Here it is Sept. 2. Today rockfish season closed, about two months early. Why? That is a good question. Salmon season never opened this year. Why? That is another good question.

If you ask the “experts” you will get mostly quasi-scientific babble regarding Sacramento River salmon stocks crashing, and projected yellow eye rockfish over-harvest, but the truth of it is that it is mostly crap.

Now before you write me off as just another disgruntled “redneck” (not that there is anything wrong with that), let me state for the record that I am a die-hard liberal, and staunch conservationist. I have been connected closely with environmental movements, especially as they are connected with fisheries (I am past president of the Northern California Council of Trout Unlimited).

The crash of the Sacramento River salmon (due to poor management) has been predicted for several years. The connection with Northern California fish, particularly Klamath River stocks, is nebulous at best.

The assertion that Sacramento River salmon would be caught off our coast during August or September is redundant and patently false. Likewise the claim that an over harvest of yellow eye rockfish is imminent, is based solely on “bad science” and conjecture. The fact is they are just guessing. There has never been a comprehensive study of yellow eye rockfish done, because the yellow eye are a deep water species and accurate sampling can't be done with the available methods. Which all leads me to ask, what do they have against us?

As do many families on the North Coast, we look to the sea to help provide us with fresh healthy food for now, and to help us through the winter months. In this time of spiraling costs of food, energy, housing and health care, that which we glean from the sea becomes all the more important. This year our freezer is empty. So again I have to ask, is this intentional, are they trying to starve us out? That is a good question.

Dan Doble resides in Eureka.