There’s a long list of what is causing salmon problems, including denial. Science lollygagging is the issue. Mismanagement has decimated salmon life, stole every part of what works, locked it up and threw the key. Overharvesting has taken salmon away physically and from us mentally. Our failures were beyond unreasonable, but they kept being supported.
When it comes to losing size, the big fish stay vulnerable longer and most get caught in Alaska or Canada. Smaller fish are a direct result. Nets decimated life for future returns and left salmon unable to sustain themselves. This killed diversity and left too few. Our past upped quotas or extended seasons arrogantly harmed salmon forever.
Shorting hatchery capacity has stopped abundance. If you don’t put smolt in, some say we saved salmon. The number killed is astronomical. We have lost and still squander then expect harvest. Hearing about the elimination of the Hatchery Science Review Group (HSRG) is a huge win. Our hatcheries are helpful. They bring harvestable fish back and dilute the predator focus we placed on wild fish. The website, thereelnews.com, explains this. After decades, this win for all salmon is fulfilling my wishes for fishing to be fun again.
