Here is where to start
Interstate Fisheries Management
The real issue is that counting fish is a very soft science. The truth is that their population estimates can be off by 50% or more (and their head fish counter admits this). I am told (how accurately I don't know) that mortality rate also is probably an underestimate, the figures they use have a ridiculously low factor for poaching (a big time industry north and south), and do not include allowance for increasing natural mortality from disease (ie mycobacteriosis), deteriorating forage base, and seal predataion.
Disregarding poaching, the commercial numbers are fairly hard, but the recreational catch is a very crude estimate....and the main reason the Feds are insisting on an angler registry (to improve sampling accuracy).
Threaded Mode