The first formal WDFW/Tribal meeting is taking place soon. So, where are we at? We have made a lot of progress from where we started with our petition, and we are light years ahead of where we were last year at this time! Your voice has made a difference in discussions with WDFW, and we can only assume the Tribes have noticed our numbers and our dissatisfaction with the resistance at having a small, non-obtrusive video camera, live stream the negotiations. We have insight from several credible sources, some of whom have actually participated in these meetings. They speak of major disagreements within the Tribes themselves. Some Tribes are more prone to cooperation than others. Some Tribes are indifferent to having a video camera in the meetings, others oppose it. We can only speculate that the same Tribes that oppose having the camera in the room, are also the ones who make the negotiations difficult on other levels as well. It seems apparent that a major reason the Tribes collectively have not agreed to open these meetings up is the perception that in airing some internal disagreements, they run the risk it would damage their carefully protected image. We need to end the Us vs Them undertones that are running through our fisheries. In our letter to Chairwoman Loomis, we extended a hand of co-operation. We stated that, after all, we are all working toward the same goal— to improve and protect our fish. No one likes to air their dirty laundry in public, we get it. However, we are past the point of modesty and image. The hard work of saving our fish MUST be a cooperative effort, and it MUST TRULY start NOW! WDFW has publicly stated they want to have the negotiations open, and agree a small live stream camera is a good solution. We are asking the Tribal Co-managers to carefully consider how public perception is being crafted by their continued objections to a simple, video camera. Almost all of us are living side by side with First Nations people. They are our friends and our neighbors. We shop in their stores, and they shop in ours. Their children and ours attend the same schools, cheer for and play on the same sports teams and dare I say…probably even “hang out” together. Reach out to the Tribal members in your community. Start a conversation. Ask them to work together to save our fish. The fish cannot afford to wait on the lawyers and bureaucracy to “work something out”. WE cannot afford to continue down the same road of conflict management. Stay strong, we will continue to work for the fish.