About 5-6 years ago the tribes put the WDFW on notice that, unless we liberalize the harvest rules for many of the Olypen rivers including the Hoh and start taking something closer to our non-tribal share, they would consider our opportunity foregone and harvest a portion of our share.

The WDFW proposed setting the rules at 2 fish per day and 30 per year but instead, the Commission set the limits at 1 per day and 5 per year. It was the Commission that failed to follow the legal advice reflected in the WDFW staff proposal.

The result is the lopsided harvest plan we have now. It has been agreed amongst the co-managers that with the 1/day and 5/year limits the non-tribal effort will take a maximum of 15% of the run at best. The current harvest plan is based upon this premise.

The WDFW and F&W Commission were advised that unless some harvest were allowed and the moratorium rescinded that the Boldt Case agreement between the Hoh Tribe and the State provided for renegotiating of an even greater share for the tribes due to even larger foregone harvest by the non-tribal fishermen.

Because some non-tribal harvest has been permitted, as per legal advice, the Boldt Case agreement will stand and the terms of harvest allocation will prevail for the next several years at which time a new plan will be developed according to the harvest rules in effect at that time.

If at that time the 1/day and 1/year rules are still in effect or if all non-tribal harvest is prohibited the co-managers will assume a maximum non-tribal take of 10-11% or less and the division will be in accordance with the greater uncapitalized upon opportunity for non-tribal take.

The tribes should be thanking the WSC, WT, FFF and all the friends and affiliates of these organizations for the windfall.