Carcassman,


In an ideal world this would be the case. The illusion of fisheries management would like people to believe the system in place of gathering and utilizing data to formulate models and estimates. Truth be told, the agenda of WDFW is to limit and restrict recreational fishermen as much as possible with the most minimal of push back from the community. The numbers are all fabricated and quite possibly made up entirely. As much as I would like to agree, we all know (and deep down I bet you know) that your comment is complete bullschit. I do wish it were true, however.

I keep my own data and log in quite a bit of time in the water every year. While I notice more smaller coho in the mix this year, I have not had any more sublegal encounters than usual. I have a pretty large network of fishermen who also document their own catch data and have similar results. This year, sublegal encounters was the most convenient strategy by WDFW to get fishermen off the water because it is a different reason than what has been used in the past. There is a less likelihood of pushback than if the same excuse was to be used every year to get fishermen off the water.

This can only go on for so much longer until eventually there is no opportunity at all, or the whole fraud of “fisheries management” in Washington state is exposed and we return to a state of more minimal corruption in wildlife management.


Streamer