That all and good Carcassman, but its not what I am being told. And, if I am confused a bit, maybe it's because of emails responses like the ones below. Rather include the entire emails, I am just including the parts that raise concern.


From 2017 from the department in response to my questions about the season that was set.

Our first priority in the Nisqually right now is getting fish on the spawning grounds. Our escapement goal this year was 18,000 fish. The number of live fish on the spawning grounds counted yesterday should get us there. The sport opening is going out today and will open the Nisqually to fishing from the military tank crossing bridge to the mouth. Daily limit two adult salmon. For winter chum, greater than 90% of the non-treaty harvest takes place in freshwater so our objective for the sportfishing community is not to achieve 50% of the harvest but rather secure meaningful opportunity on a sustainable fishery. In other words, I see the currency as “days on the water”.


And from 2018
Thanks for reaching out. This year is much like last year where we had a small run forecasted to the Nisqually River relative to the escapement goal. Similar to last year the state, with support from the public was uncomfortable taking part in a directed fishery targeting winter chum in hopes of meeting escapement. Unfortunately the tribe did not follow our lead in this case and chose to initiate a winter chum fishery. Similar to last year and what I said in email correspondence below, our first priority in the Nisqually right now is getting fish on the spawning grounds. Our escapement goal is 27,000 and we plan to open a fishery once we are confident the goal will be met.

I believe I also read that this year they will be monitoring both fish on the beds and tribal take and will open if they believe there are enough fish.


So.......

The reason they are giving is conservation and nothing else. Second, they somehow or another changed from an escapement goal of 18000 to 27000 in one year. Third, they state that they have a goal of providing opportunity. None of this points to the fish being traded away. I would guess that 100 to 300 chum in question are also statistically unimportant in the scheme of the entire south sound run. If it is just conservation numbers, then ok, but why let the tribe take 6000 or 7000 and not let us take any. Remember, 90% of the winter run is fresh water, so the non treaty salt water take would be around 30 fish at tops. Given every tribe from Neah Bay to the Squaxins appear to chase chum, it is likely they are taking more than that incidentially.

In the end, I am just a bit confused how they can not find a few hundred for the recreational fisherman, since they say that they are trying to. Remember, they claim we are being held of for conservation reasons.