That's a nice idea that was tried previously (cool prizes), but frankly we have begged people for many years to turn in their heads and explained how important it is. Not convinced there would be a behaviour change.
What is coming for certain is we will be asked to make some very difficult choices in areas and times where Fraser stocks of concern are known to be present. I prefer a surgical approach as opposed to a broad brush or blanket approach. With 4 stocks listed as Threatened and 8 stocks listed as Endangered, one can expect difficult choices being required by all stakeholders.
Choices could range from things like area/timing closures, reduced limits, slot limits or selective fisheries.
Washington State for example, has a "marked select fishery" (MSF) in place to protect wild Chinook. Canada's problem is the Fisheries Ministers of the day have avoided the cost of marking hatchery produced fish. The US counter-parts clip but do not necessarily tag all their fish with coded wire tags (CWT). So a MSF for Chinook for Canada would be problematic as the number of hatchery fish that are actually "marked" is very low. There is no way to fix that problem in time for our upcoming season, and significant investments in auto-marking machines is required. Typically successive Fisheries Ministers have not valued the rec fishery and the economic benefits attached to it enough to make those investments. Perhaps with a fishery worth over a $billion/year on the line, that attitude will change.
Looking back at various management options tried in BC before, the most effective at reducing exploitation numbers while also allowing a fishery to take place was the combination of measures employed in JDF. They succeeded in lowering exploitation down to 6,634 Chinook, many of which are not the larger spawning adults. So there are options available that allow a fishery to take place without imposing total closure and the ensuing economic impacts.
