Some environmentalists think so.
Last spring, aluminum companies filed a federal suit to block commercial fishing in the lower Columbia River, claiming the fishing was wiping out too many threatened chinook salmon. Federal Judge Malcolm Marsh, who handles salmon litigation much the same as Judge William Dwyer oversees Northwest timber cases, threw out the suit. He said the companies lacked standing because their primary interest was in preserving low-cost, subsidized hydroelectric power from Columbia River dams. Wash. He had argued that commercial fishing was ruining his chances of enjoying salmon in the future. Unable to persuade a judge to consider his plea, Peterson is now trying to rally other groups to go after the fishing trade.