I received the following from the office of Maria Cantwell:

Thank you for contacting me regarding Puget Sound salmon fishing agreements. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

Each spring, state, Tribal, and federal fishery managers hold a series of meetings in coordination with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, to determine a Puget Sound salmon fishing agreement. Ultimately, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Puget Sound treaty tribes formulate a proposed Puget Sound salmon fishing plan based on those meetings. This is called the North of Falcon process. The plan developed by North of Falcon is then submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for final approval, which is required by law because a number of salmon stocks in Puget Sound are listed under the Endangered Species Act. In the 2016-2017 season, for the first time in 30 years, the state and Tribes did not reach an agreement at North of Falcon before the start of the season. I was active in urging both sides to come to the table to continue productive discussions, and am thankful to hear that the state and Tribes are getting closer to an agreement. I was active in urging both sides to come to the table to continue productive discussions, and am thankful to hear that the state and Tribes are getting closer to an agreement.

The importance of salmon fishing to the Pacific Northwest is enormous, and the potential closure of this fishery has increasingly far reaching consequences for tribal, commercial and recreational communities across Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Tribes have been fishing in Puget Sound for thousands of years. The maritime industry in Washington state alone directly employs 57,700 people and contributes $30 billion in economic activity annually.

Since being elected to the Senate, I have committed to preserving our robust and vibrant commercial, tribal and recreational fishing communities and the marine ecosystems they depend on. That is why I have consistently supported expanding salmon conservation, research, and restoration activities like the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF). As of 2015, PCSRF funds have restored more than 1,031,000 acres of essential fish habitat and opened up more than 8,700 miles of streams for fish passage, but we can’t stop there. As declines in certain salmon stocks continue, protecting of salmon and the habitat they depend on, only grows in importance.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator