Back to the River documentary premieres at Seattle Aquarium
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…
Quileute Tribe Boosts Sol Duc Summer Run
The Sol Duc River on the northwestern Olympic Peninsula runs at its lowest and warmest when summer chinook return to its waters every year. Despite being in one of the world’s greatest temperate rain forests, near-drought conditions often occur in late summer before the fall rains begin in earnest.
“These fish are survivors,” said Roger Lien, fish biologist for the Quileute Tribe. After four to five years at sea, the fish return to their river of birth at a difficult time. Low flows go hand in hand with higher water temperatures, placing enormous stress on the fish and making them susceptible to disease. Water temperatures near 70 degrees can be lethal to salmon. (more…)
Kitsap Sun: Gorst Chinook Run Changes
The Kitsap Sun reported on the potentially early-returning chinook to Sinclair Inlet in a few years. GORST — Three years from now, anglers and tribal fishermen should be able to…
Two videos from the Puyallup Tribe’s elders fishery
For the second year, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians was able to open a limited ceremonial and subsistence fishery for elders on spring chinook. The two day fishery was open…
Stillaguamish Tribe to hold Salmon Ceremony on July 25
The Stillaguamish Tribe will have its first Salmon Ceremony in at least 25 years on July 25. The ceremony marks the first time the tribe has had a ceremonial and…
Tacoma Weekly: Hatchery closing could devastate local fishing – and beyond
From the Tacoma Weekly:
Fishermen – tribal, commercial and sports – around the south Puget Sound area could be receiving more bad news if a proposal to close the 90-year-old Voights Creek Hatchery is approved in the state’s final budget later this month.
While recent statements from state wildlife officials and Puyallup Tribe officials working on plans to save the hatchery reflect cautious optimism that the hatchery might yet survive, there is plenty of concern to go around – in all quarters of the fishing industry – if it doesn’t.
(more…)
Understanding importance of salmon to tribes
A University of Washington environmental journalism student blogs about the decline of salmon fisheries and what it means to the Swinomish Tribe.
Vandals target tribal fishermen
From the Olympian: A vulgar graffiti message scrawled on the upstream side of the Old Pacific Highway bridge across the Nisqually River is a sign that racism hasn't died out…
Tired of Salmon?
OLYMPIA – There’s a new bug that’s been going around for the last couple years. State and federal elected officials and bureaucrats seem to be coming down with it more than anyone else.
It’s called “salmon fatigue” and from what I can tell, it’s a brain infection that makes you tired of trying to save the salmon.
If we cried about fatigue every time we came up against a difficult problem in this country, where would we be? I don’t understand how you can get tired of trying to save the salmon.
What those infected with salmon fatigue are really saying is “stop coming to me and talking about salmon.” (more…)
Despite low chinook run, co-managers boost escapement
NISQUALLY – Good harvest management by tribal and state salmon co-managers has led to more chinook reaching the spawning grounds on the Nisqually River this year despite fewer returning chinook.
“Overall fewer chinook returned Puget Sound-wide, but because we managed our fisheries the right way, we were able to reach our escapement goal,” said David Troutt, natural resources director for the Nisqually Tribe. Escapement is the number of salmon that are allowed to reach the spawning grounds.
Nisqually River chinook are part of a larger Puget Sound population of chinook that are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. (more…)