Yes read the reports.
Lets use Kakwa as an example.
Kakwa is a decent size river system with very limited access. In their report they say it is being threatened by catch and release and poaching. They also say the bull trout are at a moderate risk of extirpation.
Based on what data???
The last report I can find is the 2012-2017 bull trout conservation management plan which references 2006 data(nice recent data there guys) and states the bull trout population is stable and shows population estimates almost doubled from 1997 to 2006.
http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/...gementPlan.pdf
So where is the data that supports this made up claim that the bull trout have gone from stable and an increasing population to all of a sudden at risk to extirpation?
At least they are going to finally do another electro fishing and population estimate next year. Maybe they should wait and do that first before they make the decision to close it??? Or would that make too much sense?
If it is only C&R mortality and poaching that is the issue then the solution seems very simple.
A) Do the electrofishing and check on population to see if it is still doing well or if there actually is some sort of issue that doesn't agree with the last decade of improving fishery.
B) Increase enforcement presence to decrease illegal poaching.
Don't lash out against the C&R fishermen that do nothing wrong...
Or maybe I am wrong about Kakwa and the bull trout aren't the problem. Probably the grayling they are worried about, maybe because of an increasing unchecked bull trout population...
But yeah probably the C&R fishermen that are the problem...