I can't speak for the Tribes. But my sense is that this is what they would say:

Recreational anglers and commercial fishermen can still catch these fish in the ocean. So if these stocks are in real trouble, then shut down the ocean fishery too. All of it. Everywhere. If that happens, would these fish stocks still be in trouble?

If yes, the Tribes will also shut down their fishery. But if WDFW and the Feds are not willing to shut down the ocean fishery, perhaps these fish aren't in real trouble. Or, more likely, these fish are not important enough for the State or the Feds to forgo the substantial ocean harvest by many different user groups to protect these fish. If that's the case, why should the conservation burden fall only on the Tribes?

The Tribes see no difference between harvesting these fish the ocean or harvesting them in the tribs. Recall that 100% of the Tribes fishing in done in the tribs so if they are shut down, they lose 100% of their fishery, while the State regulated fishery (in the ocean) is still going strong.

You don't have to agree with their point of view, but we should understand where they are coming from.


Edited by cohoangler (05/21/15 12:45 PM)