RT, ah yes, it was under the influence, wasn't it? My weak defense it that the work I've been doing lately is too stressful to do sober. I think that's how Jimmy Buffet would say it.

True, the tribes don't care if there is a sport fishery, and their official position is that wild and hatchery fish are one and the same. That's because currently, alleged sameness results in higher catch allocations for the tribes. But if the concept I suggest were developed, and the tribes had a choice of harvesting say 12% of X chinook, or 50% of X chinook (actually about 100% of the chinook that are sorted and shunted to Celilo II), I think they might loosen up under the human attributes of greed and avarice. If they have a viable alternative that offers greater harvests and increased fishing revenue, I'd be very impressed to see them turn it down. Yeah, dipnetting is more work than setnetting, but $$$ is such a great motivator, and I don't really believe that quantity of work has been driving tribal preferences. If quantity of work was the driver, they would opt to have the marked hatchery chinook sort themselves and jump into a fish tote! No dipnet, no setnet, just haul the fish to market!

As for the lower river gillnetters, I still think CFM, dressed in his Mako the Shark disguise, and packing a wad of DSI and NWPPC big bills, could surreptitiously buy up most of the gillnet permits. And for the less willing sellers, his back-up group of "break-a-da-legs" team would end up getting those permits at a significant discount.

And the how? Patience. Rome wasn't built in a day. Step by step. WSC first has to push the statewide wild steelhead release. We take this one small step at a time. Keep your eye on the prize, avoid petty infighting, and don't sweat the small stuff. None dare call it conspiracy! Of course there's a plan. But if I tell ya', I'd hafta' kill ya'. (t.i.c.)

The upshot is: don't focus on why it won't work. Focus on why it will. Alternatively, focus on how to improve it so it will work better.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.