

We'll never know. Regarding fish, our governments and advisers are involved in a complicated pantomime. They are playing out the clock, looking forward to a time when there will be no more interruptions by rough fisher folk who come to them mistakenly thinking that every nation, state, or town must have a government that is empowered to protect the rights of its citizens.

Only a few of our officials and advisers lie, the rest just pretend to believe. Not one of them is dumb enough to not know what's going on.

Here's Councilman Dave Woodruff (who told us last spring that we should just give up and let it happen) quoted in the Mirror: "I am extremely concerned Sullivan did not bring this to us."

Did he forget that he told me, and all within hearing distance on the dock in Dog Bay a month ago, that the Rockfish Pilot Plan was being increased from two to five years? Why didn't he bring it up?

Everybody knew it, but no one knew it. That's sick. So this time, because local activists caught them in the act, the public gets a glimpse of what happens every single day.

For present purposes I'd like to define "lying" as "failing to tell the truth," because the few among us who are selling us out are far too clever to lie. Their job has been easy until now. Kodiakans are trusting people. They smother dangerous topics and keep us focused on trivia while they steal our fish.

I'm not writing these letters for fun. I want to fish the Gulf of Alaska with hooks. I know it will make a magnet of Kodiak for buyers worldwide seeking properly caught rockfish, because the GOA has more rockfish than just about any place left on earth.

For those struggling to understand this situation, put yourself in my place. Pretend you want to fish the GOA with hooks (or pots), and find out why you can't do it.