Even worse! Should come out of QIN's paper fish!

They were part of the treaty tribal catch 50% until the courts did a clarification. Chehalis tribe is a non treaty tribe which made them not part of NOF or anything really, they can only fish on rez and are part of the states share. QIN are court mandated comanagers entitled to 50%. Used to be QIN would not meet with the state with the Chehalis rep present and I doubt if that has changed much if at all.

This interesting. After reading the number you have to wonder just why and the hell we even have non treaty nets. I guess sometimes you cannot fix stupid!






NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
January 18, 2024
Contact: Sam Montgomery, 360-688-0721

Washington releases participation and spending data on fishing, hunting, and wildlife recreation

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has released participation and spending data about fishing, hunting, and associated wildlife recreation in Washington in 2022.
The data, collected during a national survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, documented the number of hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, and related outdoor recreationists in Washington and collected demographic information about participants.

The survey also quantified consumer spending related to these activities and how much time participants spent hunting, fishing, watching wildlife, or participating in other wildlife-related recreation activities in 2022.

Survey results showed that approximately 290,000 people went hunting, 1.2 million people went fishing, and 6.2 million people watched wildlife in Washington in 2022. Participants spent more than $9 billion dollars on equipment and trip-related expenses across all activities during this timeframe. In 2022, 4.4 million Washingtonians - 72% of the state’s population - participated in wildlife-related recreation, and 2.5 million traveled at least a mile from their homes to do so.

"Activities made possible through WDFW’s stewardship of fish, wildlife, and ecosystems have a significant impact on Washington's economy,” said Director Kelly Susewind. “Conserving fish, wildlife, and habitat and providing sustainable opportunities contribute to our way of life and identity while providing jobs and economic opportunities to our residents and generating tax revenue for the state."

A report documenting full survey results is available on WDFW’s website.

WDFW works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.



________________________________________

And I have a question, anyone having problems communicating with Region 6 ?

Yes.

So, the state made millions of dollars from hunting and fishing and billions of dollars to boost our economy and the recreational hunter/angler gets less every year? Still stocking like its 1999 and catering to the commercials is not working for the people that fund them. So your last statement is invalid rvrguy. Sorry.

no, but truthful and logical explanations are a problem around the board.

Try setting those wishy washy salmon/steelhead seasons before its time to renew licenses and watch those sales plummet. After that reality, come the following year you can bet your bottom dollar that more fisheries would open up. But they wont, because that's not how you appease your snake charmers. And so much for the free fishing weekend. Now you have to buy a catch card if you are fishing for anything that requires one. So, technically its not free fishing. More snake tactics. So rvrguy, who do they work for again? Themselves, or what?

I’d be curious how they got “6.2 million people” listed under Wildlife Watching. I know whale watching tours as well as bird watching, are popular in their own right, but there’s no way that 6.2 million people “watched wildlife”. I’m guessing this is lumped in under hikers and campers where it’s implied they are observing wildlife while they’re out and about in nature.

Guess I’ll read the report.

That wasn't Rivrguy's statement at the end. That was a whole cloth cut and paste from WDFW's release. That statement is boilerplate for everything they send out. It's what they think they do.

I definitely would have avoided putting that last part up no matter where it originated from. Why? Cause it is an embarrassment to everybody, just like everything else this state touches.. So, sorry rvrguy. I owe you a beer.

No problem SF. Edited the intro in to make sure folks do not get confused. Should have done when I posted it.

I think the feds must have asked a very broad question. The people who replied they watched wildlife probably answered yes if they watch robins get worms oy of their yard,

Something's eventually got to give. I dont think i could die a happy man if i never got the opportunity again, to at least fish for and say goodbye to one last grays harbor steelhead, the propper way. Im sure some of you ol' okie driftin duffers will agree. As far as the north coast goes. Yall can have it.

Double post but it was valid on both threads.

I have resisted saying anything but maybe the time is right. So this the unofficial understanding with the QIN is "everybody fishes or nobody fishes". Recs could do release Coho and wild steelhead with limited impact and reduce it further with tackle restrictions. After the dust up over fishing the same day with commercials, Satsop open satsop closed Chehalis Coho still open and PR blitz by the QIN "shuting salmon fishing down for conservation" . First the numbers indicated preseason forecast was wrong but we would make escapement. For the QIN it was low prices and the Coho were up early so a Chum fishery was toast so fishing was worthless so down for conservation which was a world class load of BS.

Steelhead it is similiar as we do not many wild Steelhead in Dec or even late Coho. Late Coho are latter part Dec and Jan not Dec 1. So wild Steelhead numbers do not allow net harvest but Recs can work around that issue rather well. This entire thing is about the QIN gillnets can not contol impacts so no fishing. So it is everybody fish or nobody AND CALL IT FOR CONSERVATION. Conservation my ass it is about managers butting heads like Buffalo in mating season to show who is top dog.

WDFW certainly doesn't have to worry about ever being the "Top Dog". It hasn't and will never happen in the present state of "co-management".

Like I said yesterday, WDFW should open the Harbor rivers for winter steelhead and force the QIN to make the next move. Would the QIN negotiate ? Would they take WDFW to court? Force the QIN to do something. WDFW should open the Chehalis system by Feb.1 with selective gear restrictions.

They could start by opening Johns and Elk. Neither is, to my understanding, within QIN U&A or actually even part of the Boldt Case Area. It would have to be in-river, because out in the bay QIN has U&A where they might intercept Johns/Elk fish and NI would harvest fish going to Northside tribs.

Just a thought. May take huevos.

CM, does anyone really think that WDFW has huevos?

There's no better time than now for them to show if they got them, have a dumb and dumber moment and totally redeem themselves. Or not. We'll have to stay tuned.