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State Rules by Mark A. White Peninsula Daily News, January 9, 2023

We have exactly as many salmon as the WDFW wants us to have.

Are our resident orca running out of fish to eat?

I say we have exactly as many fish as the Department of Fish and Wildlife wants.

If you have the Fish Washington app, keep an eye on the emergency rules.

Watch the straits for commercial fishing boats.

Check the creeks and rivers for nets.

WDFW's micromanaging of our resources tells me that they keep a close eye on our fish and therefore what we have is exactly what they want us to have.

If we are short of fish, there must be a reason we managed them to these numbers.

Could it be so we could have political pressure to take out the Snake River dams?

Our Dungeness River had nets across the mouth as soon as the hatchery had enough fish.

Of course the sport fishing season was shortened for 2022 and then closed before it was done due to low water levels.

Again, we have exactly as many salmon as the WDFW wants us to have.

Now with towns declaring orca have rights, will we manage our salmon to a surplus or continue the decline of Washington's once abundant resource?

Let me float a proposal by you.

I say there is a case to be made for zero commercial fishing in the Strait and Puget Sound.

No white or native nets.

Buy them out or whatever it takes, but in just a few short years, our waters would be plugged with fish again.

Our orca could be fat and sassy.