When I started in WDG staff recognized that license sales paid their salaries. No sales, no jobs. As such, management decisions were at least guided, if not based, on impact to license sales. Hence such things as Opening Day Trout.

When I moved to WDF the agency was funded by GF. As such, at least at the staff level, there was a conservation ethic that over-rode openings, whether sport or commercial. No harvestable? No fishing.

Now, WDFW has to deal with ESA, non-consumptive species, a broader habitat concept, and is yet significantly based on license fees. I doubt that present leadership has really made the concoction that if they don't sell licenses they don't exist. But, because of the decline in species they are caught in the bind of needing to have a conservation ethic and sell licenses.

This is probably exacerbated by the lack of folks in the agency who actively, on their own (not charter boat) pursue fish and game. There is the disconnect between what they do and who is impacted.

They are in a lose-lose situation because society won't pay for the needed conservation and as they regulate the consumptive users out of state they lose funding.