Competition from farmed salmon. Salmon raised in net pens in British Columbia, Norway and Chile have "come on like gangbusters" recently, sending prices down, Granger said. According to the fisheries council report, in the 1970s and '80s, troll-caught chinook salmon were selling for $4 to $5 a pound. By 1996, the price had plunged to $1.60, "largely because of an expanded farm salmon industry," the report stated. Granger noted that 2001 was a low point. "They've bounced back a little bit as wild fish made a comeback," he said. "But it's too late to help these guys." Commercial fishermen got a boost when Oprah promoted the health benefits of wild salmon on her talk show. "I love Oprah," said gill netter Pete Arnestad. "She's helped us a lot."
Too many commercial licenses. Declining runs have prompted the federal and state governments to buy back licenses. Before buybacks, there were 1,200 purse seiners and 400 gill netters in Washington state. Now there are 202 seiners and 75 gill netters, Hublou said. That may still be too many. "There isn't much left for the fisherman," John Martinis said.
Port support. Hublou and other fishermen believe the Port of Everett doesn't want them around. "They're converting our waterfront into yuppie city
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