The Outdoor Line Forum

I sent the following message to BobTurner, William Stelle, Barry Thom at NOAA; with CCs: to Jim Unswerth at WADFW and Representative Chad Magendanz in Olympia. Maybe if a thousand "sporties" fill NOAA's inboxes with our complaints regarding their incompetent response to the chronic salmon fishing mess they'll realize were here too.

"All of last summer “sport fishermen” released all un-clipped Puget Sound Chinook . Then Area 10 closed for all Chinook very early and Area 9 closed for all Chinook soon after. The tribes recently noted that “sport fishermen” caught over two thousand Chinook last fall and winter so we're getting our fish too. But these were all clipped fish as barb-less hook and line fishing can target clipped Chinook only.

Presently, some tribes are gill netting Chinook. Gill nets are non selective and 100% lethal. These nets are harvesting endangered Puget Sound Chinook, WADFW clipped Chinook, as well as their own un-clipped Chinook.

NOAA is currently looking the other way as endangered Puget Sound Chinook are being caught and sold by the Puget Sound tribes. Meanwhile, “sport fishermen” are being denied fishing for WADFW clipped Chinook because of NOAA’s unwillingness to get involved in the dispute and your indifference to WA state sport fishing. Along with other sports fishermen I am asking you to recognize our right to conduct a responsible and sustainable salmon fishery.

Thank you for your timely attention to this matter."

Steve Joyce
Seattle, WA

Thanks for the effort Steve,
We must increase the pressure on NOAA!
The only salmon fishery currently allowed in the Puget Sound region are tribal gill net fisheries?
We can't selectively fish with barbless hooks???
This act of racial discrimination by our own federal government is disgustingly unfair and cannot be allowed to stand.
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON NOAA!!!

Remember! Emails are not votes! You get more than one.
But, when it becomes time to vote, remember how this feels and cast your votes this fall accordingly

Having been a young adult involved in non-treaty commercial fishing during the Boldt Decesion and now an active recreational fisherman I am concerned that the success that a couple of Puget Sound tribes have had at delaying, if not entirely closing, our spring/summer salmon season may set a precedent for other tribes to follow the same tactics in future negotions. I personaly will continue writing letters to my elected officials and reinstate my membership with my local PSA chapter. I agree in co-management of our salmon resources and in a strong hatchery program. Get involved now for our future.

p.s. it sure is hard looking at the salmon reports coming in from the West side of Vancouver.

Dan

I dont think writing letters to congress to change NOAA, WS, or any other regulating body is as effective as regulating ourselfs. Does anyone on this site oppose a law change prohibiting non-tribal entities from posessing any tribal acquired fish or game. We dont need the blessing of wdfw, noaa, fisheries management or... to bring equity back. The tribes would run out of storage space if it were not legal for "us" to acquire tribal fish or game. If anyone can point me to an interested legislature member or leader of a politically involved group please respond

They sell so much of their take overseas that whitey not buying from them won't really make a dent.

If the law would encompass the transfer of any tribal fish or game to ANY non tribal entity such as a common carrier via water transport or air carrier then it still is possible. I dont believe that any tribes in WA or OR own any truck, air or water transport companies capable of transfering overseas. I really believe that the tribes own their 50% and it would strengthen their position of Sovereignty if non tribal couldnt touch any of it. Laws can be passed that limit what any transport can touch. I would even bet that there are tribal people that would like some of their fish or clams to eat instead of another tribal entity shipping them out