It is that perspective (cost to produce a fish) which was a substantial reason we lost winter blackmouth. I suggest a better analysis would be how much does each of those fish generate in targeted fishing expenditures.

It may be necessary, at some pint, to support a very well supported pay as you go license system. For example, if you get a license to C&R trout ( no consumption) then license covers management, habitat, and enforcement. For consumptive trout you need to add in the cost to produce in hatcheries. Maybe a Chinook salmon license, or a hatchery salmon license, where the costs includes hatchery production, And so on. At least in that way, the angler is buying and actual opportunity and if they don;t want to pay for it they can fish for other stuff. Would be complex, but may add a level of accountability.


Maybe commercial licenses should include cost to produce, manage, and enforce.

"Maybe commercial licenses should include cost to produce, manage, and enforce."

Ha ha! Some commercial salmon fisheries, like Grays Harbor, cost more to manage than the ex-vessel value of the catch. Clearly, no one can afford commercial salmon fishing in WA state unless, like WDFW, you're spending "other people's money."

I haven't looked recently but for years the westside pheasant hunters paid quite a lot for the planted birds. So the precedent is there. Not the balls, just the precedent.

$84 a year now. I remember paying $15 for the punchcard in the early 80's. Before I was old enough to hunt, I heard stories from the 60's & early 70's about the Auburn Game Farm which released, and you could hunt in the Kent, Auburn, Sumner and Puyallup valley's. Wow things have changed!

Way back there were a couple Game Farms, or more, and releases at most of the WRAs. I chased pheasants at Johns River, Dungeness Rec Area, and Scatter Creek back then. All were pretty popular.

I’d have no interest in paying extra for a hatchery salmon punchcard.
Though not from WDFW, there are lots of unclipped fish being released from some net pen programs.
SF

Being involved in a net pen project I am interested in more details as to specific pens to which you refer. In short, let's not have that cloud hanging over acclimation pens using properly clipped fish.

Another pheasant rearing operation was at WDFW's game farm on Phillips Road in Lakewood.

Elliott Bay and Pt Gamble to name two.
50k out of a million clipped at Elliott Bay and 45K clipped at Pt Gamble out of 525K if I recall correctly.
As I said, not WDFW programs. I have nothing against hatchery fish or net pen programs. I just think all hatchery fish should be clipped regardless of what programs they come out of.
SF