Todd:
I hate to disagree with you, but overharvest is still number one or two behind logging maybe.
Just because you have not seen it, does not mean it is not happening. Your beloved Skagit is one of those rivers that remains an over harvested river by the Indian, I have watched them for over 25 years and it is whole sale slaughter out there with no oversight.
More natives have died in nets than any river conditions that could kill an mature returning Native. Those fish did not have a chance to even get to the home grounds even though they made it back to the river. And we are not talking a few, I have seen dozen in dozens of nets, add that up and it is a complete wipe out of that run pure and simple.
Explain to me what habitat has been destroyed on the Skykomish? (my home river) Been fishing it for 45 years and it is still a great spawning river, but, very few natives anymore? I don't see the habitat being destoyed, but I have watched many nets sit for days in the lower Snohomish and out in the bay. I wonder what affect that has on that Native run?