To Eat or Not To Eat

For quite a while it has seemed odd that so much is proposed -- and done -- to preserve salmon habitat and so little to preserve the salmon themselves. Are they endangered species or not? We didn't catch and eat eagles when they were endangered did we?

Finally, according to an article in today's Kitsap Sun, a group has indicated an intent to sue:

The lawsuit proposed by the conservation groups is focused on Puget Sound chinook, said Kurt Beardslee of the Washington Trout group.

The goal is not to shut down all fishing, he said, but to make sure enough salmon survive for spawning and producing a greater number of fish in the next generation.

Millions of dollars are being spent to improve salmon habitat in streams and shorelines, he said, but harvest levels don’t produce enough spawners to utilize the available habitat. [Emphasis added.]

It may be hyperbole, but wouldn't it be really odd if there are too few salmon getting past the nets to take full advantage of the expensively preserved habitat?