Author: kneumeyer

The Lummi Nation is sampling crab larvae to improve harvest management and contribute to salmon marine survival research. “Because of the reduction of other fisheries, crab is more important than ever for Lummi fishers or Lummi families depending on fishers for support,” said Evelyn Brown, Lummi fisheries analyst. “Without crab, the economic base from fishery income would take a sharp downward trend” But crab management, as with other fished species, depends on good stock assessment and population information. “Because of the critical nature of the crab resource, we need to have a better grasp on recruitment processes and what...

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is using traditional knowledge to incorporate cultural values into wetland management. In 1999, a wetland inventory identified 54 wetlands on the Swinomish Reservation and assessed 36 of them for functions such as flood and stormwater control, base flow and groundwater support, and shoreline and erosion protection. “We realized that standard wetland inventory and functional assessment methods could not adequately identify wetland functions related to tribal cultural values,” said Todd Mitchell, Swinomish environmental director. “We are fortunate that as the tribal government and regulatory authority, we are able to incorporate cultural values within our policies.”...