In today's world of ESA listed salmon , US -Canada treaty with hard caps on impacts on stocks of concern (in the Straits coho case it is upper Fraser wild coho) and weak stock management selective fishing is less about limiting impacts on wild stocks and more about using whatever acceptable impacts that are available to access as many other fish as possible.

In the case of the coho fisheries on the north outer coast/Neah Bay and Sekiu the same numbers of wild upper Fraser coho that die in the fisheries will be the same whether the fishery is non-selective (kill unclipped fish) or selective (release unclipped fish). However the difference is the amount of fishing available (season length) and numbers of hatchery fish taken.

In the case of fishing non-selective the likely result would be coho seasons in the western straits/outer coast for the that would be two weeks or so long compared to the existing season that stretches over a couple months. It really comes down to what the angler community prefers as a whole. Today through the North of Falcon salmon season setting process it has been pretty clear that folks (and yes that includes the resorts) prefer the longest opportunities possible. If you don't like that option get involved in the process and make your case why something other than the current structure is better.

Curt