Sock eye,

I also believe commercial fishing has its place. However, I disagree that anyone "has a right to commercially fish." No such right exist at law and certainly isn't in the state or federal constitutions. Many rights, including non-existant sport fishing rights, are alledged on this BB. But alledging a right and having it be so are clearly not the same thing.

Non-treaty commercial fishing is a regulated privilege. So is non-treaty sport fishing. Treaty fishing is a guaranteed right to treaty tribes, although commercial fishing is not specifically described. The tribes have the descretion to regulate treaty commercial fishing, just as the state has the right under law to regulate non-treaty commercial fishing.

This otherwise small point about rights is relavent here because of the many BB discussions about fishing rights and privileges. I'm just hoping to minimize the confusion.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.