Jerry -
As I suspect you know the harvest of ling cod was closed for several years until the population rebound and then harvest was allowed. However even when the harvest was closed in Puget Sound the harvest of lings was allowed at places like Neah Bay and the Ocean - not quite the same as a state-wide ban on harvest. Rather regulation based on the status of the resource.

Does your question imply that if steelhead populations rebounded to levels of say 10 years ago harvest would be ok with you?

Tight lines
S malma