Hey Duck, I know that just simple straightforward mathamatics can explain that 50% is still the same no matter how you look at it and I understand your confusion. There are some things that you are not really looking at realistically. One thing you have to ask is do you really think sport fishers will actually be able to catch "their" 50%? If we don't what do you think the fish managers will do? Remember the Maximum Yield model they use for fish harvest. If one group can't harvest the fish, the group with the ability to do so (ie: tribal netters) will get the chance. To justify this point here's a quote I got from the NW Fishletter that came out June 2, 1999 that really upset me. The section was about the US/Canada salmon treaty and unfortunately I think it's a good example of how the managers really think:
"Alaska will cut its SE Alaska troll catch of chinook by around 25 percent, in return for an abundance-based management approach that allows for fewer cuts when more fish are available. That could mean Columbia River tribal fishermen would be able to fish for another 50,000 fall chinook every year."
So in this example the commercials only cut their fishery back and the simple results were yup, that's right, more fish for the tribals!
Also, Duck, If the nets are out and there are many more fish around 50% of 1000 is a lot more than 50% of 100. Yes, that also means more for us as well! I think the bottom line really is that getting the nets out is the first step (probably the MOST important step), this removes a large amount of the politics that have really impaired our fish management policies in the past. Then we can move on to management policies that help the fish and will allow the return of unhealthy stocks of fish as well as maintaining the healthy stocks that already exist.

PS: if anyone is interested the NW fishletter is a regional report that comes out regularly and really contains a lot of info on fish management and the brutal politics that are going on now, especially on the Dam breaching fiasco. Here's the web site:
http://www.newsdata.com/enernet/fishletter/fishltr82.html

Go I-696!

Duke