Historically there were but a handful of commercial prawn rigs in the Sound and Inlet. Efforts were spread coast wide, and a lot of attention was paid to inside waters. Appears they must have fished them down enough that it was no longer very lucrative in those other areas.
This past year the doors were blown right open. Greater than a 100% increase in boat presence, and of course the same for trap numbers. Spoke with a fellow over in Ukee (boat was down for a few days) and he was moaning he wouldn't likely get back until "
It was all over". Also informed me that
5,000+ traps were being rolled over in this area
DAILY! 
Personal observations by locals confirmed the presence was
MUCH higher than ever previously witnessed, and any attempt to work your own gear was an exercise in futility.
Speaks
VOLUMES when
The Dino leaves their season wide open, and the boats begin to wander off on their own due to increasingly dismal catches. By the end of that opening, most had left due to having, as the fellow in Ukee suggested, "
Wiped them out".
Much worse. The few times we have been out the fishing has been dismal. Spoke with many others who are finding exactly the same. A few "
decent" spots, none suggested as "
Good". In past years a single string would often cough up your daily limit of 200 (often more) with but a single pull. That
AIN'T happening this year, inside anyway. We basically hauled 32 traps (4 anglers, 16 traps, up and down twice) for less than 400 just the other day. Very poor.
Short term - Largely wipe out the Standing Biomass for yet another season.
Long Term - Prawns are a short cycle bug, maturing at ~ 4 years. The commercial fishery occurs after most of the bugs have finished spawning (occurs late fall and females carry the maturing eggs until they hatch - usually finished by April). The
theory is that the catch cheifly targets post-spawn adults, and were this to be accurate, there wouldn't be too much impact on the next year's stocks. In function it isn't quite as ducky as the theory would suggest. Prawns generally reach their adult configuration at about 1 year. For the next 3 years they gain in size and weight. Thus the fishery not only targets on post-spawn adults, but also impacts those who have yet to reach that stage of maturity (chiefly the 3 year olds one season before they spawn).
If the industrial style efforts we witnessed this year are slowed or stopped, due to their short lifespan and colonistic nature, the stock would rebound within a reasonably short time frame. If however the intense removal continues annually, well, the ramifications are quite easy to figure out... Unless you're
The Dino it seems...
Back when the halibut issue first arose several warned about this type of development occurring with other species - notably prawns (and crabs btw) were on that list. What we are witnessing IMHO is a manifestation of that prediction becoming reality.
Fish them down to the point that the winter recreational fishery has to be closed due to "
conservation concerns". Blow the commercial openings wide open in the spring once the numbers have recovered somewhat. Repeat.
Problem? What Problem? 
A few related quotes:
From:
http://www.bcseafood.ca/PDFs/fisheriesinfo/fishery-spot-prawns-by-trap.pdf
Be right interested in hearing what the others that get out there might have to say on these matters...
Cheers,
Nog
