Northwest Fishing Reports

I just read this morning that the state is looking at budget cuts for certain salmon and steelhead hatcheries. It started a few years ago with the elocohman which I was employed at back in 2007 I understand a small hatchery like that which can become very muddy during the fall rainy season but a larger hatchery like stevens and even the samish hatchery really. My boss told me and he is the region 5 hatchery manager a few years ago that it might be better of if we implement tatics like shut down hatcheries and managing fish stocks like we do with deer or elk. but I think we need to slowly do this. do a cold turkey hatchery shut down would be a very bad idea.

I wouldn't expect anything less from the state. They have no money to go around, they are cutting all the superficial stuff and stuff we care about. The economy is in the toilet. They're gonna do what they're gonna do. :*(

Oh yeah, here it comes, don't you guys remember the study the state had done a year of so ago? If we want more fish in our river systems we need to stop putting hatchery fish in. Makes perfect sence if you think about it. Put less fish in to get more fish out. And to think we paid millions for that kind of advise...... Me thinks a pay off somewhere down the line......

One would think we might follow example set by Idaho a few years back when the returning numbers of King Salmon and Sockeye had dropped to below 100. Strong hatchery program and a few years, now look at all the returning fish.

AS much as it sucks but the best way to bring back the fish is to stop all fishing even for the tribes. It does no good when they drift net 2 miles of the Skok everyday.

The other option is to limit the amount of fish per angler and take the quota down for commies and the tribes as well.

Neither of these option will ever happen though. If they shut down a hatchery on a river system, plan on never fishing that river or having a very small opener. Could always privatize these hatcheriers and let them sell the fish on the markets? Wait that means the tibes would also loose out.....never mind.

I say we create a "casino" tax on tribal gambling and an export tax on tribal caught fish that are going to asia. Use that to cover 50 percent of our operating expenses, since they take 50 percent of our hatchery fish.