Makah Overharvest

[Cutty Sark]

FOR YOU FISHERMAN OUT THERE!!!!


Makah salmon catch causes concern

By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter


An enormous catch of chinook salmon during the Makah Tribe's winter troll fishery apparently exceeded, by about 19,500 fish, the estimate set by state Fish and Wildlife and is causing concern.

An e-mail yesterday from Pat Pattillo — of the state Fish and Wildlife's salmon intergovernmental policy group — to the sportfishing advisory board said, "We have been informed the treaty troll fishery in Strait of Juan de Fuca has taken 20,000 chinook (through Jan. 10)."

Under state Fish and Wildlife's salmon fishing season package, the Makah's winter catch was supposed to be around 500 chinook in Catch Areas 4B (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (Port Angeles).

"I'm not sure what the effect will be, but it doesn't look good and we had assumed that the catch was going to be 500 fish," said Phil Anderson, a state Fish and Wildlife salmon policy coordinator.

The fish managers will have to adjust the amount of chinook that can be caught by all other commercial, tribal and sports fishers in the 2005-06 fishing seasons so as to not make a severe dent in Washington's wild chinook stocks of concern.

"The implications of this large catch are quite serious," Pattillo said. "The specific impacts are uncertain at this time, but it is likely that this catch will affect ocean (and Puget Sound) fishing opportunities."

The forecasts available from the state on March 1 for Snake River fall wild chinook and Puget Sound weak wild chinook stocks such as mid-Hood Canal, Stillaguamish and Skagit wild chinook could be less than anticipated because of this unexpected catch.

This large catch has occurred in U.S. fisheries at the same time the U.S. is expressing objections to Canada in the Pacific Salmon Treaty forum over increased impacts on Columbia River and Puget Sound chinook stocks.

The Makah troll fishery, Pattillo says, is managed not under a quota but as a season, just like most Puget Sound sport fisheries.

Each year when state, federal, tribal, sport and commercial fishing constituents set salmon seasons, they come up with estimates on the number of fish that can be taken in all fisheries and are expected to stay within that ballpark figure.

"We will be contacting (the) Makah to discuss the issue and will request they close the fishery," Pattillo said.

The tribe could not be reached for comment.

State Fish and Wildlife will unveil Puget Sound, coastal Washington and Columbia River salmon abundance forecasts March 1 in Olympia. Final salmon fishing seasons for 2005-06 will be announced April 4-8 in Tacoma.


This is exactly the reason I support Puget Sound Anglers, we need to get the sportsman involved so we can stop things like this from happening. If you fish I believe it is your duty to do something to help preserve the resource.

Sark

[KenG]

It does not look (trying to parse the article) that the tribe did anything
beyond catching more fish than someone (the state?) had estimated
they would. What do you propose be done?

[Cutty Sark]

The tribe is not legally at fault but morally they are. They knew what the estimated catch was supposed to be and went way over it. Now us sportsman are going to have to pay, with a shorter season. It definately comes back to the Washington fish and game, not protecting our resource, and the sportsfishing community getting screwed again. Our sportfishing quota for Neah bay and La Push last year was only about 6,000 fish. What can we do . Support PSA or RFA and lets get things changed. Right now our sportfishing seasons are getting shortened, while the tribes and the commercials are not. Our current system is greatly in favor of commercial fishing/netting over the greater population of sportsfisherman, even though sportsfisherman generate more revenue for the state. I am passionate about fishing and about salmon and am tired of seeing such abuse of OUR resource. I am not an expert and am just passing on what I have heard at PSA meetings and various fishing groups.

Sark

[dogon dory]

Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author

[Pat Anderson]

Sark - not to start a war here, and I know I am in the minority (hell, I am a minority), to say that Native Americans are "morally wrong" for catching fish the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott guaranteed them completely turns the moral injustices of the last 150 years on its head. I too feel indignant when I see the tribal crab pots out there while our season is going to be shortened. But they have the moral high ground, not us...Just my $0.02 worth.

[starcrafttom]

pat . anyone raping a resource has no morles , high ground or not.

[dogon dory]

Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author

[Cutty Sark]

I agree that it is WDFW's fault for not setting a limit on the catch. But I do feel the makahs knew what they were doing. Were talking about a limited resource, that is also endangered. They knew what was the estimated catch and they try to rape the land through a loop hole. Boldt decision or not when something's wrong it's wrong. Two wrong's definately don't make a right. I'm tired of people being allowed to rape the resources because of events of a hundred or more years ago. When does it end. I see stuff like this all the time on various fishing sites, some of the tribes really abuse the system(not all). Dogon Dory I hear your point but still believe in higher ideals, and if you know you are hurting an endangered resource or taking someone else's catch thats not alloted to you. It all comes down to greed and the all mighty $. I know not everyone will agree with me .Thats ok. I know there is already a movement of anglers that is going to boycott neah bay and the makahs, I will be one of them. For those who want more info, I suggest you join Puget Sound Anglers, or there is usually something on www.piscatorialpursuits.com that will give you info on events like this. Again I don't want to offend anyone. I just want to be able to fish with my boys in 20 years, and to save the resource by better management so we all can nenjoy it.

