I'm still of a mind that we should work toward the elimination of hatchery salmon production in Gray's Harbor, except for mitigation in regard to Skookumchuck and Wynoochee. (I'm not anti-hatchery, mind you.) The presence of forecasted hatchery salmon in GH gives WDFW the excuse to try to manage for NT gillnet fishing, when it is clear to any objective observer that it should have been ended years ago.

Absent hatchery salmon, QIN would have little choice to manage for wild salmon escapements since they could not rely on their policy science that hatchery and wild salmon are the same and therefore hatchery fish could fill the escapement void.

And absent hatchery salmon, there would be no excuse to hold NT gillnet fisheries impacting wild salmon under the guise of harvesting abundant hatchery salmon (in the years when they are actually abundant, not this year or next, obviously).

When not faced with the coastal "blob" or freshwater drought conditions, GH is actually pretty darn productive of wild salmon, enough to provide satisfying treaty and NT recreational fishing. And WDFW would save all the money pissed away producing hatchery salmon for B.C. and managing a NT gillnet fishery that costs more to manage than it returns in commercial landings. That alone would contribute to a significant improvement in the image and integrity of WDFW, not to mention its financial solvency.

Sg