Fish Commission

Your editorial “Commission Should Go Fishing” (Jan. 27) suggests that the Legislature should abolish the state Fish and Game Commission and assign all fish and wildlife decisions to Fish and Game Department administrators who will “make decisions based primarily on scientific evidence and environmental good sense.” The naivete of your position overwhelms.

Speaking for those of us who have worked with both agencies for many years, let me say that the good old American system of checks and balances--in this case between administrators and policy-makers--is crucial. Each agency has its strengths and weaknesses.

Granted, the Fish and Game Commission can be improved in structure and operation. But abolish it? Dumb. Very dumb.

RICHARD H. MAY

President California Trout

San Francisco