CM-

Whether we fish or not the harsh reality is that we will continue to lots of wild Puget Sound every day of year. Eliminating fishing will not end the killing of wild salmon; they will continue to die from a large variety of habitat impacts. In fact in many systems ending fishing will have little effect on the rate of decline of those populations or change the ultimate result -extinction.

Sticking with the Stillaguamish example over the last 40 years the South US fisheries (Washington fisheries) have reduced their impacts by approximately 75%. In the same time period the capacity of the basin to produce wild Chinook has declined by 60%. Fishing was a major driver in that status of the resource how can both of the above be true?

Again I go back to the question of whether fishing is a legitimate use of some of the salmon productivity or should it all productivity be used to support habitat uses? Regardless of the answer to the question this myth that ending fishing will make a meaningful difference ultimate fate of the resource must end if there is to be any chance at meaningful recovery. Holding out the promise of ending fishing will lead to recovery remains a crutch that allows society to delay taking painful actions that might actually make a difference.

Curt