Lt. Joe Bookman said:
rootube said:
Lt. Joe Bookman said:
rootube said:
I need to jump in while I can because I may never find another thread again where PFG and I are in 100% agreement. I would also add that the Steelhead in the PNW could probably use the break for a season. It will be an interesting science experiment to see how closure impacts the steelhead run next year. I know anglers in LA who swear that the closure of water after the Horizon oil spill had an amazingly positive impact on fisheries in LA.
Only if they can somehow manage to get the sea lions to stop fishing as well. Especially in the Columbia River basin.
I wouldn't say only if. Dams and warm water are probably far and away the two biggest factors in declining steelhead and salmon populations. Probably commercial fishing is third by overall volume. Having said that sure let's open sea lion hunting season. Unfortunately, that may be as effective as hog hunting on the sea lion population.
Any link or source for that? I'm genuinely curious.
Regarding the open sea lion season compared to hogs... They've seen some pretty promising results from removal of the ones at the Bonneville Dam fish ladders.
Absolutely zero data to support this. This is pure speculation on my part but I know the dams and water temp are big issues. I have read the problem related to sea lions is caused by fish backing up below dams which create a buffet for the sea lions so those two issues may be related. Some people say stocking fish is a contributor to the problems as well.
I should also point out that Sea Lions being the same as hogs is more of a joke on my part than anything. Species behavior and reproduction rates are likely very different.
Edit to add. I pulled up this link. It seems inconceivable that sea lions or recreational fishermen are pulling fish in the millions of pounds out of the PNW.
https://fishbio.com/field-notes/the-fish-report/comparing-pacific-coasts-commercial-fisheriesWhen it comes to the size of Pacific Coast state salmon fisheries, Alaska clearly leads the pack. In 2012, more than 611 million pounds of salmon were harvested in Alaska (
NMFS 2014), which is nearly 25 times more than all other Pacific States combined (Washington: 19.8 million pounds, California: 2.9 million pounds, and Oregon: 1.9 million pounds). Not only is the quantity of salmon coming from Alaska and Washington substantial, the price is also relatively low compared to prices in California and Oregon (
NMFS 2014).
Edit to add another link everyone should read about lonesome larry.
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/08/06/lonesome-larry-an-unsung-hero/Edit to add a picture of Larry who was mounted and is on display in Idaho. .He may hold the record for the longest and most treacherous journey to not get laid.