Originally Posted By: Lucky Louie
Originally Posted By: freespool
Gillnet encounters of ESA listed species in the SAFE Areas is a very small fraction of what is seen in the mainstem.
How is this status quo management?
As was demonstrated last spring, gillnets harvested 28K springers in the SAFE Areas, while harvesting 12K in the mainstem fishery.


WDFW is testing commercial selective fishing gear to keep strays off spawning beds. Gill nets don’t have that capability because of the limited factor of high mortality rate.

Commercial selective gear testing wouldn’t be needed if status quo was working.

The possibility of an added benefit of more ESA wild getting back to spawning beds by deleting gill nets is a bonus.

Am I mistaken? I seem to remember that you wanted more ESA listed on the spawning beds along with less strays?



The idea that we will increase the selective capture rate of the commercial fleet, as a tool to keep producing the same amount of hatchery fish, and in the end increase the number of wild fish spawning naturally, is just plain to stupid to comprehend.
When simply releasing fewer hatchery fish in the first place will achieve the exact same results.