Bob -
I think you and I have more agreement than disagreement in regards to wild fish harvest. I appreciate the time you have taken the time to discuss this issue and have enjoyed the banter.

I do disagree with the role that "mis-management" has played in the sudden decline in the productive of the many of the so-call healthy steelhead stocks in the Puget Sound region.

Using the Snohomish system again as an example - for more than a decade escapement of wild steelhead around or above the goal for the system (6,500) fish produced runs that consistently allow for some limited harvest (typcially in the 10 to 20% range) as well as a pretty nice Catch and Release fishery with escapements continuing to average about 110% of the goal. Suddenly marine survival plummented and the same escapements (6,000 to 7,000) was producing total runs (before any fishing) of only 2,500 to 3,500 fish.

It is hard for me to envision how mis-management could cause such a sudden down turn in productive - especially considering the same thing was occurring throughout Puget Sound and the Georgia straits; including waters that were closed to fishing, managed with wild steelhead release or catch and release and waters that allowed some harvest.

A major criticism I would have of recent management is that collective we have not invested enough in monitoring (creel census etc) so that we can have timely information on the age structure and population trends of our wild stocks. Without that information corrective management actions (ending targeting wild stock fisheries and going to hatchery only seasons) were a year late in coming.

A larger future concern is what should management do if this negative productive continues for another fish generation. If populations drop by half again over the next 4 or 5 years - what to do? I'm afraid that modification or termination of hatchey programs and fishing closures will all have to given serious consideration.

Tight lines
Smalma