Are rockfish stocks off the coast of Washington state in the same condition as rockfish population hundreds of miles away in California? Probably not, but the way we manage them now, we’re assuming that the two diverse stocks are identical. (more…)
Historically, Quinault River sockeye had more than 55 miles of spawning habitat from the mouth of Lake Quinault to the Olympic National Park border. Today there are fewer than 3 miles of spawning habitat corresponding with a precipitous drop in sockeye populations. