The ruling is good news indeed, Thanks for the posting.
It does seem to limit some of the ex-treaty netting going on, but wont mean much without enforcement. From what I understand, WDFW is forced to cut back on enforcement efforts due to revenue shortfalls, they're blaming I-695, so may not be able to do as much as we would hope. Dont expect too much on that front. Since the sport fishermen are easier targets, and any fines are "free" monies to the local agencies, we'll continue to receive the majority of their attention.
The Cowlitz (my tribe) are still having a problem with the Quinault. Both political, and range-related. For now, the only thing certain is there will be no nets on the Cowlitz River. If anyone ever sees nets in the Cow', we can make them go away by any means necessary. Now, if the same people were only so dedicated about their elk management.
The next logical step would be to engage the treaty-member tribes in a temporary agreement to stop all netting for a specified period, until the runs can be re-established. This would require federal support and funds, as the treaties are federal. How could this be made to happen??