Blackmouth,

I likely mischaracterized the respective waste of WDFW and Seattle-King County yesterday. I know that WDFW spends $93.7 million on hatchery salmon and steelhead in the 2017-2019 biennium, and that provides only a token return on investment to the recreational angling creel, with most of it accruing to Canada, some to Alaska, and most of the rest to treaty fishing and non-treaty commercial fishing. How much of that is wasted spending is likely in the eye of the beholder.

I hear on the radio that Seattle spends $150 million per year on homelessness. I don't know if that amount is correct or not since I relied on radio reporting which might be hearsay. Most would agree however that homelessness has gotten worse instead of better, despite the high level of spending. I don't know if that's waste, but it sure appears to be badly spent public funding.

Back to the issue at hand. As we get less and less return on hatchery investment, shouldn't the public and taxpayers be asking why we are advocating for increased spending on hatchery salmon production? BTW, those various millions appropriated in the last Legislative session to "save" orcas won't. Unfortunately, it's feel good legislation so that the public will feel like we're at least trying to save the poor starving southern resident killer whales. Which opens a whole 'nuther can o' beans.