Geoduck,

The data clearly shows a downward trend in all populations except one, and that one has recently suffered declines, too.

There is no science involved in those graphs...it is data, data that is generated by WDFW.

No one, except you, has suggested that habitat ought not be dealt with. Tribal fishing and hatchery interactions need to be dealt with, too. Hatchery reform is being studied by the HSRG right now, though there are indications that WDFW has plans to pretty much ignore whatever the HSRG and LLTK's come up with in the reform plan. At the WSC board meeting last night we voted to accept the HSRG's request to join their Hatchery Reform Coalition.

What habitat issues do you suggest be addressed, and how? As the VP of Political Affairs for the Wild Steelhead Coalition I have been down in Olympia recently to give testimony on bills regarding instream flows, which control water flows and temperature, balancing the needs of fish with those of farmers and municipalities. I've also been down to Olympia two times to work on issues involving commercial bycatch of wild ESA steelhead during the Columbia River commercial fishery. (See the "WSC letter to NOAA Fisheries" thread to see the six page letter full of more "junk science" opposing WDFW/ODFW's request to raise allowable ESA impacts on those endangered and threatened fish from 2% to 6%).

We've also petitioned several agencies and governmental entities to fund the rehabilitation of landslides that are stifling the Stillaguamish River.

Clearly no one thinks that WSR is the cure to all that ails wild steelhead. By itself it clearly hasn't recovered the severely depressed Puget Sound runs.

What it will do, though, is prevent further harvest of these fish as the other issues that need to be dealt with are being dealt with.

As an environmental attorney and a scientist, I feel that pointing out the inaccuracies of other's statements to be my obligation, especially when it involves a subject that they clearly haven't thought through very well, and make statements that are patently incorrect.

Fish on...

Todd