So a rafting guide that shows some guests some spawning steelhead this summer is the same as a gillnetter too because he too profits from their existance??

Here's a chart of run information for wild steelhead stocks in the Queets over the past 30 years ... pretty sickening to see the trend. Keep in mind the Quinault Tribe does net this five days a week through much of the season.



You want to see something even worse? here's the same for the Humptuips!



If you think that what is happening there is a-okay, then I sure hope these fish will find some sort of a savior before it's too late.

Frankly, I think a number of folks are missing the point. Here you have a group, we can call it a tribe, a race, an economic entity, it doesn't matter what ... that continues to harvest on rivers seeing these sort of downturns.

Then, they turn around and pump a gazillion little smolts into an area they only they have access to on (for the most part on someone else's dime ... FEDS) to create what is yes, a good fishery. If anyone else wants to take part in it, you have to pay to play.

Fine, that is what they wish to do, but is it worth the negative effects on the wild stocks??

If you think so, fine support this group by continuing to finance the destruction of those runs. If not, you voice your support by not giving funds. Pretty simple.

This is not to say that I don't support them guiding, Grandpa, I think you're missing my point there. I'd love to see all tribal fishers guiding vs. netting ... you can selectively fish guiding, you can't netting.

SB, if anyone's suffering from cultural arrogance ... it's the Q's who now run up and down the river in sleds, use mono gillnet, and a massive hatchery system to keep numbers of fish up, and a place called Pike Place Market or Anthony's Homeport to peddle their catch. This fishery has nothing to do with heritage!

I see heritage when I go north each summer. We fight just as hard with commercial netters there ... but no one calls the race card, even though for the most part, the battle is the same.

Tribal fishers there operate one net (for the entire tribe) from time to time from shore with no boat. It's an educational fishery to teach the youngsters about how things were, how they survived. None of the fish are sold.

I have no trouble with netting on this basis.