| This aint exactly rocket scientry boys...I | | | | string to their whereabouts? Or, perhaps we |
| picked up a copy of The Oregonian this | | | | can hire a "private scuba investigator" |
| morning and read a story about how the ocean | | | | (scuba Dick??) to put a tail on them--maybe |
| conditions this year are killing off seabirds | | | | take a few photos of them?? Have they fallen |
| in record numbers. Murres and cormorants are | | | | into the Marianas trench? What if they are |
| washing up on shore like pieces of | | | | just "vacationing" in Iceland until the |
| Northwestern forest driftwood, mainly due to | | | | waters get cooler? |
| starvation.Most biologists are blaming a lack | | | | |
| of cooling ocean winds which are causing | | | | When I get hot during the summer--I go where |
| warmer Pacific ocean temperatures, which are | | | | it is cooler!Again, we have no clear idea why |
| causing a lack of phytoplankton production, | | | | or where the fish are disappearing--but we |
| (which then need to stirred up from the ocean | | | | are pretty certain that global warming is |
| bottom by the wind),which are causing | | | | causing it.!!??!!??You can't tell me that |
| Anchovys and Sardines to die, which are | | | | putting "chips" or some other sort of |
| causing the birds to go without | | | | "homing" device into schools of migrating |
| food.......which is causing the birds to | | | | fish,especially since most fish start out in |
| die!Whew.Scientists seem to have a pretty | | | | the controlled environments of fish |
| good grasp on this theory, and even though | | | | hatcherys, is not a "doable" project.If there |
| solution wise,they are pretty much held at | | | | is enough cause for concern, and enough |
| the mercy of Mother Nature, the explanation | | | | reason to throw billions of dollars at |
| still makes perfect sense.Of course, any | | | | studying ozone layers, and studying why Coho |
| discussion of warming of anything on this | | | | are diminishing--after the fact-- then there |
| planet wouldn't be complete--without the | | | | certainly is reason enough to do it before |
| blaming of global warming. Which of course | | | | hand.I for one would gladly pay .50 cents |
| has been blamed for everything short of the | | | | more on my fishing license to help pay for |
| scalding temperatures of McDonalds coffee.The | | | | 10,000 or so chips and a few monitoring |
| Oregonian's article mentioned global warming | | | | devices. AND you can't tell me that the |
| on several occasions, and biologists and | | | | Oregon sportfishing, boat building,commercial |
| scientists would not rule this out as a | | | | fishing industry, and tourism industry don't |
| possible contributing factor in the changing | | | | have a vested interest in protecting fish and |
| oceanic conditions this summer.Enter the | | | | finding out more about their migration |
| Coho.Biologists have also recorded fewer | | | | habits. No fish--no fishermen--no money |
| catches of Coho Salmon on the Oregon coast | | | | spent.Heck, put 'em in all the fish --then |
| with numbers down from 44,000 fish last year | | | | you will know exactly when the fish are |
| to about 5700 this year. Marine biologists | | | | caught,where they go to spawn, and how long |
| have also stated that the size of the fish | | | | Uncle Bill has been keeping that Salmon in |
| has generally been smaller, again, with one | | | | his freezer.As far as the ozone is concerned, |
| theory being that there is less food for the | | | | I think we all have a vested interest in that |
| Coho to feed on--therefore less growth. Where | | | | study.Let's learn about our own planet before |
| the fish are or where they have gone is a | | | | we check out the cause and effect of |
| complete mystery. As one wildlife biologist | | | | weightlessness on a can of Coca-Cola!!I can |
| said " it is a big ocean nobody really | | | | see it now: New from Coca- Cola... "Coke |
| knows".O.K., this is where I get confused.We | | | | ultralight... all the taste with none of the |
| have the ocean-- which past history has told | | | | weight"...I am not saying that space |
| us is affected greatly by currents and | | | | exploration is not viable and important, and |
| temperature.We have this great big giant | | | | I am certainly convinced that one day, much |
| gaping hole in our ozone-which nobody can | | | | like the discovery of any new frontier,people |
| agree on how to check or what the cause and | | | | will inhabit some place in space. HOWEVER, I |
| effect is from it. Or how to fix it.We have a | | | | think it a little premature to abandon Earth |
| space shuttle which we can determine has a | | | | and pack up the old intergalactic covered |
| small yet dangerous crack in it's | | | | wagons.So, it seems when it comes to ozones |
| insulation--millions of miles out in space. | | | | and fish migration and what goes on in the |
| Yet we have the ability to repair it.We | | | | "deep blue sea"--we ought to know just as |
| literally have the technolology to put a fish | | | | much as we know about a crack in a space |
| on the moon.......But we can't figure out | | | | shuttles insulation!!What do you think?In the |
| where thousands of Salmon migrate to- right | | | | meantime, I'll be outside cooking my |
| here on our home planet??"It's a big ocean | | | | breakfast on the hood of my car--because MAN |
| nobody really knows."Now forgive my feeble | | | | it's hot out.......damn global warming!A.J. |
| mind for working this way, but I am thinking | | | | KlottAuthor, writer of fishing humor,and "fly |
| that this great mystery of where fish travel | | | | tack" peddler.A.J. writes about the |
| and where they wind up --is really something | | | | people,characters and modern day events that |
| that we can control and find out.Maybe we can | | | | surround the fishing world. His first book is |
| tie a string to their fins and follow the | | | | due out in December of 2005. |