Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

The Quinault Indian Nation has closed Lake Quinault to non-tribal fishing until further notice due to concerns about sockeye populations and reported enforcement problems. Details of the nation’s decision are here.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Makah Tribal Council signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to reaffirm their integral partnership, cooperation and coordination in pollution prevention and response during a ceremony at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle, April 12.

“This MOA will solidify an enduring relationship for decades to come,” said Rear Adm. Keith A. Taylor, commander of the 13th Coast Guard District. “The agreement establishes …

Is low oxygen in the ocean near Taholah killing off young crab each year, threatening the future of the fishery?

That’s the question Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) wants to help answer using special equipment to measure the extent and depth of low oxygen events.

QIN has requested a grant to pay for instruments that would measure dissolved oxygen from inside crab pots. “It’s a great way …

Ed Johnstone, Quinault Indian Nation fisheries and ocean policy spokesperson, was recognized at a White House ceremony as part of the Champions for Change program April 11. Johnstone was lauded along with 11 other citizens, businesses and community leaders who are Champions of Change working to prepare their communities for the consequences of climate change.

Johnstone was honored as a voice for alerting the world to …

During the First Stewards climate change symposium last year, Dr. Simone Alin made a well-received presentation describing the process of ocean acidification. Alin is an oceanographer and marine chemist at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle.

As the state of Washington begins to attempt to address an issue that threatens both tribal and non-tribal communities alike, it is a good time to post a link …

The premiere of the documentary, Back to the River, was held at the Seattle Aquarium Feb. 2. The movie details the story of the treaty rights struggle from the pre-Boldt era to tribal and state co-management. The movie includes the voices and personal accounts of tribal fishers, leaders and others active in the treaty fishing rights struggle. More photos of the event can be found …

The 65-foot dock section that beached within Olympic National Park north of the Hoh River has been cleaned of plant and animal species. You can read more at a special site dedicated to the dock here.

A team safely reached a large dock section on Friday that was beached in Olympic Park on the Washington Coast after first being encountered by a Quinault Indian Nation fisherman more than a week ago. A beacon was attached and samples taken to assess any threat from invasive species. A news release regarding the team’s findings and a link to pictures is located here.

A team will try again today to reach a large dock section of suspected tsunami debris located on a remote section of the Washington coast north of the Hoh River. You can read the update here.

A large section of dock that was originally encountered by Quinault Indian Nation fishermen floating off the coast last week has beached within Olympic National Park north of the Hoh River. A news release regarding the item can be read here. A rapid response team was slated to hike to the site today. It has not been confirmed whether the dock is from the Japanese …