Back in the 80s, the Fraser sockeye were managers by the IPSFC. Annually, they would meet pre-season and set up a season schedule based on forecasts. In-season, they would meet in person weekly and by phone as often as needed to go over updates. Took a majority to pass regs. Generally, it worked. Until, late one season the adopted schedule conflicted with both conservation and with inter-gear sharing. Because the votes could not be mustered, the "bad" fishery went as scheduled. The next year, the Commission changed the way the did business. Pre-season was "proposed" schedule, IF everything went according to plans and models. But, no fisheries were actually scheduled. Instead, to open, a fishery had to be adopted at a meeting, or it was closed.

WDF was managing salmon primarily that way. There were outside fisheries that, with few exceptions (dealt with by the Courts eventually) left plenty of terminal harvest. The only scheduled fisheries were those needed to update the runs. The rest had to be opened based on there actually being harvestable fish present.

It can be done. It just means that the season (July-December) can be rather high pressure for the managers. It was part of the job.