Without a doubt the simplest and fastest way to increase the numbers of fish returning to the our rivers is by addressing the harvest piece of the 4 Hs. In the region of the State that I'm most familiar with (Puget Sound) there are a number of examples of where harvest has been reduced by lowering exploitation rates. I remember clearly discussions in the 1990s and early 2000s that the lower of harvest rates of Puget Sound Chinook would buy time for the hoped for habitat restoration efforts to kicking in leading to increased fish abundance and even recovery.

That approach has colluded full force with the harsh reality that at least to this point our society has proven to be unable or unwilling to take meaningful actions leading to an overall improvement habitat conditions that might ultimately lead to improved status of our salmon. There are examples illustrating collectively we have wasted that time reduced fishing bought recovery efforts.

It is now clear that any resource impacts gained by reducing fishing (harvest) and most cases has been merely converted to increased impacts used by the habitat and hydro impacts and not to produce more fish.

It should be clear to all that society view fishing to be a low priority use of any productivity that salmon stocks may have. It now appears that reducing fishing today only means that there will be less fishing in the future.

Curt