Kurt Beardslee
Kurt Beardslee is a co-founder of the Wild Fish Conservancy and has been its Executive Director since 1991. Under his leadership, WFC has grown from a one-man shop into one of the premier fish advocacy and research organizations in the Pacific Northwest. From fighting dams, habitat destruction, harvest, and hatcheries to partnering with Patagonia Provisions to promote sustainable salmon fisheries, Kurt and the Wild Fish Conservancy are tireless advocates for wild fish and the waters they inhabit.
Amidst all of the commotion, the subtle shift would have been easy to miss. Behind me in the waters off the coast of Washington’s Bainbridge Island, an armada of activists were blaring air horns and chanting, “Protect Our Sound!” This flotilla of commercial fishing vessels, recreational boats, kayaks, canoes, SUPs and even a jet ski…
You have to hand it to them. It was a wildly creative and successful bait and switch—perhaps the biggest con ever played on the once wild west. The terms were simple. The public would okay the construction of fish-killing dams and other habitat destroying activities. In exchange, the government would use taxpayer money to produce…