To those who doubt the power of the tribes:
For years the tribes have been able to harvest ENDANGERED WILD STEELHEAD returning to the Snake. As ironic as that may sound even more so is the harvest rate that they are allowed to do so; 32%. They have the right to harvest and kill 32 out of every 100 ENDANGERED, WILD, B run STEELHEAD migrating to the Snake river (kind of makes Plunker look like a purist no offense Plunker). Then one day, NMFS thought that might be to high so they decided to lower it to 5-7%. The tribes thought that was far to low and eventually an agreement was reached that the incidental harvest rate on wild B steelhead was 15% for tribal mainstem fall fisheries and 2% for non-tribal fishereries.

However the tribes were not done. In order for them to comply to this reduction in harvest of WILD B STEELHEAD from 32 to 15%, they needed some extra incentives. "The tribes wanted assurance that these unharvested hatchery B's and their progeny would contribute to the rebuilding of natural runs, rather than just allowing them to be taken in the sport harvest level. Therefore, the tribes requested a number of steelhead smolts be released with their adipose fins intact...The unclipped fish will be released if caught in the sport fishery as adults". So now 1,360,000 unclipped hatchery steelhead are scheduled for release into the Columbia basin in 2000. And when a sportfisher catches one of these unmarked HATCHERY fish, it will have to go back, unharmed into the water. Even at dismal adult return rates, that is a lot of opportunity lost for sportfishers (approx. 11% of the hatchery fish will not be marked). Keep in mind that sportfishers have not been able to kill wild steelhead on this system since at least the mid 80's and yet the tribes have the ok from our government to take large quantites of these wild fish.

I am completely and absolutely appalled and sickened by this. I agree that all wild steelhead, at least for now, need to be released. But when I hear things like this I wonder if our continuation to accept reduced fishing opportunity, more closed seasons, more bait restrictions, more catch and release seasons is adding to the problem. It is like the more we as sportfishers give the more other groups take from us. Then common sense prevails and I remind myself that if someone does not start doing the right thing and offer up a small sacrifice in the name of conservation of wild stocks, nobody will. As far as I am concerned, all hatchery fish should be marked and EVERYONE should should shoulder the burden and release wild stocks and harvest hatchery fish. If you can't fish selectively then you don't fish.

I am not against tribal fishing but the next time a tribal group expresses an interest in salmon and steelhead conservation, I will recall this attitude towards wild steelhead harvest on endangered stocks and ask do you fish selectively?

Good information DaveD.. All sad but true. I'm not going to take off on indians or Dams here because everyone already knows how I feel about it. The numbers speak for themselves. Total wild Chinook headed to Idaho this year, maybe 2000 - of which at least half will be killed in the next few weeks before they get here.. pre damns/nets-
more than a million.. talk about a decline.. The B-RUN STEELYS.. Hurtin just as bad.