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produced more than all the other methods of capture combined, and are still the most widely used 

 fishing gear found on the West Coast Their effectiveness, low cost, high-volume of catch per unit 

 effort, selectivity, and flexibility remain unsurpassed by any other form of gear All evidence indicates 

 tht the gillnet is the most flexible tool we have developed to date for in-river harvest, and there is 

 absolutely no evidence that it can be replaced with anything better 



Moreover, the elimination of the gillnet fishery, as proposed by the Bevan Team, removes the 

 incentive to address the curious environmental problems created by dam and irrigation agriculture 

 The existing fishery's management regime, on the other hand, is one of weak stock managmem in 

 mixed-stock fisheries This existing system provides an enormous incentive to protect habitat to 

 enhance weak stocks so that they will support more selective harvest. 



In addition, selective harvest, as proposed by the Bevan Team, fails to deal with the issues of 

 handling stress, marketability and disposition of the remainder of the catch, cost of method of 

 capture, ownership of method of capture, return on investment, all the fishers displaced fi'om other 

 fisheries, riparian ownership, and environmental factors involved in selective harvesting. In sum, the 

 Bevan Report's most glaring weakness is that portion of the plan dealing with harvest 



There is no doubt that a substantial investment will be required to take the steps necessary to 

 reform the hydropower system and restore the river system ecologically. However, we must not 

 forget that every increase in salmon production from the Columbia River system will translate into 

 more fish available for commercial harvest This means more food on Amercia's tables, more jobs 

 and more income for the Northwest This economic dividend will help to defray the costs 

 incurred in the recovery eflbrt. This would be the case, however, only if in the recovery process 

 we encourage and maintain a viable fishing industry The Bevan Committee recommendations for 

 almost the total elimination of the Cohmibia River fishery thus make no economic sense whatsoever 

 If there is no longer to be a fishery, how will the economic costs of hyropower system reform ever 

 be recovered by society at large? 



