Lead Story

A long-term study by the Nisqually Tribe is providing a better understanding of shrimp in South Sound.

“What shrimp populations are in the area is not well documented,” said Margaret Homerding, shellfish biologist for the Nisqually Tribe. “The state conducted surveys a decade ago, but did not catch any spot prawns.”

The tribe is dropping three shrimp pots every few months in various locations from the Nisqually Reach to lower Carr Inlet. Each pot location is tracked on GPS and any catch is recorded.

“We started surveying when we saw our crabbers pulling up spot prawns from their deeper pots,” Homerding said. “We are looking for all species of shrimp, but we’re focusing our efforts on spot prawns, which are the commercially valuable species.” So far, spot prawns and dock shrimp have been the most abundant species in the tribal surveys.
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The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is making sure traditional foods are part of many of the meals it serves. Six kitchens across the tribe – including in schools and elder facilities – adopted new protocols to encourage the use of traditional foods.

The Muckleshoot Indian School is using the protocols to designate at least one day a week for traditional foods. The introduction of traditional food has been a learning process for both the kitchen staff at the school and the school community, said Shawn Saylor, the school kitchen coordinator.

The Muckleshoot school kitchen began introducing traditional foods soon after the protocols were in place four years ago. But even then, students were still able to choose a cold sandwich if they didn’t like the traditional option.
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The Squaxin Island Tribe is conducting snorkel surveys throughout the Deschutes River watershed, looking for stretches where coho go to feed and grow.

Each spring for the last three years, the tribe has released 100,000 juvenile coho into the Deschutes. They then follow up for months with snorkel surveys to see where the fish go. “What we’re looking for is coho habitat to protect and restore,” said Scott Steltzner, salmon biologist for the tribe. “And, obviously, the coho know where the best coho habitat is.”

The problem, however, is that low runs of coho to the Deschutes in recent decades mean there aren’t even enough coho to fill the available habitat. “We can guess what sort of habitat coho want, but the best way is to get out there and find out first hand,” Steltzner said. “But, to find where the good coho habitat is in the Deschutes, we need to put some coho in the river first.”
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The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is trying to find out why so many spring chinook are passed above a dam on the White River, but so few of them end up spawning.

“We’re trying to identify sources of pre-spawning mortality that have contributed to a wide disparity between the number of adults hauled upstream and the number of fish counted on the spawning grounds,” said Russ Ladley, resource protection manager for the tribe. “It takes more than eight adult chinook to produce one redd or nest in the White.” This contrasts with other Puget Sound Rivers where typically less than three adults are needed to make one redd.

“These radio tags will give us a pretty clear picture of where these fish end up,” Ladley said.
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The largest bull trout ever recorded on the White River was found by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians at an adult fish trap in June. The 12-pound fish was three times the size of the average bull trout.

“The most interesting thing about that bull trout is that we’ve seen it three times already in six years coming through the trap,” said Russ Ladley, resource protection manager for the tribe.

Tribal scientists tag and count every bull trout at the trap, so they have a good picture of the entire migratory portion of the White River bull trout population. The adult trap collects fish for trucking over an upriver dam.

The massive fish was part of a record tally of bull trout counted the White River, a major tributary to the Puyallup. So far this year the tribe has counted more than 400 bull trout at the Buckley Fish Trap, which is the largest count on record. “There is something definitely going on here, we’re seeing more and bigger bull trout each year,” Ladley said.
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OLYMPIA — Lorraine Loomis, a Swinomish tribal member, has been elected chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

She replaces the late Billy Frank Jr., who served as NWIFC chairman for more than 30 years. Frank died on May 5, 2014 at the age of 83.

“I am honored and humbled to be elected chair of the NWIFC,” said Loomis. “No one can ever replace Billy. It will take all of us to carry on his work.”

Loomis, who was serving as vice-chair of the commission, will fill the remainder of Frank’s term as chair through May, 2016. Shawn Yanity, Stillaguamish tribal chair, was elected to replace Loomis as vice chair. Ed Johnstone, Quinault Indian Nation, will continue as NWIFC treasurer.

Loomis, 72, has been Swinomish tribal fisheries manager since 1975. She has extensive experience in fisheries management throughout the region. She currently serves on the Fraser River Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission that manages sockeye and pink salmon under the U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty. Loomis also coordinates tribal participation in the annual North of Falcon salmon season development process with the State of Washington.
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