I think the boat fishing closure is a travesty that could have been avoided long ago. For years the non-Indian share haaaas been considerably below a 50% limit of "harvestable" steelhead. Prescriptive measures and suggestions we brought up at meeting after meeting. Most involved adding more restriction to anglers, and most restrictive measures on bait, lures and seasons have been applied Anglers can't even remove a steelhead from the water. No more taking wild steelhead, which was recommended long ago, but failed to be put into regulation for far too long.

The suggestion that should have been implemented years ago is that the Boldt Decision should have been fairly implemented to let the tribes have their 50%, but that the anglers be required wild fish release to be put on the gravel. As it is, the tribes take our 50%, plus more than that that is under-reported. We wouldn't be in the situation we are now, if that would have been implemented years ago.