Sport fishermen benefit from short tribal fishery

Sharp cuts in fishing by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians this year will allow sport fishermen to start fishing for chinook on the Puyallup River two weeks early.

“The tribe is going to be off the water more this year to reduce impacts on returning chinook, and this gave more opportunity for sport fishermen,” said Chris Phinney, the tribe’s salmon fisheries management biologist. The cuts by the tribe were agreed to last spring during the tribal and state salmon fisheries management process.