I guess I'm not as much against commercial fishing as I am against non-selective commercial fishing gear. If the commerical guys/gals went to a more selective gear that would allow them to keep hatchery salmon while releasing the wild fish unharmed, both recreational fishing and commerical fishing might co-exist more peacefully than they do now.

So what might that non-selective gear be? Trap nets, maybe a fish wheel (now that would be a sight.....), maybe beach siening (with horses). Those are probably not overly practical alternatives but they are selective. They would allow the commercial folks the opportunity to harvest hatchery coho and spring Chinook exactly up to their allotment without harming wild fish.

Maybe someday, although it would probably necessitate a change in State law since, I believe, those methods are currently outlawed. But only because the gill netters convinced the State legislatures to ban them about 70 years ago.

So before we bash the commercials folks too much, ask yourself whether it's the gear or the activity that you object to. To me, it's the gear.