Originally Posted By: Carcassman
The question to ask is did the Chinook escapement goals get met? If not, the fisheries weren't closed soon enough.


Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In some places there were plenty of Chinook. In other places, not enough. And in some others, not nearly enough.

But if the fish managers cut back on harvest, the places that got enough adults may get waaaay too many, while the places that didn’t get enough might NOT get more.

Many of the Chinook salmon hatchery programs in the Columbia Basin produce those fish so they can be harvested (recreational/commercial/ tribal). If harvest is restricted beyond that needed for escapement, plus some buffering, it defeats the purpose of the program.

Again, another unsatisfactory response from Cohoangler……..