Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Deborah Parker, vice chair of the Tulalip Tribes, spoke at the Pacific Education Institute‘s FieldSTEM breakfast last week. She spoke about her own upbringing and education, and why learning about nature resources in nature is important.

Deborah Parker at FieldSTEM 2013 Breakfast from NW Indian Fisheries Commission on Vimeo.

A week ago, the Squaxin Island Tribe conducted a rare intertidal geoduck harvest.

Squaxin Island Tribe intertidal geoduck harvest from NW Indian Fisheries Commission on Vimeo.

Take a look at our photo set too.

A joint press release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, western Washington Treaty Tribes, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service on ISA monitoring results:

Recent tests of salmon from Washington’s waters show no signs of a fish virus that can be deadly to farm-raised Atlantic salmon, state, tribal and federal resource managers announced today.

Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV) was not detected in

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Treaty Indian tribes in western Washington are disappointed to learn that the state has filed an appeal in the culvert case ruling.

Federal District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez ruled on March 29 that the state must fix fish-blocking culverts under its roads in western Washington because they violate tribal treaty-reserved fishing rights. The court found that more than 1,500 state culverts deny salmon access to hundreds …

Over at Treaty Rights at Risk, the regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries gives his thoughts during the recent salmon recovery conference.

J.S. Barber, T. Mitchell, J. Gibson, T. Hoyopatubbi, T. Gobert, A. Ferderer. 2012. Clam population variability within a Puget Sound bivalve management region. Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Technical Report #SWIN-TR-2012-01. 32 pp.

Abstract

Puget Sound beaches support extensive recreational and commercial shellfisheries that are of significant economic, cultural, and ecological value. In order to best co-manage bivalve resources, state and tribal managers divide public tidelands into …

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is building environmentally friendly housing that also reflects their culture. This year the tribe’s housing authority opened The Place of Hidden Waters, an environmentally friendly 10-unit housing complex that emulates the traditional longhouse design.

“It was important that the building be culturally relevant to the tribe,” said Annette Bryan, executive director for the housing authority. “Another important part of the tribe’s …

The Nisqually Indian Tribe is taking a creative approach to help a new streamside forest thrive.

“We’re using thousands of donated burlap sacks and transporting them across the Nisqually River by boat to make sure thousands of newly planted trees don’t get overrun by grass,” said David Troutt, natural resources director for the tribe. The tribe’s restoration planting crew recently reforested 15-acres of off channel habitat …

In an 87-11 vote, the U.S. Senate approved Sally Jewell as Interior Secretary yesterday (Earthfix and West Seattle Herald).

Billy Frank Jr., chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, earlier praised the nomination of Jewell:

Frank praised Jewell’s knowledge of tribes and tribal issues, and respect for tribal sovereignty and treaty rights. “We are facing big challenges such as achieving salmon recovery, protecting water

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The Seattle Times puts it pretty well this morning:

Fix it, pay for it, get it done. A federal judge is virtually that blunt in telling the state of Washington to repair culverts that block passage to salmon habitat.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez reminded the state it has a narrow and specific treaty-based duty to ensure Northwest tribes access to healthy fish runs.

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