Originally Posted By: Smalma
Chasin' Baitman -

To keep it simple let's just consider two PS Chinook stocks. The allowable impacts for each stock varies depending on the current productivity of each stock. For 2016 the mid-Hood Canal wild Chinook the allowable impacts (the maximum the can be killed -whether in harvest or handling mortality) is 12%. For a stock like the Nisqually the allowable impacts are 52%.

Because the Mid-Hood Canal stock was the weakest being caught in the mixed stock recreational fisheries (most of Puget Sound outside of extreme terminal areas )those fisheries would be limited by the Mid-Hood Canal impacts. Even though the recreational fisheries often more than 1/2 of the mid-Hood Canal impacts clearly there likely would remain a lot of impacts left for the Nisqually (the exact number would depend on the stock mixture in each of the various mixed stock fisheries).


Curt thanks for taking a run at dumbing this down for me. So if I understand you correctly, the limiting factor on the recreational harvest in the puget sound region (incl both salt and fresh) is ESA impacts on the weakest stock?

If so, am I right in saying the PS recreational quotas are set based on impact on the weakest stock and NOT 50% harvest allocation...resulting in more harvestable fish in terminal areas (which recs cannot catch effectively because they don't bite), allowing Tribes to net more than their 50%?

Let me know if I'm in the ballpark