What are the costs to NOT have fish available to catch I've spent about $300 this year on springer tackle (in addition to what I have already!) and haven't caught one yet. However, I wouldn't buy it if I didn't think I had a good CHANCE of catching one.

Lottery machines are expensive too but they bring in money, so they keep putting them everywhere they can (to tax people who are bad at math )to generate a predictable income stream.

Good or bad, hatchery fish generate a predictable income stream to the economy. License sales are just the tip of the iceberg.

By publishing the estimated costs, at least we have an idea what it takes to produce hatchery fish. I never knew and I'm glad I do. It's a good starting point.

Rivers are pretty and people like to look at them. However, people won't pay to go fishing in a river that's empty.