GBL
SE Alaska abundance numbers have been very high the last 5-6 years and recreational fishers have seen an increase from 3 -4 King Salmon a year because of it. Last year was a down year but go figure Puget Sound saw returns of Hatchery Chinook that were some of the highest in 20 years. Alaska can survive a down year or two because the habitat allows for higher survival rates than our frshwater environments do. If there habitat was as bad as are's is I think that they would be seeing the same results that we are down here.
I understand that by-catch during the trawl fishery is a big issue with you but since the feds manage it and the fact that on average the pollock fishery is a 300 million dollar a year fishery I don't see that getting shut down and in the end the feds have chosen to kill more King Salmon instead of the ammount of Steller Sea Lions that were being killed before. I guess the lesser of 2 evals.
Force Alaska to limit licenses and fishing times to better protect Chinook and Coho for that matter. They have their own problems with over fishing now not to mention all of our fish they take!
Buy out the Indians gill net rights and give them Salmon from where it can be taken without hurting any one system. They can still sell it and make money or use it for "Ceremonial" uses
Licenses for trollers in Alaska are already Limited Entry so you have to buy an existing license to partake in that fishery.
There is no incentive for Native Americans to sell there treaty rights, why would they want to do that. We can't force them.
I agree it all sucks but like the others have said we need to clean up our messes in our own back yard first and then go from there.
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