I was frustrated with the community of Forks in 2003, for the same reasons many here decry. Now that the no kill rule is in effect, we are learning what those folks in Forks already knew: any allotment the sport side relinquished would get sucked up by the neighboring treaty tribes on the basis of "foregone opportunity." That is happening. The Quileute Tribe is scheduling additional gillnet days to scoop up what we have (only in theory) given up.

I'm not sure it makes any difference how much anyone harvests, as regards steelhead. They seem doomed to extinction unless every stakeholder makes the painful sacrifices it would take to recover them, an no stakeholder has a good track record of making necessary sacrifices to help fish.

Their problems are clearly different from what salmon face, but like Carcassman, I believe MSH salmon management has gradually reduced stream nutrient levels to the point where the steelhead we've got are all the rivers can support.

I still say no kill was the right decision, but it's going to take a lot more to save wild steelhead.