We better include BC in there, too.

I can tell you right now that the exploitation rate in AK/BC (combined comm and sport) for fall chinook bound for Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay is nearly 70%.

That is an atrocity!

Let me illustrate how stupid the entire scenario is for Grays Harbor. WA forks out all the $$$ and effort for raising fish, conserving habitat, and curtailing inside seasons to ensure the measly 14.4K escapement objective for the basin is met. All the while, 7 out of every 10 adults are caught in BC/AK before they ever swim over the bar at Westport.

As an example, let me show you how a total run-size of 50K chinook are currently "managed" by the state/federal/international fish czars.

Run size = 50K

BC/AK harvest = 35K

Terminal run-size entering Grays Harbor = 15K

Escapement goal = 14.4K

Available harvestable surplus 600 kings... incidentally that's only 1.2% of the total run-size. Talk about fighting over scraps!

Treaty share (QIN) = 300 kings

Non-treaty share = 300 kings to be divided by sports, white gillnetters, Chehalis tribe.

In years like 2005, 2006, and 2007, fishermen outside the basin are taking 7 of every 10 fish while the local inside users squabble over less than one fish between all of them.

F'd up?

Yah, you betcha!