The WSR does not take into account that every watershed has different issues. The state calls all steelhead with intact fins a native. Thats not true . The Green River has a long running summer steelhead hatchery program and over the years there have been some natural hatched fish that are not native to this watershed. The problem is that some of late arriving natural spawned summer fish are trying to spawn with the early returning native winter fish . This could really screw up the ginetics of the native winter runs creating something the state , tribe and fishermen don't want a mutant steelhead run.But the summer fish will have to be released if there fins are intact even though this is bad for the watershed. So I guess in this one case something I've supported for years really could have a negative effect in the long run and not protect the native fish that I love so dearly.

The rules state that these fish are wild, which they are, so there fore they will fallow the new rule even though they are wild hatchery fish.

Dave,

I find that to be more of a proper hatchery operation issue rather than a WSR issue...those "wild", not native, summer runs aren't available for harvest until December, anyway, and it would be hard to allow people to harvest them without harvesting the true native winter runs.

Fish on...

Todd

Actually, The Green River wild summer run steelhead were available for harvest from July 1st - November 31st. Beginning December 1st WSR was required.

That is what was proposed for the upcoming 2004 permanent rules as well.

The wild Green River summer run steelhead is a non-native (introduced) stock maintained by natural production, managed for harvest opportunity with no specific spawning escapement goal and is considered healthy.

It is, in my opinion, somewhat of a travesty that this rare opportunity to harvest wild steelhead as intended has been compromised by the blanket ban.