Here's the article

Makah salmon catch causes concern
By Mark Yuasa

Seattle Times staff reporter – 02/01/05

An enormous catch of chinook salmon during the Makah Tribe's winter troll fishery apparently exceeded, by about 19,500 fish, the estimate set by state Fish and Wildlife and is causing concern.

An e-mail yesterday from Pat Pattillo — of the state Fish and Wildlife's salmon intergovernmental policy group — to the sportfishing advisory board said, "We have been informed the treaty troll fishery in Strait of Juan de Fuca has taken 20,000 chinook (through Jan. 10)."

Under state Fish and Wildlife's salmon fishing season package, the Makah's winter catch was supposed to be around 500 chinook in Catch Areas 4B (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (Port Angeles).

"I'm not sure what the effect will be, but it doesn't look good and we had assumed that the catch was going to be 500 fish," said Phil Anderson, a state Fish and Wildlife salmon policy coordinator.

The fish managers will have to adjust the amount of chinook that can be caught by all other commercial, tribal and sports fishers in the 2005-06 fishing seasons so as to not make a severe dent in Washington's wild chinook stocks of concern.

"The implications of this large catch are quite serious," Pattillo said. "The specific impacts are uncertain at this time, but it is likely that this catch will affect ocean (and Puget Sound) fishing opportunities."

The forecasts available from the state on March 1 for Snake River fall wild chinook and Puget Sound weak wild chinook stocks such as mid-Hood Canal, Stillaguamish and Skagit wild chinook could be less than anticipated because of this unexpected catch.

This large catch has occurred in U.S. fisheries at the same time the U.S. is expressing objections to Canada in the Pacific Salmon Treaty forum over increased impacts on Columbia River and Puget Sound chinook stocks.

The Makah troll fishery, Pattillo says, is managed not under a quota but as a season, just like most Puget Sound sport fisheries.

Each year when state, federal, tribal, sport and commercial fishing constituents set salmon seasons, they come up with estimates on the number of fish that can be taken in all fisheries and are expected to stay within that ballpark figure.

"We will be contacting (the) Makah to discuss the issue and will request they close the fishery," Pattillo said.

The tribe could not be reached for comment.

State Fish and Wildlife will unveil Puget Sound, coastal Washington and Columbia River salmon abundance forecasts March 1 in Olympia. Final salmon fishing seasons for 2005-06 will be announced April 4-8 in Tacoma.

"is it totally out of the question to sue the makah over this?"

"If we can't sue... can the other tribes that stand to lose out, sue?"

I don't know about lawsuits right now (the proper protocol would have been to evaluate the fishery before it happened, judge that it was going to massively overfish, and get an injunction to stop it before the overharvest occurred), but I expect that there will be trouble, big trouble, amongst all of the user groups later this spring and summer.

The seasons in PS (tribal, commercial, and sport) are set by impact limits on ESA Chinook, and I'm sure that lots of those limits have been met or exceeded already.

Everyone "upstream" of the Makahs is going to suffer for this, including the PS tribes...and I doubt it will make any friends for the Makahs, of any of the user groups, the other tribes included.

I suspect that the NoF meetings are going to be very contentious this year.

This will be very interesting...

Fish on...

Todd

...I would suggest that we are "downstream" of the Makah and I'm afraid we're going to get hammered by the outfall.....

Some side questions that might be answered by others on this site:

What impact might this "overharvest" have on the quotas for the Lower Columbia net fishery for spring chinook this year?

Is it possible that the Makah action might be able to curtail the proposed increase in exploitation rates that WDFW is proposing for this year?

Good points Todd & Baddawg...

bushbear,

Only if they caught a significant amount of Columbia River wild spring Chinook, which I doubt they did.

Fish on...

Todd

Why not just close the sport fishery there(marine areas around the reservation)? No money from the sport-fishers at the marina ought to sting in the right place.

Aunty, I think that solely depends on how the WDFW decides to spread out the impact.

If the Commercials or Sporties bear the most weight, the local PS tribes might just let it slide. Why oppose overfishing from a partner tribe when they themselves push the boundaries or fair practice all the time?

