Salmo g it was a typing thing. There are some very interesting things you should all look at here. This was a project I had to do for my Senior Issues class.IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE

SB#______
Senator Tyler Celli
Additional Sponsors: Senator Ryan Crowther and Senator Jonathan Oquist introduced this bill, which was reported out of the economic stability committee.
The bill passed/failed by a _________ vote margin.
A bill
to establish tighter regulations on tribal netting of salmon by placing tougher laws
on tribal gill nets, wasting fish, and destroying wild fish runs.
1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America
2. in congress
3. assembled that.
4. Whereas 6,325 stocks of fish from California to Washington were assessed. (Beyond
5. The Crossroads)
6. Whereas 217 stocks have been extirpated.
7. Whereas 705 stocks were at high risk of extinction.
8. Whereas 145 stocks were at moderate risk of extinction.
9. Whereas 119 were of special concern.
10. Whereas 79 of the 1105 watersheds where pacific salmon and steelhead are known to
11. exist have gone extinct.
12. Whereas in 1987 treaty Indians caught 300,000 Chinook salmon. (NWIFC Salmon
13. Recovery)
14. Whereas in 1997 treaty Indians caught 115,000 Chinook salmon.
15. Whereas in 1987 treaty Indians caught 1.2 million Coho Salmon.
16. Whereas in 1997 treaty Indians caught 158,000 Coho Salmon.
17. Whereas NOAA Fisheries says “Extinction risks for northwest salmon are alarming and
18. will lead to the extinction of upper Columbia River and Snake River salmon and
19. steelhead by the end of the century. (NOAA Fisheries)
20. Whereas Snake River spring and summer run Chinook Salmon stocks there is a 67
21. percent risk of extinction in 100 years.
22. Whereas the risk of extinction for fall run Chinook salmon is 56 percent in 100 years.
23. Whereas the risk of extinction for Steelhead is 100 percent in 100 years.
24. Whereas upper Columbia River Chinook and Steelhead the risks are 90 percent and 100
25. percent.
26. Whereas there have been many reports from senators that have flown over the Columbia
27. River and counted more than 365 gill-nets in the river at one time. (Round Table
28. Associates)
29. Whereas gill-nets compound the problem because they kill almost every fish that they
30. catch. (Protected Or Plentiful)
31. Whereas several runs of wild fish run through the rivers at the same time.
32. Whereas endangered Snake River Chinook and Steelhead easily become entangled in the
33. Columbia River nets that are fishing for the “healthy runs.”
34. Whereas Tony Floor of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says, “They are
35. wiping out one fish to get another.”
36. Whereas last year during the commercial salmon season the tribes sold $1,047,000 to the
37. public and commercial dealers.
38. Whereas there are endangered fish that are mixed in with the hatchery ones that the tribes are
39. fishing for.
40. Whereas it doesn’t matter to them if they sell or kill the endangered fish.
41. Whereas out of 16 fall runs of Chinook and Steelhead 10 are declining.
42. Whereas it is projected to be the second lowest or lowest return rate ever for the
43. Columbia River Chinook salmon.
44. Whereas the state wants to close the fisheries of the Columbia River to honor the
45. Endangered Species Act.
46. Whereas any shutdowns on the river would not include tribal fisheries.
47. Whereas when their catches decline some tribal members say they throw their net in the river
48. as much as to maintain their treaty rights as to catch fish.
49. Whereas Indians don’t follow state mandated seasons, didn’t get licenses, and did not follow
50. catch limit rules. (25 years after the Boldt decision)
51. Whereas Indians are entitled to 50 percent of the harvestable catch.
52. Whereas Indians make up one percent of the population.
53. Whereas Tom Nelson says “I go around the state talking to a lot of groups and most
54. think that Judge Boldt made a bad decision by ruling to let the Indians fish however they
55. want and not following any rules the state has made.”
56. Whereas Hood Canal Chum Salmon have returned in large numbers. (Egg stripping
57. continues)
58. Whereas tribal net fishermen are reported stripping chum salmon of their eggs.
59. Whereas they are reported putting the carcasses to waste by throwing them back in the water.
60. Whereas Rick Barnes said while fishing at Hoodsport he witnessed several tribal boats
61. going out into the middle of Hood Canal and dumping dead fish overboard.
62. Whereas Jim Langhelm of Gig Harbor fished on the south fork of the Skokomish River
63. on Hood Canal.
64. Whereas he reported he saw egg stripped carcasses of Chum Salmon all over the
65. Skokomish River.
66. Whereas Langhelm said he talked with an Indian running a gill net.
67. Whereas all he was doing was stripping the eggs.
68. Whereas he said that he was “tribal fisheries.”
69. Whereas the flesh of Chum Salmon is not in demand on the commercial market.
70. Whereas the Indians sell the eggs to Japan at a costly price for caviar.
67. Be it therefore resolved that the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
68. States of America in Congress enact the following legislation.
69. Section One: Short Title: Harsher Penalties on Tribal Fishing.
70. Section Two: Modified Regulation: The modification of the regulation is enforcing
71. harsher penalties, and shorter times to leave their nets in the water.
72. Section Three: Terms of Regulation: The terms of the regulation are that Indians will not
73. be allowed to strip eggs or sell eggs without the carcass for any kind of salmon or
74. steelhead. They will only be allowed to keep their nets in the river for 20 minutes at a
75. time. They will be fined up to $1000 for every dead wild or endangered fish they bring
76. up.
77. Section Four: Federal Agency Charged with Oversight: The Federal Agency charged
78. with the oversight of this bill is the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
79. Section Five: Requirements for Inspection: The inspections will be made by Game
80. Wardens from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. There will be at least
81. one on every river that is being netted by tribal fisheries in Washington. But there will be
82. more on rivers too large for one Warden to cover.
83. Section Six: Funding Source: The sources that will fund this legislation are one, money
84. from the fines that are collected by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
More taxes on fishing licenses. Some money will
86. also be used from the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife. This will cost about
87. $25 million.
86. Section Seven: Activation Date: This bill will go into effect January 01, 2002.
88. Section Eight: Penalty for non-compliance: The penalty for not obeying these laws will
89. be fines up to $10,000 and/or three to six months in prison.