Originally Posted By: Carcassman
Why not a fixed standard? A standard is there to protect a species/stock?

Are some fisheries "more important" than the bycatch?

With the springer question above is there another location for the fishery that would impact steelhead less or is the location of the fishery more important than the bycatch?

I guess that is the question, ultimately. Which is most important (fish or fishery) and why is this so?


I normally fish the Kalama River in SW Washington. April is a great month for springers and early summer steelhead. They migrate into the river at about the same time. The steelhead are a mix of both wild and hatchery fish, but the target species are spring Chinook (when they have enough to open the season for springers, which has not happened on the Kalama since 2012). If you try to catch spring Chinook on the Kalama, you will also hook steelhead, both wild and hatchery. The only way to avoid that result is to close the river. Problem solved.

However, the bycatch rate/morality on wild steelhead is unknown, but can likely be derived by estimation and modeling angler success rate. The result would be that WDFW would be managing the fishery by proxy. That is, they would be opening and closing the fishery based on estimations, modeling results, and no date. Not sure that's the best way to manage anything.