You Don't Get to Fish Elliott Bay but the Tribes Do

[Salmonhawk]

Starting Wednesday Aug 10th the Non-Selective Tribal gillnets will go in on the lower Duwamish even though there will not be a selective recreational Elliott Bay fishery this year. This is not responsible co-management. Both selective fishing methods and greater economic benefits have been ignored. Here is a quote form WDFW:

"WDFW does not object to the tribes’ commercial fishery as proposed. However, given the uncertainty about achievement of the natural spawning escapement goal, WDFW will maintain the pre-season 2011 recreational fishery schedule that does not include a target Chinook salmon fishery in Elliott Bay or the Green River.”

[t_dub]

so we'll cancel a recreational selective season that protects wild fish but allow a commercial season that will kill a bunch of them. Bravo WDFW!!!! glad my license fees are going for such well thought out management. that wild stock will recover in no time

[Nelly]

As a member of the salmonid sportfish advisory board I will be participating in a conference call to discuss this issue at 3pm this afternoon.
I will report back after all of the shouting is done.
I for one do not agree with WDFW on this one...

[stam]

Sad situation.

Funny how some flute music and tom-toms seems to deafen those we hire to look out for and listen to us.

[Nelly]

Well, with the conference call in the rear-view mirror I can comment with the background information provided by the State.

The Tribes test fisheries have had better catches than the past two years and that's the sole justification that the Muckleshoots are using to start gillnetting tonight at 9pm in Elliott Bay.

Despite the fact that the run is forecast to come in under escapement, the tribes are netting nonetheless.

I stated to Pat Patillo that I disagreed with the States position to not object with the fishery and asked what the numerical threshold for the state to even verbally object to a directed, non-selective gillnet fishery on wild chinook would be?

He could not answer that directly but would only say the bigger picture was that he believed the Muckleshoots were making a mistake.

If the Green River chinook run indeed comes in under escapement and the Tribes were the only ones to conduct a directed fishery...

It's a big mistake indeed...

If we don't capitalize on the opportunity to fight for the wild chinook on this occasion...

Shame on us.

[Bear]

Those of you who know me, know I don’t flame WDFW (much) especially in written form. I work closely with some of the upper and middle management folks and I very much appreciate the difficult job they have especially given the wide variety of issues they have to address and considering the stakeholders involved. This time I will make an exception…

How in the hell can you close down selective harvest recreational fishing, in the name of ESA, and then “not object” to the tribal non selective net harvest. By their own admission "We told them we would not object to their fishery, but didn't feel comfortable…”

If you don’t feel comfortable then why in the world would you not object? And what would the consequences be if you did? They manage these fisheries down to ¼ of a fish and then let this happen? It’s wrong and the Department, especially Pat Patillo, will get a bunch of well deserved flack. This is the exact reason I quit participating in North of Falcon.

Bear

[Ruckus]

Money talks! They have all the money and that means they have all the power! WDFW is scared as usual to rock the boat with the ones that have the power!

[Smalma]

While in no way defending the tribal decision to fish Elliot Bay or WDFw's less than forceable stance something to keep in mind is the we recreational fisheries have been fishing on and killing those Green River fish all season in a wide range of mixed stock fisheries. Those fisheries include all the various winter blackmouth seasons, The summer Chinook seasons in Puget Sounds and Straits are killing those fish (remember that some of those released non-clipped fish die).

Nelly (and others)-
Are you willing to back up your conviction that the Muckleshoots should not fish by putting say the summer MA 9 and 10 selective Chinook recreational fishery on the line? Keep in mind the tribe did defer their fishing until the test fishery (such as it is) indicated that the run may be potentially larger than originally forecasted.

That said I have much larger management concerns with the Green River Chinook management and by not addressing those concerns it is easier for the co-managers to allow Elliot Bay (whether tribal or recreational) fisheries. However I do not expect those concerns (essentially meeting natural escapement goals with naturally produced fish) to have any time soon.

Tight lines
Curt

[Nelly]

Thanks for joining the discussion Curt,
You have more years in the trenches than any of us ever will and I appreciate your viewpoint.

We have given up our A9 & 10 opportunity to harvest wild fish and until five years ago we didn't have any opportunity to fish in the summer months at all!

My issue with the Muckleshoots behavior is that they pettitioned the State for this fishery in the late afternoon last Friday when few if any Fisheries Management personnel could be reached, essentially forcing the State hand.

I also have a problem with the States response as I feel at the very least it could have conveyed a stronger message protesting the harvest of wild chinook that we are trying so hard to protect.

When are we going to stop making fisheries management decisions solely upon political reasoning?

Is that a naive and idyllic notion? I hope not!

If a run is not going to make its escapement goal, then we shouldn't string gillnets across their stream. Period.

[Salmonhawk]

Smalma,
I can't see how there is any comparison. As Nelly said, we are fishing selectively with barbless hooks and for a very brief season. Hatchery fish are here for harvesting, the non-selective gear the the tribes use harm the returning wild fish much more than any selective recreational fishery. Then when they lose that gear and fail to report it, as they most often do, it does even more harm to all sorts of wildlife.
I refuse to sit here and continue to be told as a recreational angler that we can't do or say anything because we are less than perfect at times. The fact is we do more for conservation, habitat, and the economy than any tribal or commercial fishery. I am tired of the recreational angler having to give something up every time we go to the table and then seeing nothing in return except other user groups taking advantage.
WDFW should have protested loudly even if they could not have stopped it. We as rec anglers want to partner with the department to improve things in this state and we have fought for the department in Olympia. The department needs to be conscious of this and show us that they stand in our corner.