Os,

Perception equals reality, or so I’ve heard. And some, including the Quinault, perceive things differently than you. Why is your perception right and theirs wrong?

Are you opposed to wild fish being killed when the population is deemed healthy enough to sustain the catch? I don’t like to see wild salmon or steelhead harvested if their populations cannot sustain, or only marginally support, a harvest. But tribal fishery managers probably see the steelhead population as being healthier than you or I do. Given that information and support (a legal fishery opening), the treaty fisherman is just doing his job and trying to catch fish. Pretty straight forward.

And there exist cultural differences. I’ve known Indian fishermen who think it makes perfect sense to fish for food or commercially to sell fish, and that it is senseless to fish for kicks like most recreational anglers do. And I’ve known some who enjoy sport fishing as well. But fishing is a traditional cultural activity for northwest Indians; that’s well established. So they fish the Chehalis for the same reason they fish the Humptulips, Queets, and Quinault; they are all rivers in their usual and accustomed fishing area as defined by the court. Why would they be interested in your perception of where they ought or ought not to fish? And they don’t want to change. Kinda’ like some white gillnetters, purse seiners, trollers I’ve met as well.

Since I don’t think I’m easily going to change how you think, I would predict no easier task in changing how a treaty Indian fisherman thinks. I don’t expect treaty fishermen to change until it is in their interest, and they believe it is in their interest, to do so. You want them to change? Offer a better alternative.

Work towards making the fish marketplace unattractive for steelhead, especially wild ones. Next comes the more difficult coordination and logistical effort. I’ll keep pushing this idea because I think it has long term potential. Collectively, through the state perhaps, we will eventually offer to buy a tribe’s projected catch and pay them to leave the steelhead in the river. As a nation we have subsidies that are crazier than that. I feel we should encourage tribes to exercise their treaty rights and take what they need for ceremonial and subsistence use. But they will eventually be able to earn more by leaving the commercial portion of the steelhead catch in the rivers and selling them to the recreational fishery. Low prices in the marketplace due to farmed fish and low public acceptance of wild steelhead harvest can help bring this about.

In the long run, it’s about satisfying interests. Yours, mine, theirs.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.