Larry,
I sure the argument is that the seines are more selective than line and hook and have less mortality involved. I am sure the tribes push this hard, as it is to their benefit. This allows a full out commercial fishery, while limiting the recs. It would be fun to see how well they actually sort these fish out. If they are in a hurry and just pull the net in extremely shallow, it seems a heavy set could really damage some of the fish. If they take their time it and don't concentrate the fish too much in shallow water, it probably works ok.