Salmon deal unlikely to work

I was extremely disappointed in the Columbia River Tribes (excluding the Nez Perce Tribe) and Fish Commission for their acceptance of the federal government’s salmon “recovery” pact (S-R, May 3).

The tribes and fish commission have sold out the salmon for “Band-Aid” and “museum-piece” biology. The so-called “recovery measures” have been frequently implemented in the past and have repeatedly failed to recover salmon populations to robust levels. Despite the self-serving spin, this latest agreement is just another example of welfare management and displacement behavior.

The tribes would have been wise to consult their historical records to document how many times the government has defaulted on their treaties and agreements.

Don’t worry, tribes, “the check is in the mail.” The Columbia River Tribes would have been better off economically if Bonneville Power would have built them a few more casinos.

Al Espinosa

Moscow, Idaho