Salmo-
Again you miss my point. The trawler is just one example of hundreds of tribulations the salmon go through in their life, but, the commercial interests are all the same, take as many fish as they can in a given time frame regardless of what it is doing to the resourse.
I have fished the Stilly for 40 years, yes I know the habitat is screwed up, but back in the 80's and 90's when there were still fish coming back, there were netters all over the san Jaun islands (both Indians and non-Indians) and in the straits taking fish with no intervention, you cannot tell me that did not have an effect on todays dismal returns.
I have never argued that trying to fix a great river like the Stilly is not the right thing to do, but you got to get to the source of the problem and unfortunatly the state has pretty much given in to the commercial intersts over the years. It has become better, but the damage has been done.
Our coutry should be pushing foreign interests out of our waters, forcing Canada and Alaska to change their way of managing the commercial interests.
As a Biologist for the State, you know well how good we have been at predicting runs in any system, we just cannot do it with any consistancy. There are to many outside influences. Yes, ocean enviroment has much to do with it, but I contend, the hidden things going on out of our sight is probably doing more damage than anything.
As I travel a great deal in Asia for business, I can tell you as a fact that I have seen Big Chinook, Coho and once in awhile Steelhead in Fish markets all over Asia. Japan and Korea being the two biggest. Every time I see it I stand there wondering what river those fish would have spawned in.
I am not looking for a fight with you or anyone wanting to help our resources but after years of watching what has gone on around here, I want to make sure people focus on ALL the problems and solutions.
I know you will never get rid of the commercials and don't want to, but I do want the State and our government to acknowledge that the commercial interests need to be number 3 in line for those fish. 1-river returns, 2-sportsman, 3-commercial fishing