Originally Posted By: IrishRogue
I still don't understand the economics here. I get at least some of the math -- yes if cowboys have lower impacts on wild fish, they will get to kill more hatchery fish. Got it.

The part I don't understand why the beloved free market hasn't been enough to push them to go selective already...? Is it a "we all have to go at once" situation?


I don't think it would be in the picture to issue a fish wheel or seine permit to each gillnet permit holder so it would have to be a number of gillnet permits bundled into one of the seine or fish wheel permit. That''s probably not too palatable to an independent gill netter that thinks he will out fish all the other guys. It would be like telling all the owners of sport fishing boats they had to sell their boat and only go fishing on a charter boat with 30 other people and the fish you caught would be divided equally between every one on board. Too socialistic for the USA.