The treaty tribes don't financially support the state's WDFW hatchery system. Therefore they shouldn't enjoy co-management status of the system. Treaty tribes have the same right to provide input to WDFW regarding hatchery management as every other stakeholder and interested party, and that is as it should be. Allowing treaty tribes to co-manage a state-owned and state funded public resource is an example to allowing the tail to wag the dog, meaning treaty tribes, which number less than 2% of the state's populations, would have 50% of the influence on hatchery management.

While federal treaties reserve the right to harvest up to 50% of the allowable harvest of salmon, there is no legal nor logical extension of that right to manage hatcheries that contribute to providing fish to harvest. Ms. Wilson's editorial makes some allegations as fact that reflect her biased interpretation of the facts and are not equally shared as such by everyone. That is something the WDFW Commission needs to consider before adopting the NWIFC recommendation. And in my opinion, the Commission should not adopt the co-manager hatchery policy.