It is safe to say the Advocacy guys in East County did not buy into the PR love fest put forth by WDF&W & the QIN. So they took the issue public. From the Daily World.


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Public Notice- Fishing Alert

The Twin Harbors Fish & Wildlife Advocacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to managing natural resources for the betterment of today’s citizens and the generations that follow. The Advocacy is committed to encouraging practices that avoid ESA intervention as experienced with the “spotted owl” that can cripple local economies and impose hardships on all the citizens.

The salmon harvest seasons in Grays Harbor and its tributaries are “co- managed” by the WA Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) and the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN). Both recently curtailed recreational and/or net fishing due to the run size of Coho falling well below the number of fish needed in the spawning grounds to maintain a viable Coho run in the future.

Yet, DFW has a steelhead season set in December for recreational fishers and the QIN for its net fishers that will threaten the late run of natural spawning Coho which contain fish that are believed to
be our strongest connection remaining to the “wild” Coho from times gone past.

The Advocacy has written a joint letter to both the QIN and DFW asking they restrain from inflicting harvest mortality on the late run Coho during their normally scheduled steelhead seasons
in December when up to 90% or more of the fish caught will be late run Coho rather than steelhead. The QIN nets have already landed 31,276 salmon in GH this year which is well in excess of the 50/50 sharing established by the Boldt Decision. Delaying putting its nets back in until after Christmas will not resultin a loss of treaty salmon fishing rights. DFW can also move pole fishing to avoid inflicting mortality as well.

The joint-letter to the DFW and the QIN points out how both promote conservation in their press releases. That’s the “talk” and the Advocacy now asks if either “...can do the walk”. The letter with details is available for viewing at the Advocacy’s website (thfwa.
org) including a picture that shows the distinctly different “late hooknose” next to a hatchery fish commonly seen today.

Paid for by Twin Harbors Fish & Wildlife Advocacy, PO Box 179, McCleary, WA 98557.