https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules/closes-quillayute-system-fishing-2023-07
Could this provide an excuse carry into fall salmon and winter steelhead?

So no fishing for sea run cutthroat because I might "harm" a Chinook salmon? Looks like Stillaguamish River logic all over again.

It seems to my rather simple mind that the SRCT could be fished with flies, floating line (or bobbers if not flyfishing), a maximum hook size, barbless, no weight would all avoid any Chinook > 10cm. Guess they really don't care about maximizing opportunity.

Maximizing opportunity isn't consistent with the WDFW unofficial policy of appeasing tribal co-managers. Effectively eliminating co-management and just making tribal management the de facto policy.

There is that aspect.

If for "conservation" purposes they need to close whole watersheds then there really is little future for freshwater stream fishing in the anadromous zone. And, since the closure is for "all tributaries" that includes resident zones.

Before I retired the region I was in developed regs for freshwater stream fisheries that protected adults and juveniles while allowing C&R. Above barriers other appropriate regs were put in place. Guess that is "too complex".

“ eliminating co-management and just making tribal management the de facto policy.”

Has been the huge locomotive heading this way for at least the last two decades. Rather easy to have noticed this one coming - at least for those that have felt the impact as it lumbers on thru the watersheds.

Think of it as a soft redistribution.

Once they have the fish and gambling what will they go after next?

My sense is that the Tribes position is: If WDFW wants them to shut down due to low numbers of Chinook (or whatever species is in trouble), then WDFW must also shut down everything in that system. No exceptions. Everyone is off the water if conservation is the concern.

The Tribes see a 'double-standard' if they cannot deploy their nets due to conservation concerns, but the State-licensed anglers can continue to fish, albeit for something other than Chinook (e.g., sea-runs cutts). So WDFW shuts it down for everyone.

There is quite a difference between targeting and incidental. Still might be a conservation issue in bycatch but that is for a technical discussion. And there are no anadromous fish above migration barriers so there can be no conservation concern there.

I also know that many tribes believe that if anybody fishes they fish regardless of what actual impacts or available harvest is.

I encountered this years back and from a tribal perspective it was a principle thing. WDFW's ability to understand and manage fresh water fisheries is rather close to zero so I would expect them to stick to all fish or nobody fishes. Rooted in post Bodlt years I frankly do not blame the tribal managers. Present WDFW managers may not remember those years ( your lucky if they have knowledge of 10 years back ) but the tribal managers have not forgotten.

7/14/2023



Land, buy buy buy. Last time I looked, no one is making more land!!!!

The last thing WDFW wants is institutional memory. That, and data from more than a couple years ago.

Quillayute River system closes to fishing

The Daily World

With spring and summer Chinook salmon returning in lower numbers than expected, the Quillayute river system – including the Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Sitkum,andSolDucrivers,as well as Thunder Creek – will close to all fishing beginning Saturday, July 15.

Fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Quileute Tribe determined that the systemwide closure was necessary as returns continue to track below preseason expectations, according to a news release. Only 47 Chinook had returned to the Sol Duc Hatchery as of July 12, far below the needed escapement of 900 fish. On average, about half the run has returned to the hatchery by mid-July.

“It’s never an easy decision to close a fishery, but we always have to put conservation first, and the low numbers of Chinook returning so far this year are very concerning,” said Jennifer Whitney, WDFW fish biologist. “We need to make sure that as many fish as possible return to the hatchery for the rest of the summer.”

The following rivers and areas will close to fishing as of July 15: Bogachiel River (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary Calawah River, (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary Calawah River, North Fork (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream Calawah

River, South Fork (Clallam Co.), from the mouthupstreamtotheOlympic National Park boundary Dickey River (Clallam Co.) from the Olympic National Park boundary upstream including all tributaries and the East and West forks Quillayute River (Clallam Co.), from Olympic National Park boundary upstream to confluence of Sol Duc and Bogachiel rivers SitkumRiver(ClallamCo.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream Sol Duc River (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary Thunder Creek (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream

Have the tribes fished on the summer chinook yet, and if so, how many did they take.. In the past I have seen closures like this, which are probably necessary, come after the tribe has taken their expected, or close to expected, share. So for them, shutting down is no problem. The issue from our side is that there never seems to be a payback for the loss of sport fishing opportunity or take. If the opposite were to take place, the returns are re-allocated in the years to come. If you notice above only addresses the number to the hatchery. No mention of tribal catches so far. It may be that they have not take any, but, from experience, that likely is not the case.

Unless things changed since Boldt was set down, there is no equitable adjustment or payback for steelhead. They were treated differently than salmon . Perhaps this was because they were all fished in-river rather than more remote like ocean versus river.

I only worked salmon but I think that steelhead were lumped in that all steelhead were one allocation group for each river. Winter, summer, hatchery, wild were simply split 50:50.

As has been mentioned a few times, too, there have been instances where the tribes will continue to fish even if they have no allocation left if the sporties fish. So, all fisheries get closed for conservation.

It's interesting. They just keep closing fisheries left right and center, and yet wild abundance continues to stagnate and decline.

It's almost as if, oh I don't know, recreational closures and their management approach in general IS NOT WORKING.

when u got commercial fishing on them all the way from Alaska to Washington shores they aint going to rebound..

And another one bites the dust. Lol. 14 other rivers have been closed to protect summer chum. See a pattern here. Your river is next.

I think thats a great observation! Wow, wish people started seeing that 20 years ago.