There is certainly no state-sponsored commercial fishery in the Nooksack River.

The only in-river commercial fisheries up there are tribal treaty fisheries, which are not run by WDFW. They are run by the NWIFC and NMFS.

Now WDFW is a co-manager of the fish that the tribes fish over, but does not regulate, and by law cannot regulate except in a few specific instances, tribal fisheries.

There is a certain allowable impact on protected, and even ESA listed, runs, but it is rarely used as a directed fishery for sports fishermen. Perhaps never.

The reason is that sportfishers can be the most selective in their harvest by releasing unclipped fish. The part of the allowable impact that is allocated to sportfishers is used up by incidental mortality associated with catch and release.

The rest of the allowable impacts are allocated to tribal fisheries (in river) and non-tribal commercial fisheries (in B'ham Bay).

The tribal season is set so as to allow the maximum possible harvest of hatchery fish without exceeding the allowable impact on wild fish, as is the non-tribal commercial season.

I hope that answers some of your questions!

Fish on...

Todd.