Tomic,

You said, ". . . all I was saying is that if the state dosen't care why should we!" Why are you looking for a reason not to care? Do you make your decisions about what is important to you and therefore care about based on what the state does or doesn't do? May I be so bold as to suggest a more independent approach to personal values and aspirations? I say that because waiting on the state or someone else just isn't going to get you there.

I tried to figure out why you were posting about an incident that apparently happened over two years ago. Maybe you were surprised to discover that the state doesn't enforce treaty fishing activities. Welcome to the brave new world of U.S. v. Washington.

Treaty Indian tribes are largely self-regulating, or non-regulating as some would assert. Really, what could state enforcement have done? First, there would be the reservation issue, where the state has no enforcement authority. Second, they could refer it to tribal fisheries enforcement, but you said they were already on the scene and taking what they deemed "appropriate" action. Three, the state could have busted the alleged offenders who would have prevailed in court, so the state would have ended up wasting their time and your and my money. You don't have to like it, but that is pretty much how it is with treaty fishing in WA state.

Lastly, sad to note, but the Skok is a terminal area wipe out fishery for hatchery chinook. That means the state raises hatchery chinook there for release and the state benefit of marine chinook fishing (ocean troll and sport, Straits and H.C. sport fishing), and whatever comes back to southern Hood Canal over and above the hatchery spawning escapement goal is there for the tribe's wipe out fishery. Sport fishing in the river and natural chinook spawning are just coincidental activities that occur but are not a major part of the management consideration. So as long as it looks like the hatchery is going to achieve its spawning escapement, I can see where the state wouldn't necessarily care what the tribe does with the rest of the chinook or how they go about harvesting them.

To much gloom and doom. Try this: Things could begin to change, however. Since Puget Sound chinook are now listed as threatened, the state and the Skokomish Tribe have to modify their management to allow a natural spawning escapement component of the run. I've no idea how they intend to do it, but obviously some changes to fishing will have to occur.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.