Originally Posted By: AuntyM
Kingjamm, I thought including hatchery fish with listed ESA nates was pretty far fetched too, but when developers, ranchers, farmers and timber interests decide to sue, they will use anything they can in their arguments, including continued fishing pressures.


In Todd's defense on this, it was shot down by our own 9th circuit court of appeals.... Just because an argument can be brought to bear doesn't mean that it merits any real consideration.... To wit, if us using barbs is just admission we shouldn't fish, then the previous steps of not doing *any* wild harvest in the PS region should have been the death knell of all wild steelhead harvest. That's a heck of a lot stronger argument, and it didn't amount to us not fishing anymore... While the populous can be gullable, it's still possible to make reasonable arguments.