Sark

[rogerbum]

[KenG]

[quote="ArimaSark"]They knew what was the estimated catch and they try to rape the land through a loop hole. ... and if you know you are hurting an endangered resource or taking someone else's catch thats not alloted to you ...
Sark[/quote]

First off, we ALL need to do more to preserve the environment. However, the biggest threat to fishing with your kids in 20 years time is the other 4 million odd people living in the Puget Sound area - not indian fishing. If there are too few fish, blame the real culprits: the McMansions, the Hummers and their ilk, and the acre after acre of new asphalt laid-down every year.

Second, if I understood the original article, these fish did not come with litle ids on them. Ie, they wre not "someone else's catch". Perhaps they caught more than they were supposed to, but I'd agree with a previous post, when you're putting shoes or your kids or dinner on the table, and not breaking the law, then most everyone will fish/log/mine pedal to the metal and to hell with the other guy.

Third, "rape" is just about the worst thing one human can do to another. You can wipe out a salmon fishery any number of ways (damn up a river, log to the streamside, etc.) but you don't "rape" a salmon run.

Regards,

ken

[Cutty Sark]

rape1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rp)
n.
1.The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse.
2.The act of seizing and carrying off by force; abduction.
3.Abusive or improper treatment; violation: a rape of justice.

The above is right out of a web dictionary at dictionary .com.


I'm sorry if my terminology offends anyone that is not my purpose, and I'm not the one who coined the phrase or it's use in this way, but it does convey how I feel. No the fish did not have ID's, but we sportsman know there is a good chance those fish will be deducted from the sportfishing community which already gets a pretty small piece compared to the tribes or commercials. I just don't want to be penalized for someone else's actions. I agree there are too many people in the puget sound area and polution hurts the fish. But I can't make those people move, and clean up their act, there are too many of them. But I can help to stop overfishing, by the few which compounds the problem. And yes I understand alot of people will sell out anything for money, including the enviroment just to make a buck. But isn't that whats wrong with the world. I'm not trying to convince everbody, I know alot of people here don't even fish. I just want to inform the people that are interested that it will affect, the local fisherman. So they can go find out the information for themselves and make their own decision. I do appreciate your guy's opinions though, even if we don't agree. It's always good to hear a different perspective.

Thanks for listening to me rant about something I feel passionately about.

Sark

[wailedcentipede]

refers to the State treaty "troll" fishery... if it is trolling their doing may be a large run out their ... a couple good seiner sets could take all but if its trolling... should be some left over ... on the Canadian side both the provincial and federal goverments have screwed the tribes from day one ... when they put one over on the white man (goverment) i find it does not bother me that much ... over the years native tribes become the scrape goat for all the problems when fish runs are short .... i worked on the towboat side of things but have seen the fish boats with nets and seine's strung all over the place i'm surprised the fishery's have lasted this long ... believe its time for all fisherys to fall into line like native tribes, commercial boats and lodge's one rule for all ... for Joe average running around on his own, most i meet don't catch squat .... lol .... not a heavy fisherman but when on the river bar or off the airport in the boat their seems to be one or two that are hot and the rest catch nothing ... my best day was on the bar using fresh spring roe ... about seventy people lined up the wife and i hooking on every cast and rest caught zilch ... lol

[Sawdust]

Kept my mouth shut longer than usual!

Good points all, and not sure there is a decent solution. 1500 fish was a fair single haul for a purse boat when I was working on one. Doubt the Indians have put much of a dent in the fishery, altho there will be much arm flailing -- and that's good. Not quite sure how the regulators will handle this one. Mostly with words, I suspect.

I'm too close to this one - have a nephew who is married to a gal in Neah Bay and he fishes with the tribe. He is just as concerned as all of us about the resource, but he's much more concerned about making boat payments, repairing nets, paying grocery bills, feeding 2 kids, etc. If it's open, he fishes. I'd do the same in his situation. There are well-paid, high level folks who manage the resource, and they will be the first to admit that it's not working.

When I was commercial fishing the Lapush Neah Bay area an extra open day was celebration day. Too few fish, too many people I guess. At 85 I'd like to be fishing with my kids 20 years from now too

And the season is open, and can't wait to get a line in the water.

Old Dusty

[True Story]

Wow, you can sure figure out who is passionate about salmon fishing here in Washington State. This is how I see it.

1. Many interests get together, predict run size, evaluate threatened and endangered fish runs and figure out who owns what fish and determine allowable harvests.
2. The allowable harvest in Washington is roughly divided between indian tribes (50%), commercial harvesters (25%) and the general fishing populace (25%).
3. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sets seasons for commercial and recreational fishing interests. In sensitive areas such as the coast and Straight of Juan de Fuca, they identify catch quotas. The State may have a two month season for kings out of Neah Bay and close it in one month when the quota has been reached and they have no reason to believe their original run size prediction is in error.
4. The tribes in synch with the State, determine when their seasons will occur and stipulate the amount of fish they will catch in each season.
5. The State relies on the tribes estimates of how they will distribute their allotment when negotiating fish shares.
6. The tribes object to State interference regarding the monitoring of catch quotas stating that they are the ultimate "stewards of the resource" and can effectively monitor their own. The State is in no position to object.
7. Who knows how the Makah tribe caught 19,500 and counting fish. Added effort? More effective technique? Expanded area? Huge bumper run of fish?
8. Who knows who these fish belong to? I do know that that there will be 19,000 less fish I have an opportunity to hook when I go to Sekiu in two weeks in an attempt to catch my one fish limit. Sound selfish? You bet I am.

On a brighter note, it's a beautiful day.

Tim

[dogon dory]

Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author