Phil's version of the '04-05 run-size and catch expectations are pure fantasy.

Daily World article

He told the reporter that the run-size was forecast at roughly 24K with an escapment goal of 9K. That left 15K to be split among treaty and non-treaty fishers. His claim that the Quinaults are thousands of fish below their allowable catch of 7502 is a flat out lie! The run-size and allowable catch numbers he cites are grossly over-inflated.... not even Viagra can make things grow that big!

Here's an email from Phil that was posted by JJ on this board in January:

Quote:
"Thank you for your comments, my response is intended to provide you with some information that you may not have and respond to several of your "messages".

1) The 2003-04 run size of wild steelhead into the Chehalis system was 18,796, since 1982-83 the only run size that came close to this number was in 1986-87 when the run size was 17,554.
2) The escapement goal for the Chehalis system is 8,600, the 2003-04 escapement was 15,825
3) The 2004-05 run size is forecasted to be 13,148, the third highest in 22 years.
4) The state/tribal management plan estimates a 2004-05 escapement of 10,909.
5) The Quinault Indian Nation's (QIN) share of wild steelhead reserved by treaty with the United States is 2,274, the state/tribal management plan predicts a QIN harvest of 1,954.
6) The model the state and tribal comanagers use to estimate the tribal catch was updated this year and now uses a catchability coefficient based on the most recent two years actual fishery results.
7) The recreational fishery is predicted to harvest 6,757 (6,658 hatchery+99 wild) fish in 2004-05, the QIN fishery is predicted to harvest 3,963 (1,954 wild + 2,009 hatchery).

The tribal fishery schedule encompasses more days than recent years however they are not predicted to catch more than their share of the harvestable wild fish. As a result, we have no basis to challenge the schedule QIN has authorized the tribal fishers to fish. "
Look for more in the Daily World in the next few days.
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!