Interesting point, Rich G.

I wonder is if this is actually unusual or simply the first honest report of their catch?? They fish the same time, same place every year, but this year they catch 20x more fish. Seems fishy to me...

Since they have to report their own catch, I can't help but wonder if this is the first accurate report we've seen in years. Do you think someone within the tribe let the real numbers slip out??

Here is some contact information , for those that just want to reach out and touch someone....

Contact us!

Makah Tribe

P.O. Box 115

Neah Bay, WA 98357

360-645-2201

Web Designer

Amoreena L. Barnes

Web Administrator

Sarah Tholt

360-645-2201

mtcgmsupport@centurytel.net

Makah Cultural and Research Center

P.O. Box 160

Neah Bay, WA 98357

360-645-2711 Fax: 360-645-2656 email mcrc@olypen.com

I just reached out and touched the secretariey of the tribal office and left a message telling them that I was cancelling a trip that we had planned out there and that I was going to call for a boycott of all things having to do with the Makah tibe and its business's , also that they could see our displeasure by looking at the posts on this board....

These fish could include Oregon and Sacramento fish. Hopefully, the allocation reduction isn't limited to Puget Sound / Washington affected fisheries.

The only allocation reduction that should take place is with the Makah Tribe, anything else should bring the wrath of sportfishers all over washington upon them!

I wonder what the dead shaker to keeper ratio was fishing at that time of year. 5 to 1? 10 to 1?

At least in the summer, it's mostly keepers being caught.

I know that shakers rarely survive being caught by a commercial troller.

Whoever at WDFW agreed to a open-ended "season" instead of a quota should be fired.

"The forecasts available from the state on March 1 for Snake River fall wild chinook and Puget Sound weak wild chinook stocks such as mid-Hood Canal, Stillaguamish and Skagit wild chinook could be less than anticipated because of this unexpected catch."

This here just ****** me off!

Trying to help these two watersheds (Skagit and Stillaguamish) and this happens; I have sent this article to both Group attentions

I say first and foremost the Makah give up their entire summer chinook fishery. No incidentials either which means no coho fishery. Secondly, why oh why isn't the state watching these fisheries. Not hard or expensive to have a fish checker keeping an eye on things and dropping a dime now and then. The system is a joke. I wish we could put a road block up there. Wall them off on the res until they live up to their end of the treaty. Makah, like we already didn't know, but you have proven you cannot be trusted. I say penalize them hard with boycotts until they report all catch daily and accurately and earn our trust.

For those interested in the NOF process, here is a link and meeting info: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/ Here is an e-mail to send/voice your concerns: NorthofFalcon@dfw.wa.gov Here is a link to the Pacific Fishery Management Council website: http://www.pcouncil.org/ They are vital in this process as well.
I have never attended a NOF meeting, but plan to this year. I would hope that others would as well. I have a bad feeling about the impact this is going to have on our Sporties Seasons this summer.

Kev

Pretty sad to hear about things like that, I feel for you westcoasters. It is pretty pathetic that nothing can be done about the devestation that these tribal and commercial netters are doing to wild populations of Salmon and Steelhead. It does not seem that they will be happy until they kill off the last of them.

Kev:

What good is it taking part in the NOF process when A-holes like the Makahs just do what they want anyway?

Some way, some how, we need to get the feds involved in this. That seems like the only way we could get anything done in a situation like this. Of course I won't be holding my breath.

FYI

We can not lump all the tribes in with what the Makah Tribe did!

Stillaguamish Tribe is a great steward for the Stillaguamish River.

I just wanted to point out there service to Basin. Because I work with them on other projects and see this first hand.

Just received this E-Mail from one Watershed Group Member:

"I think this is another example that the current methods of management need improvement. It also shows that somebody at the commission needs to educate those out fishing about the basics of what not to do. I imagine that the other tribes that are impacted will have something to say about this rather than let a naive action hurt the positive efforts being implemented by other tribes."

I would sure like to know when the "season" started and if they are still fishing. January 10 was 3 weeks ago. The kill may be 40K by now.