I obtained this document with a Public Document Request ( PDR ) while trying to figure out just how on earth last years Coho collapse got past both the co managers until it was too late. It appears to be a template that is altered each year but one cannot be sure. Also just who did the writing is not known but either the QIN or WDF&W did to be sure. It is article IV that I find fascinating as for years many claimed the seasons were set on auto pilot and just ran has agreed to. Do not know but it certainly leaves one wondering just how long this document or something similar has been used.

Formatting stinks but I am careful not to change anything in a document such as this when making them public.



A Joint Report Prepared By

Quinault Department of Fisheries

and

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife








April 2015




Harvest Management Plan for Grays Harbor 2015 Fall Salmon Fisheries


The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Quinault Indian Nation, subject to their authority within Grays Harbor and its watershed (Figure 1), agree to conduct the 2015 fall salmon fisheries in accordance with the following management plan.

I. Management Objectives

The fisheries will be managed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Meet the following escapement goals for the Grays Harbor system:

Natural coho 35,400
Natural chinook 13,500
Natural chum 21,000

The parties recognize the need for a reasonable distribution of the escapement throughout the watershed, particularly between the Humptulips and Chehalis system. They will try to provide for the individual needs of these two systems.

2. Maximize the fishing opportunities of each party to obtain their respective shares.


II. Pre-season Predictions


The 2015 terminal predictions are:

Chehalis Humptulips Total
Coho (OA3) Hatchery1 31,074 13,315 44,389

Wild2 133,695 6,401 140,096


Chinook Hatchery 3,463 5,186 8,649

Wild 19,108 7,403 26,511


Chum Wild Na Na 28,852

Coho (option 1505) Hatchery1 26,903 10,537 37,440

Wild2 120,916 5,769 126,685


1 Including net pen fish = 1,879 Net pen returns included on Chehalis side total
2 Including South Bay OA3 wild returns =2,183 returns included on Chehalis side total



III. Harvest Management Plan

The Grays Harbor fall fisheries are described as follows (see appendix 1):


The Non-Treaty gillnet fishery will be managed as follows:

1. Grays Harbor Salmon Management Catch Area 2A and Area 2D (Chehalis): One (1) 16-hour day: 6 am to 10 pm September 23, 2013, and seven (7) 8-hour days: 7 am to 3 pm October 20, 8 am to 4 pm October 21, 9 am to 5 pm October 22, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm October 24, 7 am to 3 pm November 2, 8 am to 4 pm November 3, and 9 am to 5 pm November 4, 2015. In this fishery, live boxes required for wild Chinook and there will be short soak times. Release wild Chinook will be required.

Grays Harbor Salmon Management Catch Area 2C (Humptulips): four (4) 12-hour days: 6 am to 6 pm each October 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2015. In this fishery, live boxes will be required for wild Coho and there will be short soak times. Release wild Coho will be required.

2. The Non-Treaty Marine sport fishery will operate from Sept. 16 to Nov. 30th easterly of a line from the mouth of Johns River north to the Tripod Station on Brackenridge Bluff, with a 3 fish bag limit, no Chinook retention. Non-Treaty Marine sport will operate from Aug. 1 to Sept 15. north of a line from south end of the eastern jetty at Ocean Shores Marina, east to Sand Island, then to the Tripod Station located on Brackenridge Bluff with a two fish bag and no wild Coho retention.

The Non-Treaty freshwater sport fisheries will operate as published in the 2015-2016 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sport-fishing guide.

3. The Quinault Treaty gillnet fishery will be managed as follows:

Humptulips River - This includes fishing in the Humptulips River and Area 2C. Maximum mesh size is 6 ˝-inches. The fishery includes four (4) days of fishing for one week for the period from September 20th to September 26th, five (5) days for the week for the period from September 27th to October 3rd, four (4) days for two weeks for the period beginning October 4th to October 17th, then two (2) days for the week and period from October 18th to October 24th, then three (3) days for the week and period from November 8th to November 14th, then five (5) days per week for the period from November 15th through into the beginning of the steelhead season. The treaty gillnet fishery for winter steelhead will begin in week 48, the week beginning November 22rd.

Chehalis River - This includes fishing in the Chehalis River and Areas 2A-1, 2A, and 2D. Maximum mesh size is 6 ˝-inches. The fishery includes fishing two (2) days for one week for the period from September 13th to September 19th, fishing three (3) days per week for two weeks for the period from September 20th to October 3rd, then fishing four (4) days for one week in the period from October 4th to October 10th, three (3) days for the week and the period from October 11th through October 17th, then four (4) for the week for the period of November 8th to November 14th, then five (5) days per week for the period beginning November 15th through November 21st and continuing into the steelhead season. Steelhead season begins in week 48, which begins on November 22nd.

IV. In-season Management

The projected harvest rates and spawning escapements presented in this agreement anticipate environmental and fishery conditions falling within normal ranges of variation. These normal conditions are related mostly to river discharge and fishing participation. If environmental factors or fishery participation are found to be outside the range of anticipated normal variation, the parties to this agreement will discuss the potential effects of the abnormal variation and determine whether any modification to this agreement are necessary.

There will be no in-season run size updates this year. Adjustments may be made in the Treaty commercial fishing schedule if extremely high river discharge conditions cause the river to be completely unfishable for at least one full day. A day scheduled for fishing will be declared unfishable only if river conditions prevent any nets from being set and no catch is made on that date. A make-up day will be taken when conditions permit, in the same week as the day lost and will occur immediately following the normally scheduled closure. QIN will notify WDFW by telephone or e-mail of intent to make-up an extension of the weekly period. When conditions do not permit days to be made up within the same week, days will be made up in subsequent weeks provided the modeled Chinook rates on the Chehalis, and wild coho rates on the Humptulips side do not exceed those anticipated during the day(s) lost because of conditions.

V. Interaction Between Fisheries

The parties intend to minimize overlap in fishing time between treaty and non-treaty fisheries, which operate in the same or immediately adjacent fishing areas. The parties shall coordinate their fishery openings to ensure that overlap in time is minimized including avoidance of commercial fishery on weekends to the extent possible.

VI. Chehalis Tribal Fishery

As a result of a recent federal court ruling (1998) the Chehalis tribes’ harvest share is included in the non-treaty allocation. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will negotiate with the Chehalis Tribe harvest levels for their fall fisheries prior to the beginning of the fall management period.

VII. Terminal Area Model

The QIN and WDFW agree to coordinate the annual review and update of terminal area models.





AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE QUINAULT INDIAN NATION
AND THE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
FOR FALL, 2015


This agreement is the culmination of the efforts of the undersigned to manage, through the design and implementation of one joint plan, for salmon returning to the Grays Harbor Rivers and tributaries in the fall of 2015.

For this season only, the parties agree to set aside divergent views on management philosophy and approach, and manage by the plan set forth in the document entitled “Harvest Management Plan for Grays Harbor 2015 Fall Salmon Fisheries." No part of this management plan or the basis thereof shall be construed as a precedent for future years.

This agreement may be amended or otherwise changed at any time only by agreement of the parties.





Agreed to this ______________day of ______________________, 2015.







_________________________ _____________________________

Jim Scott Ed Johnstone
Washington Dept of Policy Representative
Fish and Wildlife Quinault Indian Nation
_________________________
Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in