I voted for "bad environmnent", by which I assume you mean habitat.

I voted that way because it is a general concern for all runs, everywhere.

For individual runs, however, it totally depends on the conditions surrounding that run.

Tribal/commercial netting is devestating on some runs, while some runs don't have either, so it must be something else for them.

Some are heavily fished, while some aren't fished at all (recreationally).

Dams destroy runs...but only on rivers that have dams.

Some runs deal with horrible habitat issues, some runs swim through national parks with virtually pristine habitat, and are still in trouble.

Some runs coexist with hatchery runs, some have hatchery runs that are affecting them horribly, and some don't have hatchery fish at all and are still floundering.

I guess my point is that you can't point at one thing and say that's the problem. The interaction between factors is very relevant, too.

On a system like the Columbia, which has serious commercial overfishing problems, extensive sportfishing in the tribs, dams, really bad habitat, and millions upon millions of hatchery fish released each year, the wild fish are doomed. Fixing any one of the problems, except maybe removing all the dams in the mainstem and tributaries (yeah, right), won't save the fish.

Pointing at every other problem and doing nothing about the one or ones you can do something about won't help the fish at all, either.

Fish on...

Todd.
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Team Flying Super Ditch Pickle