Orgonian,

You claimed that if fishermen don't spend their discretionary money on fishing opportunity in WA or OR, then they will spend it on something else, still in the local WA or OR economies. While that is likely true for some, the hard core fishermen who spend perhaps a disproportionately large amount of their money on fishing don't do that. They take that money and spend it on fishing in BC, AK, or other states.

If sport fishing opportunity deteriorates enough, then I will still spend money on fishing, but I will spend all of it in other states or countries, where it won't do anything for the local economy in WA.

Although it would be more economical for me to buy a commercially caught Columbia River spring chinook for $25 a pound at my local market, I've instead made the irrational decision to buy a boat suited to this fishery, a trolling motor that I otherwise didn't need, and a ton of salmon fishing tackle that I never needed since I'm primarily a fly fisherman. And then there are the hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, and gas stations in the LCR region that I wouldn't patronize with my business, but for salmon fishing.

As for why haven't sport fishing interests exerted greater influence in government and WDFW to give greater consideration to sport fishing, that's not so hard to figure out. Sport fishing, although declining, and with fewer participants, is still a significant economic activity. And the fishing is not so bad for so many as to motivate enough people to become political active through volunteering their time and donating their money. But that has been changing. More time and money is being channeled into sport fishing advocacy. However, the desired changes won't happen quickly. State law explicitly protects commercial fishing, and reallocating that non-treaty share to sport fishing will take more time, money, and work in order to be realized. Given enough of those resources, it will be; otherwise not.

Any other questions?

Sg