A lot of info in this thread and interesting. That said two things are a constant with salmonids. First human activities in modern society ( building, water, just everything ) are not compatible with salmonid populations or the complex interactions and dependencies of one species to another that are seldom recognized let alone addressed. Second is the simple fact to allow salmonids impacted by harvest you must reduce harvest as the productivity declines to have any hope of stabilizing any populations of salmonids.

We as a people have chosen not to do either. Wild fish blame hatcheries. Habitat focused blame urbanization, timber harvest, farmer, ect. Harvesters blame the previously mentioned two items. Truth is at this time urbanization is driving habitat loses at a rate never seen before. Additionally the refusal by all involved in harvest to come to grips with the fact that no longer can salmonids be harvested in the numbers and manner all have become accustomed to is and absolute fact.

For anything to change two things must happen. The end of mixed stock harvest in all marine ( including PS ) areas which include AK & BC. Then a watershed by watershed assessment of what the productivity of each one is and what steps can be taken to stabilize and improve productivity if possible.

To do this WDF&W would have to drastically restructure itself and end the dominance of harvest managers. In some cases abolish many positions and reassign funding and personnel to the effort of watershed assessment.

I am a old guy so I doubt I will see it happen but it is a question of when not if this willl happen. The sooner it happens the better.