REPOST:

And there's one more kink that needs to be considered. There's a silly little rule that says that the aggregate of Pile 1 and Pile 2 in total CANNOT exceed roughly 1.2 times the size of Pile 3 (assuming a mark rate of 5:1).

Bottom line, these constraints of ESA impact and tribal catch-sharing work in concert to prevent the harvest of spring chinook from being a zero-sum game. Until our native brothers adopt selective methods, Pile 4 will ALWAYS be the biggest pile. And as long as that is the case, the opportunity to maximize the size of Pile 2 to its full potential is ensured..... no if's and's or but's.

So while better and more selective commercial methods will help to increase the size of Pile 1, it does NOTHING to directly affect the size of Pile 2. Those fish (the extra ones transferred to Pile 1) would simply be re-allocated from that ginormous reserve in Pile 4.

But let's not forget a very important caveat in re-distributing these piles. The increment by which Pile 1 would be allowed to increase is SEVERELY limited by that silly little rule I mentioned above. And I do mean SEVERELY.

(Clarification in yellow type)