I didn't see this in my inbox until today, but here's my reply from Will Stelle on May, 2nd:

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the salmon catch­sharing dispute between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Treaty Indian fishing tribes in Puget Sound. We at NOAA Fisheries are also deeply concerned with the current impasse between the co-managers and its implications for salmon fishing in Puget Sound this summer. The dispute has negative implications across the board for families, businesses and communities, Indian and non-Indian, and we are energetically encouraging the parties to work out their differences.

This is the first time in thirty years that WDFW and the Tribes have not reached an agreement about catch-sharing in Puget Sound under U.S. v. Washington, the federal court decision affirming Treaty Indian fishing rights. The specific issue is the sharing of harvest of Chinook salmon. Chinook in Puget Sound are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In this instance, non-Indian and Tribal co­managers are in agreement with NOAA Fisheries on the overall total harvest allowable for Chinook under the ESA, but they differ on how to share it between them. When examining both proposed Tribal and non-Indian fisheries, they add up to Chinook impacts that exceed the agreed-to limit. If WDFW and the Tribes resolve their dispute on means to share the total allowable harvest, without exceeding the total limits, then NOAA Fisheries is committed to reviewing both fisheries under the ESA as rapidly as possible.

This is an extremely tough year. Expected returns to the salmon fishery in 2016 are much lower than we have seen in recent years, making these allocation decisions really hard. But NOAA Fisheries can’t force WDFW and the Tribes to come to terms, and our ESA authorities will not resolve this dispute either. We strongly hope that the co-managers are able to come work it out, and we stand ready to help in any way we can, nonstop. If they do, the pathway for authorizing both Tribal and non-Indian fishing under the ESA is clear.

Sincerely,

Will Stelle
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William W. Stelle, Jr.
Regional Administrator
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office: 206-526-6150
Mobile: 206-295-3104
Will.Stelle@noaa.gov