Treaty tribal and state co-managers will seek separate federal permits for salmon fisheries in Puget Sound this year after being unable to reach agreement on a comprehensive package of proposed fisheries.
Tribes will greatly restrict their fisheries this year to minimize impacts on record low returns of naturally spawning and hatchery coho. Tribes will close all directed fisheries on returning coho except in a few terminal areas with harvestable hatchery fish.
“The treaty Indian tribes still remain committed to co-management for the recovery and sustainability of the salmon resource,” said Lorraine Loomis, chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “While we were unable to reach agreement with the state this season, we must find a way to move forward together to recover salmon stocks.”
Key to recovering salmon stocks is stopping the ongoing loss of salmon habitat and offsetting that loss with better use of hatcheries, she said.
“Our management challenges and restrictive fisheries are the direct effect of the destruction of salmon habitat,” Loomis said. “We are losing habitat faster than it can be restored and it is destroying the salmon resource.”
For More Information: Tony Meyer, NWIFC, 360 438-1180; 360 951-9341 cell
