I don't think the tribes will buy this mainly because of the quality of the fish by the time they return to the hatchery. I saw the give away on TV, and these fish were 'beyond boots'. I imagine they would be pretty dark even if collected immediately after returning to the hatchery. Talking to tribal netters on the Skokomish this past late summer--they were getting half the price for dark fish compared to bright. Late in the season, they were avoiding areas filled with bucks, looking for hens to sell the eggs.

I don't know the Nisqually system, but it would be great if the hatchery were managed to maximize separation in timing between hatchery and wild runs. The state has been pretty successful doing this with winter steelhead. That way they could avoid the wild fish by pulling their nets after a certain time.