Look what's happening in Oregon and Washington State!

[CrappieMagnet]

http://www.pikeminnow.org/info.html

Didn't know where to post this,and thought there would be some good comments about this.What I don't understand is why release these into the eco-watersheds in the first place?Get paid to catch tagged fish?I would assume they would tag them to learn more about their migration into the Columbia River and elsewhere.Those states DNR must have lots of money to pay out $ 500 per tagged fish.

This taken from the site.

For every northern pikeminnow 9 inches or longer returned to a registration station, anglers will receive $4-$8. The more fish an angler catches, the more they're worth: the first 100 in one season are worth $4 each; after 100, they're worth $5 each; and after 400 they're worth $8 each. Special tagged northern pikeminnow will be worth $500 again this year.

The 2006 season for the fishery from John Day Dam to the mouth of the Columbia River will start May 1. The fishery from John Day Dam upstream will start May 15. The season will end October 1, 2006.

[Oregon slabman]

Millions of $'s are being spent in an effort to restore salmon runs. Most of the money comes from the Feds. The money for the squawfish program you mention may come from one of the power companies.
All other fish take a backseat to the salmon in the NW. They will even drawdown our warm water reservoirs during the spawn to put more water in the rivers in hopes of flushing the salmon smolts out to see faster to get past the squawfish and birds that feed on them.
The sad part is that none of these attempts will make a difference until they quit netting every salmon they can. There just are not enoung fish making it back up the rivers to spawn.