Was told at a NOF meeting that the Hoh continues to NOT make escapement. Seems that the tribe doesn't feel there is a problem or don't really care. Seems that there is a increase in the net time, when it should be the opposite.

Was told at the same meeting that the Queets has a problem with Coho, so much so that it could affect PFMC. Haven't heard much about the PFMC, and which of the 3 options is the "chosen one".

Mother Nature......

At one time the Chehalis tribe was going to do something to raise some springers, in hatchery that was being built....have heard NOTHING but then I haven't asked.

I've given some thought to spend some time, this year, trying to catch a Chehalis Springer.....season 5/1 - 6/30....maybe???????

it looks like you come on here to play games. Get a life man.

I wonder what the quota/guidelines are for this years fishery?

Escapement goal is around 1400 if I'm not mistaken. I doubt there is actually much of a surplus... If it opens I hope there is actually some monitoring by enforcement.

I'll bonk a couple this year just to bug you.

Dan S

It wouldn't bother me at all.

Let me know when, DW, and I'll volunteer some of my swimmer Kwiks and MagLips... as close as you'll get to a 2-rod endorsement!

3616 is the preseason forecast. Escapement goal is 1400 leaving 2216 harvestable. 212 is the average combined QIN / REC / Chehalis tribe catch from 2000 to 2012. I doubt the Chehalis Tribe numbers are correct. Draw your own conclusions.

If it does, you can just PM the mods and squeal on me.............

yuck if that happened.

Sounds like some dramatic developments at NOF:

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sport...ng-a-crescendo/

I like the stand tony floor (and the F&W advisory board) is taking...even if I don't fully understand it!

If this has been covered earlier I apologize. But when he says "We’re giving 75 percent of our stake on these four wild chinook stocks of concern"...what is he referring to?

The Chinook runs of concern this year (predicted to be over-harvested according to the model run) are the Nooksack and White River spring/early stocks and the Skagit, Lake Washington, Puyallup, Nisqually, Mid-Hood Canal, and Skokomish summer/fall stocks.

Lake Washington Chinook has been the "poster child" the past couple of years. In 2014, the non-tribal fleet absorbed the majority of ESA impacts when 75% of the impacts were tribal. The same is true of most other Puget Sound Chinook stocks.

The 2015 Adult Equivalent Impacts and Exploitation rates for Lake Washington Chinook show a tribal impact of 74% and a NT impact of 26%. The tribal impact on Lake Washington Chinook from the ocean to Cedar River is 186 fish out of a total projected take of 253 and 132 of those fish are taken in the extreme terminal and freshwater net fisheries.

From the link: During this closed meeting with about 40 sport fishing advisory board members all voted unanimously to not “cave into” the tribe’s wants and needs moving forward.

“If you saw the preseason plan on how many fish the tribes will catch, they have at least more than doubled their catches of these four wild chinook stocks of concern, and then they want us to give more?” Floor said. “No it is not going to happen and we have drawn a line in the sand even if this means going to court so be it.”

So who decides if the state goes to court over fishing season's with the tribes? This 40 person group? The fish & wildlife dept staff? The fish & wildlife commission? The governor? Who essentially makes the final decision here if it comes to this? Anyone know?

Lot of ways but in reality it is the AG & Governor.

I was at the meeting, the private session was for all sportsman in attendance to speak their mind without WDFD or the tribes sitting in. It didn't last long, just long enough to say we weren't going to offer up any more cuts on impact on our end. As mentioned, the tribal impact was 74% and ours was 26%, if we (sportsman) shut down our entire fishery in Puget sound it wouldn't have a huge reduction in impact.

It wasn't a hostile meeting, it was more frustration on the sportsman's side as to the disparity in impact and still being asked to give more.

The tribes need to figure out a way to reduce it on their end too.

The reason for stopping the in-season management was because after collecting all the data for many years it showed that the sportsman's influence on impact was so low that it didn't make a difference. Plus it cost a great deal of money to manage and track it, which could be better spent elsewhere.


No body wants this to go to court, the last time a judge made a ruling it stated that the first priority was conservation of the salmon, next was tribal ceremonial catch, then tribal netting, then non tribal netting, last was sport fishing. So going to court is costly and risky. If a court needs to determine what user group gets fish, we may be left out.

thanks for the info and update bushbear and ondarvr. That does give more context.

Do the tribes agree that their impact is 74%? If so, what is their logic for demanding that sporties give more?

In the article, Tony Floor says that the big tribe to get an agreement from is the Muckleshoots. IIRC last year that tribe recommended there be NO summer sportfishing season for puget sound chinook. What is the likelihood they will actually come to an agreement?

So if they can't, what are the next steps for resolution...governor, and failing that, federal court?

So is this how it ended:

Take all of the people out and let a robot do this. No arm twisting or bribery to be concerned about. BCS version of NOF.

Maybe Senator Pearson needs to have another public hearing where the new Director can explain this one.