In Puget Sound (outside the Skagit, at least, for now) if there are no hatcheries, there are no hatchery fish.

If there are no hatchery fish, there is no fishing.

Without addressing the factors that are limiting wild fish stocks there will not be enough wild fish to provide "opportunity".

Wasting time and money closing hatcheries will remove any and all opportunity we have to fish, will hurt every business that depends on fishing for all or part of its income (as mine does)...and will have a miniscule, if even measurable at all good effect on wild fish.

There is no "balance" there. There is no "coalition" there. There is no "representing any businesses" that depend on fish and fishing.

There is a lot of time and energy going into something that is terrible for business and fishing, and negligible for wild steelhead benefits.

Generally I support all the groups that work on behalf of our fish and our fisheries, including the WSC and the WFC...but I don't blindly accept all they do, and this wholesale attack on hatcheries is embematic of what is wrong with this whole situation.

I think it's just fine if that's what the WFC wants to do, and I think it's just fine if the WSC and other groups/individuals want to support them...just don't pretend that you are doing it to support businesses or fisheries...including wild fish fisheries...or wild fish.

It doesn't do much of anything good for any of those things, and further alienates the one single group that has the most to gain or lose in the fight for wild steelhead...the steelhead angler.

Fish on...

Todd