Parker,
Most of the time I think that you are a pretty smart young guy! But sometimes older guys have seen just a little bit more BS then the younger ones have! I also know that you have a degree in biology and that is good.
Biology will not justify, or will it support the miss-use of the current gill net fishery! I know that you do not support the "gill netters", but what you say may mislead some others to think otherwise.
The Gill Nets are designed to "catch" a verity of marketable fish! The misnomer of a selective net fishery was intently designed to make the showing that just single species of fish are caught.. As you know, in reality, they are designed to catch the "best market sized" fish and not just one single specie.
The "management" can (and does) decide the when/ and the where's, but Gill Netting is still a stupid way to justify the management of any fishery or species. True, gill netting is the most effective way used to "harvest" any and all fish. But the undisputed problem is that GILL NETS do (and history backs this up) catches anything that can't go through the size of the net mess!
So tell me again, just how effective and selective gill nets are!
Certainly, we are having a "generation gap" on this conversation!
99% of time you are right on when it comes to the biology of issues of fish. But when it comes to management issues, techniques, and gill nets. . . we disagree!
Cowlitzfisherman