The blackmouth program is still in existence in Puget Sound funded by sports license fees. The program raises blackmouth and releases them late so they stay in Puget Sound to be caught by sports fishers. Our season is cut way back now and I would guess that the commercial nets catch many times more blackmouth as incidental catch than we do.

In my opinion, our best hope is to make organizations like the Recreational Fishing Alliance and Puget Sound Anglers much stronger with many times the current membership. We are having a positive effect on fishing issues now but with more support we could afford a lobbyist which is really needed to compete in Olympia with the commercial fishing lobbyists.