Here is something I came across that makes no sense to me. Am I missing something?


PUGET SOUND COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHERIES HOTLINE (360) 902-2500 2016-03 Week 33 Thursday August 4th at 3:00 p.m. [read by: Kwasi Addae]
Area 7 and 7A sockeye fisheries are controlled by the Fraser River Panel and are not posted on this hotline. Fishers should call the National Marine Fisheries Service Hotline at 1-800-662-9825 to get opening information on Fraser Panel fisheries. Fishers are reminded that a department issued Fish Friendly certification card is required to participate in any Area 7 or 7A commercial salmon fisheries.
For the week beginning Sunday August 7th all areas are closed except as follows:

Areas 7B (Bellingham Bay) and 7C (Samish Bay) will be open to:
Gillnets using 7-inch minimum mesh size: 7 PM Sunday, August 7th to 8 AM Monday, August 8th. 7 PM Monday, August 8th to 8 AM Tuesday, August 9th. 7 PM Tuesday, August 9th to 8 AM Wednesday August 10th.
Purse seines with a 5 inch strip: Wednesday August 10th from 6 AM to 8 PM. Brailing is required and purse seines must release all coho.
The portion of Area 12C within 2,000 feet of the western shore between the dock at Glen Ayr Recreational Vehicle Park and the Hoodsport Marina dock, also referred to as the Hoodsport Hatchery Zone will be open to:
Beach seines with nets not to exceed 990 feet in length and 200 meshes in depth using minimum 3-inch and maximum 4-inch mesh:
7 AM to 7 PM daily, Monday August 8th and Wednesday August 10th
Beach seines must release all chum.
Participation is limited to those with a department issued beach seine permit and all rules and regulations associated with that permit remain in effect.

I'll be at that meeting in Olympia at the 4:15 time slot, I plan on calling out anyone from wdfw that has ANYTHING to say about this and hasn't told the A.G. the facts of life. Tribes will litigate until hell freezes over (or until the state caves in) even on a losing case if they have casino funds to pay off greedy lawyers. A purely Donald Trump kind of strategy, wear them down with bull**it until they cave. Until the state steps up and challenges this in court the taxpayers and fishing license purchasers end up paying for a tribal and commercial fishery . This kind of B.S. has got to stop. If the state takes them to court and loses the situation would be the same, at least they should fight this all the way before common practice is established that favors tribal interests in fishing co-management that corrupt our political system and screws over the rest of us. Go to the meeting instead of complaining here about how no one from the state was at the hatchery last week meeting with protesters. Call them out for selling out the residents of our state. Maybe we should show up in force at next years canoe journey, a lot of fishermen in boats could certainly throw some sand in their wheels( or paddles!) The news crews would certainly be there. We could balme the disruption on WDFW's failure to protect our interests and rights. Bob R

Maybe I'm missing something here but what the hell does the hoodsport hatchery have to do with the Skokomish closure (the reason for this thread)?

Isn't the Marine Area 12 recreational fishery open? These hatchery Chinook are not returning to the Skokomish.

Maybe you're just bent out of shape because some non-treaty commercial guys are netting fish that would otherwise end up as surplus at Hoodsport?

More lost opportunity for the bank-bound, whether it's Hoodsport or the Skok, all at the expense of the ones losing the opportunity.

Send me those pictures please.

You are joking right? I want to make sure before I respond.

Not completely, no. Again, what does it have to do with the theme of the thread?

I don't understand where you are getting your information. How do you know the fish caught aren't Skok fish? Of course they are. They are also Hoodsport fish.

They raised the limit to make up for closing the in river fishery. Now, they are underhandedly allowing a NT net season, instead of just opening the Fuc*ing river like they should (and legally can). I would venture to say most of the people who fish the Skokomish aren't out in the canal fishing this weekend.

So, they are not going to open the river, even based on your assurance of the legality.

I guess I see this opener as a poke in the eye to the Skoks.....

If they catch Skok fish too, even better.

A big poke would be opening the river. Until a judge decides the legality of their ownership claims, we should still be fishing. The WDFW should be present to keep the tribal police from harassing us. Not to keep us off the river.

Have seen those beach seines for years in that area.

There have been tribal beach seines fishing that Hoodsport hatchery area for many years. I am not sure there were ever non-treaty beach seines there as per these regulations.

Correct. The non-tribal component is new, and it appears to be made possible by agreeing to give up the rec fishery in the river. Of course, appearances can be misleading.... Do we know, for fact, that it went down that way, or are we only connecting dots and drawing conclusions? I'm waiting on a clear answer to this before I start writing letters.

Well here is the man to ask the question to.
ron.warren@dfw.wa.gov

Non-tribal ones?

Message sent. Wonder if Ron ever gets tired of being the fall guy for outrageous management decisions....

Since the department is pushing for increased license fees, I started with an e mail to the director about the various loss of opportunity and if with a new net fishery that there would be a good place to scavenge for new department funding.

Director Unsworth ---1 360 902 2200 director@dfw.wa.gov

Ron Warren 1 360 902 2799

I am not a PS person and live here in the Chehalis Valley so I seldom jump in your issues but I will say this. If you are a REC fisher be it the East side of the mountains, PS, or the coast you have be damn near ready for the sleeveless overcoat and a ride to the gray bar hotel to support any license increase ........... period. They will take your money prance around and proclaim they are the Recs friend then do what they have done for the entire 68 years I have been alive ..... screw the hell out you.

Just to make this more interesting for the GH folks I understand the Skoks are trying to claim Black Lake/Black River as part of their U&A. A new player for the GH management circus.

Hadn't heard about the Black. Not sure why they'd want it, save for the occasional year where it sees fishable numbers of coho. Maybe they are only seeking to steal more sport impacts in the Chehalis Basin like they did on their home river.

The one that really raised my hackles was trying to get the Satsop added to their U&A. If that happens, they'll mop up whatever the Quinault miss in the tidal Chehalis, and it'll be all over but the crying for the GH in-river sportsman. Looks like we're headed that way, sooner rather than later.