Well, take this for what it's worth...

I heard they're concerned about those hatchery kings hurting the native king run and don't want to encourage king taking in the river where native kings could be endangered.

It may not make any difference anyway......

IF the law says you cannot kill a chinook or do anything that could endanger a chinook, I don't see how the state could ever again open salt or fresh water to chinook or blackmouth fishing, even on C/R. C/R could potentially endanger a fish.

It may be we will never see the straits etc open for kings or be allowed to fish at any time chinook are present in a given river or saltwater.

Just like they closed Hope Island chinook fishing in the 70's and never re-opened, all sports/commercial chinook fishing opportunity for chinook now appears vulnerable to me.

It's also interesting that according to the newspapers, several chinook runs are larger than they have been for years and the scientists can't figure out why. I wonder if it could be because commercial netting has been cut back. Maybe scientists should be looking more at catching than ocean survival rates.

One thing for sure, I'm paying dearly for the "sins of the past" as my hobby is made illegal.