I want to explain more fully what I was getting at with the Col. R. fishery.

The amount of harvestable spring chinook is not the number to get excited about if you like to fish there. The number to look at is the amount of listed fish.

These numbers will be illustrative, not exact, so as to make a point.

If there are 10,000 listed fish, and 600,000 harvestable hatchey fish, springer fishermen will get excited about that 600,000 number, but it's not the important number.

If the total ESA impact allowed is 15% (all three fishing groups combined), that means that 1500 wild fish can be killed. Based on release mortalities, the managers conclude that 150,000 hatchery fish can be harvested by the time the 1500 wild fish are killed.

What is the amount of hatchery spring chinook harveste? 150,000 out of 600,000. The season is formed to be long enough to catch the 150,000.

What if the listed fish run is still 10,000, but the hatchery run is 3,000,000? How many hatchery spring chinook are harvested?

150,000. The exact same amount, and the exact same season, as if 600,000 hatchery fish returned.

What if 400,000 hatchery fish returned, but the listed runs were at 20,000, rather than 10,000?

The 15% ESA impact is spread over twice as many listed fish. What does that mean?

It means that TWICE as many hatchery fish can be caught, in a season TWICE as long.

That's right...because of a ten thousand fish increase in listed fish, harvestable fish go from 150,000 to 300,000, even if the hatchery run goes down from 600,000, or 600,000,000, to 400,000.

The amount of hatchery fish available IS NOT the basis for the fishery, as it stands now. It's the amount of listed fish which controls how many fish will be caught and how long the season will be.

It's very disingenuous for the "powers that be" to get all excited, and try to get us excited, about half a million hatchery fish. It doesn't matter, there could be half a billion hatchery fish, the season won't get any longer.

Each winter when the Columbia River sportfishermen want to know what they're going to get a shot at when it comes to hatchery spring chinook, don't ask how many hatchery fish are coming back.

Ask how many wild fish are coming back...it's the only number that matters right now.

As the wild fish runs get bigger and bigger, a time will come when ESA impacts will allow us to harvest most of the hatchery run. When, and if, that point ever comes, then the size of the hatchery run will be relevant.

This is why selective fisheries by all user groups is good for everyone.

Fish on...

Todd