I was there yesterday, too. I didn't see the gaffs but I did see the floating carcases as they finished netting an area. And I agree with JG, I think they don't want to deal with releasing them alive and then finding them right back in the nets. Which makes sense from a netter's point of view but is dam painful from most any other point of view.
I posted my report over at WashingtonLakes.com. Busy and I were "corralled" by netters on either side of our boat, there went the neighborhood!