Phishinman,

I don’t think my outlook is so bleak. It’s just a perspective about the future based on consideration of the past, the condition of aquatic habitat with the present human population, and a prospective estimate of the condition of aquatic habitat with the projected increased human population. I do believe we will continue to have runs of wild salmon and steelhead in this this state quite a ways into the future. It’s just that in most cases, I don’t think they will be particularly large runs, since runsize is dictated in large part by the quantity and quality of habitat.

The OP steelhead runs remain as good as they are, not due to fisheries management, but due to the several rivers that are headwatered in the national park and the atrocious weather that knocks the rivers out of shape often enough to maintain significant spawning escapements. But for those two parameters, what makes anybody think those runs would be in any different shape than the other Washington State steelhead runs? (There is one other factor; that is the coastal rivers seem to be enjoying higher smolt to adult survival rates than Puget Sound and Columbia River tributaries, but the only management difference is WSR on most rivers, and we’ve heard repeatedly that isn’t a driving difference.)

As the human population increases, and habitat degrades, and fishing pressure increases, and WDFW supports the harvest of every calculable surplus fish, the OP runs will gradually be worn down to the point that the Commission will no longer have the luxury of extending non-treaty harvest benefits to anglers, because there will not be calculable surplus fish.

I’ve been reading a couple books about fish and fish management, Cod and King of fish. We’ve known for 400 years how to conserve fish populations. The point is that we make choices based on greed, other priorities, and indifference that cause the collapse or extirpation of valuable fisheries, regardless of the nation, form of government, or species of fish.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.