Interesting history. WDF was funded by GF and had a significantly stronger "conservation ethic" than WDG (license funded). Often, the WDG Director told us we needed to find ways to sell more licenses. It was a product produced for those paying the freight.

Unfortunately, there isn't one right answer. If we don't use the resource, we don't need as many of them. Take LW sockeye. The average urbanite will get positively orgasmic over 100K sockeye at the locks. Wow! In Downtown Seattle. But, to have meaningful fisheries we need lots more. Same with game animals, game birds, etc. Consumptive use requires large numbers AND habitat in big chunks. Society just may not want to do that any more. Rather breed and raise more kids.