I very much appreciate just recieving a call from an ODFW rep, who prefered anonymity for the time being (due to sensative ongoing negotiations), to give me more information on this subject. He has been following this thread and there are some corrections and explainations due, although he commended "Coho" and others for a very good knowledge base. - The court decisions handed down by Judge Boldt were jurisdictional to the state of Washington inclusive. It was Judge Belloni that handed down a similar court decision concerning the Columbia River fisheries back in 1968. It essentially also gave a 50/50 split of harvestable fish to Indian and non-Indian fishers. As "Coho" eluded to, non-Indian fisheries include ocean harvests and commercial netters in addition to Col. sportfishers. This decision has undergone several court challenges since. Along with the advent of the Fed. ESA, the whole issue has become very complex! The Col. Tribal position is that the causes of the decline of Col. R. fish stocks has been primarily from other factors than their fishing; particularly the dams. They also point out that sportfishers are getting more of the share of steelhead and coho, thus they believe they deserve more of the spring and fall chinook, including the entire allowance of ESA fish (for which they essentially claim non-responsibility for decline). Despite this not being entirely true, the Fed.s have mostly sided with their position. The State's do not agree with their position and have been instructed by a judge to try to negotiate an out of court settlement between the States and the Col. Tribal Comm./NMFS. - As for the issue of fin clipping Col. fall chinooks, that's complicated by the fact that about half the run is unclipped native Hanford Reach fish which have healthy enough stocks to be harvested, unlike Snake R. fish. Since these nates are harvestable with their aidpose fin intact it doesn't warrant the expense to fin clip other hatchery Col. fall runs. It is a different story with the Col. springers that are being clipped now. As previously stated, they will return next spring with over half of a huge run being clipped. So their is much optimism of a mainstem Col. quota fishery for sportfishers next spring! - He said there will be more information forthcoming for us; possibly as soon as next week. - RT