Very interesting thread folks.

Not trying to muddy the waters here, but here's one more twist.

I attended a meeting last month where one of the hot-button issues was "bycatch" of non-target late-run wild Satsop coho in a December gillnet fishery supposedly targeting early-run winter steelhead. Those who brought the issue to the table called BS on the idea that this is a legitimate net fishery for steelhead.

Thru Dec 21, the nets had been deployed 17 days in December!

It was argued that since so few steelhead return to the system in that time frame, why did WDFW allow such an intense tribal net fishery? The implication of course was that this was really just a tribal salmon fishery in disguise since the major species migrating thru the Chehalis corridor during that time frame is wild late-run coho, mainly of Satsop origin. Moreover, the harvest from this covert salmon fishery is one that slips under the radar screen since there is no official salmon allocation set for the month of December.

When asked why such a travesty is allowed to occur, WDFW responded that the tribes historically have not been getting their half of the steelhead harvest (supposedly 66:33 dominated by non-tribal harvest), and they needed more opportunity to catch their fair share. The tribes have already maxed out their netting schedules for the rest of the winter/spring. That's why they got extra time in December.

When asked how many salmon were projected to be harvested as bycatch in this fishery, WDFW stated something like 65 fish. Anybody believe that?