The Skeena is most definitely netted. A HUGE and very NON-SELECTIVE commercial fishery targeting artificially enhanced sockeye runs as well as pink runs takes place in the lower river. Most years, this fishery takes upto half or more of the summer steelhead returning to the Skeena as an "incidental" catch, along with a sizable chunk of the system's ailing wild coho population. The netting was stopped once (I believe 1998) by then minister of fisheries David Anderson, a true advocate for wild salmon/steelhead who finally put the interests of the fish before that of the powerful commercial fishing lobby. He finally stopped the proverbial buck... no more of this garbage of managing for MSY of only one species (enhanced sockeye) to the detriment of every other wild fish population in the drainage. The commercial boys have been warned for years to find a way to get those coho and steelhead past the nets, and when they couldn't, he just flat shut'em down. Of course Anderson is now long gone, and the Skeena has reverted back to business as usual.

We once had a guy like that here in WA... oh, but all too briefly. Bern Shanks was quickly ousted by the "powers that be" for his stance on putting the fish first. The good guys just don't stand a chance!