I have not substantiated this, but I'm sure someone can. Word is that the Tribes started independent negotiations with NMFS prior to NOF. They knew this was going to happen, so they got to work on their own permit right away. Only hearsay, but it would do a lot to explain why the tribal members kept coming to meetings with WDFW and repeating the same demands. They knew they didn't need to negotiate, and the only way they were going to compromise was if the State offered them something sweeter than what they asked for.

IF this is true, NOAA did us a major disservice, and they should hear about it on Thursday.

Carcassman came back to the subject of AK and BC... I still say this all could have been avoided if the Tribes and the State were negotiating over a larger percentage of ESA impacts. We all know the process is broken (and has been from the beginning), but it took a forecast low enough to make closures a strong possibility to wake the sleeping giant. If we weren't relegated to fighting over the scraps open ocean fisheries leave behind, we'd all be fishing this season, if with major restrictions on coho. I'll continue to support this effort, but I think we're waging this war on the wrong battlefield.