That's a very good question, why do we need gillnets in the CR?
If it were up to me there wouldn't be any, but I'm not a politician, or a lawmaker.
SFS is a compromise, it keeps the gillnet fleet whole, but instead it moves them into the already established SAFE areas.
This is the cheapest most efficient way to neutralize the negative effects of the nets. It also could be implemented in a very short time period. The established net pen areas have been utilized by the commercial fleet for over a decade, and their bycatch and ESA impacts are near zero.
Why not just ban the nets?
Oregon has what is known as the Coastal Caucus, which is made up of Representatives of the Oregon coast, they also represent the commercial fishing industry.
Any attempt to kill off the gillneters will be met with a determined united opposition front.
SFS isn't perfect, it doesn't ban the nets, but rather it neutralizes them.
So although it might not fit everyone's needs, it can be implemented quickly, it's cheap, and it's far better than the status quo.