CN -
Not sure that is factually correct to say that Puget Sound blackmouth are the "problem" for Puget Sound spring Chinook.

Information from the 2017 co-manager Puget Sound management plan submitted to NOAA this winter yields the following information for the four stocks you mentioned. The following is based on information from 2009 to 2014.


For the White river springs 29% of the impacts occur in "northern fisheries" (Alaska and BC); 29% in PT SUS fisheries (ocean troll and recreational fisheries) and 42% in terminal fisheries.


For Dungeness springs 75% of the impacts occur in "northern fisheries; 19% in PT SUS fisheries, and 6% in terminal fisheries.


For the Elwha 78% in northern fisheries; 22% in PT SUS fisheries; and zero in terminal fisheries.


For the Skagit springs produced by yearling smolts 36% of the impacts are in northern fisheries; 14% in SUS sport fisheries: and 50% in SUS commercial fisheries. For Skagit springs produced by fingerling smolt only 7% of the impacts occur in SUS recreational fisheries.


To the extend that harvest is a problem for PS springers it is clear that from the available data that recreational fisheries (of which blackmouth fishing is only part of the source of mortality) is not the dominate source of mortality for any of the stocks you mentioned.


For at least the White, Dungeness, and Elwha it is hard to ignore the impacts from habitat loss in the current status of those stocks. The improvement of the fish passage issues on the White is an example of addressing habitat problems that make a difference.

Curt