These so-called New nets are supposed to help the survival rate of wild fish after being netted. They are experimental for now. Supposedly they are being used in Canadian waters with great success.

On the flip side of the token, they are saying commercial fishermen will be able to use these nets in U.S. waters to target hatchery fish in areas where they are not allowed to fish right now because of the ESA, or low returns of native fish.

With this in mind, there has been speculation that commercials will be able to put sportsfishermen right out of the game by sucessfully netting larger amounts of hatchery fish in turn reaching the area quota before sportsfishermen even get out on the water.

The reason being in Canadian waters where they currently use these new nets, test sports fisheries having been showing very high trends of native fish and hardly no hatchery fish. In turn alot of areas that usually are open to fishing in Canadian waters this year are off limits to us sporties.

Knowing this is the case already in our waters with the test fisheries before the opener. It is the opinion of a growing group of people that recreational fishing might be put out by the nets.

Some folks already think that test fisheries are just an excuse to open an area of fishing so the state can get us out on the water and make revenue off license fees and other taxes.

Let me add more fuel to the fire. I fished Neah Bay 3 weeks ago. We caught an average of 7 native fish to one hatchery. This is the result of one of these Canadian "new-net" fisheries that took place off of Tenino in B.C. 2 weeks prior.

Usually when I've fished Neah, its the other way around.

what do you think?

You kind of lost me after the "Supposedly they are using them in Canadian waters....". Its a pretty big leap from a maybe to aclaiming that a group of unclipped fish at Neah Bay are the by product of a new theoretical device called a tangle net.
I keep reading in most threads that if a fish has an adipose fin its a native this is simply Wrong it could be a native and then again it could be from a native hatchery or it could be one in a signifigant number that failed to get clipped when it was supposed to at a state facility.
As to the rest of the post re. the test fishery and being pushed out by increasing catches by the commercials you have an interesting point there.
I actually when I first saw the news item and the video footage on TV thought more along the lines of a publicity gimmick designed to show "that we are working to solve this problem" if its more that that I'll be watching for you to lead the charge and rally the troops.

Well thats pretty obvious about the fins being clipped or not. And as for where these fish came, are you trying to tell me these fish went down the Georgia straight?

In anycase back to the main topic, are the nets good are bad?

These new nets are a very good deal, because of their ability to release endangered fish.
The draw downs are they don't fish as effectively as the old gill nets and it will allow the commercials to fish at times when we are not use to seeing the nets. The new nets will also help the make sure all fish are properly marked. This should increase our fishing opportunities while protecting the fish that need protecting. Commercial fishermen don't want them because they will make their work harder....OH DARN. Indians don't want them because they will have to fish selectively....OH DARN. If we must have nets these are the best deal around.
Tight Lines

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Marty
Steelheader.net marty@steelheader.net

I have heard that these tangle nets aren't all they are cracked up to be. They drown fish and have a drop out problem. CNR with nets is a bad joke. If they want to selectivly harvest salmon they will have to go to something like a fishtrap or fishwheel. From what I read, the tribes balk at that idea,too bad , the fishtrap was a traditional method used before us white guys came here.

Hmm, good or bad? that's a good question. I think if I was a wild fish I'd be pretty happy if the nets work as they are supposed to. However, as a sports fisherman I'm just a little concerned. It seems to be a bit of a "double edged sword". Yes, it will be good for wild fish survival into the rivers. But what happens when Joe Blow is catching only wild steelhead on his favorite OP river [ie:a river where it's "legal" (I said legal not ethical) to retain wild steelies] and he can't buy a hatchery brat to bonk. Will it bring more pressure on already low wild fish stocks from sporties?
Also, will the tribes actually convert to the new nets? They seem to fight any notion of selective fishing now (such as fish wheels), while at the same time they push the release of non-finclipped fish (south fork of the clearwater river in Idaho is an example of this).
I think your concerns of the commercial fleet taking over the sport fishing, non-tribal allocation are valid as well. Unfortunately, in the past the commercial big money has usually gotten priority over the sporties and the new nets will just give them more ammo to tip the scales in their favor.
What we really need now is for a more conservative management approach towards fisheries. They need to get rid of the maximun sustained harvest models and move to maximum sustained yield type models. Until the managment mentality changes the use or abuse of any high production fishing method could prove detrimental to all the fishes futures. Unfortunately, the only way for the management schemes to change in this direction is to get the big money commercial groups out of the game all together ie:no nets.

Sorry, just my opinion

Duke

Good Nets?
Jumbo Shrimp?
Military Intelligence?

You must be kidding. Maybe John Carlson can get rid of all the nets. I hope so.

Guts

Go Carlson! Hope he can do something about nets.

Your right, there should never have been nets as far as I'm concerned! But I guess as long as Gary Locke is around there will always be commercial/tribal interest lining his pockets with the greenbacks.

Ban all nets...it should go the same way as market hunting...extinquish the practice! No one can make a living at it anyway. It's just a second moonlighting job.