Good evening, friends:
We often jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts. This reminds me of a very funny story about three clergymen who were close friends and avid golfers: a priest, a minister and a rabbi. One day, on a new golf course, they ended up playing behind a group that was moving very slowly. The group was so slow that the three clergymen lost their patience and started shouting at them to hurry up, until they finally began hurling all kinds of insults at them. But nothing changed. The group kept moving as slowly as possible. Some seven hours later, they finished the round. They walk into the clubhouse and run into the manager, who politely asks them: "Did you enjoy the round and our golf course?" They answer that of course they did, the course was excellent, but they had been stuck behind the slowest golfers in the world. The manager slaps his forehead and explains: "I apologize. I forgot to tell you that everyone in the group ahead of you was blind." "How terrible," says the minister. "In my next sermon I will talk to my congregation about jumping to conclusions and tell them about my own clumsiness." Grumbling, the priest mutters: "What a horrible thing I did! I will pray 50 Hail Marys and beg for forgiveness." Finally, the rabbi shouts: "To hell with them, they should play at night!"
How interesting. Three clergymen who draw conclusions without considering the needs of the blind golfers. Conversely, the blind players showed no consideration for those coming behind them. Neither group showed the empathy that was obviously needed. These situations could be compared to those of the different groups fighting for water and fishing rights.
Water rights! Long ago it was royalty who held hunting and fishing rights; common people were not granted them. Remember the story of Robin Hood, considered an outlaw for killing deer and other game belonging to the King. I believe it was after the French Revolution that people claimed those rights. The younger countries of the Americas and other parts of the world adopted these rights, and you can see the results in nations such as the United States and Argentina. The general law states that all waters, especially navigable waters, are public and we can all make use of them.
Wonderful! Who would ever complain? However, the problems began when sport fishing became a profitable business. Now we have individuals, communities, landowners and entrepreneurs who developed fishing lodges and… who are fighting for their own interests over those public waters.
The time has come, friends, to proclaim a terrible but absolute truth: each and every one of these groups with conflicting interests has a justification and a logic for its position on Argentina's waters. Let me briefly describe some of these truths.
The local community wants to attract as much money, work and prestige to its area as possible, certainly a justified position.
Locals and visitors demand access to waters that are legally open to the public. Again, a justified position.
The lodges and independent fishing guides bring people, money and work to the area and have traditionally taken great care of the waters and the treasures that live in them.
Landowners and their managers, also excellent guardians of our waters, are entitled to the economic benefits that their access gives them and, of course, to all the privacy they need.
Those who enjoy activities such as rafting and birdwatching, nature lovers and others are also entitled to a place on these waters.
There is, friends, one more factor we must consider, and it is without a doubt the most important of all: the rivers and waters themselves. Without pure, well-managed waters, WE HAVE NOTHING!
I believe survival is a basic motivation of human beings, in fact of all living things. A significant part of the survival instinct is our own self-interest. We must all recognize it within ourselves!! There is only one solution that would be fair to everyone, that will last and will not create further conflict or any kind of revolution. One word sums up this only possible solution. That word is: COMPROMISE!! We all have to give a little and try to understand the other groups.
I do not consider myself wise or arrogant enough to propose specific compromises to each of the groups. I can only offer a few very broad suggestions to start with, which I hope you will consider.
We must all contribute to the health and beauty of our rivers and lakes. We must keep them clean, both the purity of the water and the banks and shores. There must be a strict limit on the number of fish that can be killed. The catch-and-release concept should be considered for many, if not all, of our waters. Ideally, both the fish population and the watershed should keep the critical balance that exists in all great fishing areas, and a philosophy should be applied that raises the fishing experience above the mere human instinct to look for food.
The communities on the shores or near the water are, in fact, the ones that gain the most. Both these communities and the bodies that govern them must do everything in their power to keep our rivers and lakes healthy and beautiful. They must control any possible pollution and enforce their rules and laws. Educating our young people at school and the general public is a requirement that benefits us all, both now and in the future.
Obviously, landowners, fishing lodges, guides and everyone who makes money thanks to the waters must also fight to preserve these valuable resources. They must help enforce any guidelines that they and their communities have established and also contribute to the very important ongoing education process.
Let me say again that these are merely suggestions, a way to start working together on this very important issue of water rights.
Boating is an easy and obvious way to access our legally public waters, but I would suggest some limits. For example, smaller rivers such as the Quillén and the Quilquihue would be overloaded with boats, rafts, kayaks and so on. It would seem more logical to limit all boating to the larger bodies of water, such as the Collón Curá or the Aluminé. There could even be periods when the number of boats is restricted, a policy already in place on some rivers in the United States.
The general public and independent guides must respect the needs of the owners of the land along the water, whether by paying a fee to access those areas, respecting their privacy or whatever is required. This should also apply to lodges that are not linked to the landowners. It is an important concession, since landowners are entitled to control rights of way.
Landowners, especially those of the large estancias, should also make commitments and allow others through. This has been done in Europe and on Argentine rivers such as the Río Grande. Perhaps they could consider allowing other people through one day a week. Lodges usually have a changeover day each week, when one group leaves and another arrives, a good day to allow public access; or perhaps allow access to only one section of the river, as is done in the lower pools of the Río Grande in Tierra del Fuego. Another possibility is for a local fishing club to regulate and control that restricted access in exchange for a minimal fee.
I would love to see professional fishing guides being courteous to other anglers, helping them choose flies and the best spots, and even offering them the first choice of a stretch of water. It would be a big step toward easing the tensions that usually exist between professional anglers and locals.
I only hope that all these groups with opposing interests can agree on certain commitments. If we start there, a committee could be set up with one or more people from each group, meeting once or twice a year to resolve possible conflicts and make the necessary adjustments to the rules in force. Agreements are living things that must adapt. It would make sense for the community to organize and run these meetings, and for government bodies to collaborate at every stage of this agreement and in the water rights program.
Sport fishing brings a significant number of tourists and money to Argentina and offers its citizens a valuable recreational activity.
We MUST work together to show the world and our own citizens a spirit of cooperation and goodwill, without which WE ALL LOSE!!
Thank you,
Speech by Mel Krieger to the anglers of Neuquén province.
April 15, 2006.
Mel Krieger (1928-2008)
On October 7, 2008, at the age of 80, Mel Krieger stopped fishing and became one of the greatest legends fly fishing has ever had. We know farewells are sad, but we are sure that at the start of every season, somewhere in our beloved Patagonia and around the world, there will be a memory of his greatness. The years may go by, and Mel will always keep fishing alongside us…
Carlos Villaggi - AAPM Member
"...Sport fishing management rests on four fundamental pillars: education, research, legislation and enforcement. At present, what works best is legislation. I can tell you the legislation is very good, but without the necessary enforcement it is useless. Then again, it is not all about enforcement; above all, anglers must be educated..."
Diego Flores - The Trout Writer
"...trout are not impressed by how expensive your gear is or how forceful you are, but by your technique and instinct. A technique that is only achieved through sacrifice, and an instinct that only takes shape after many years."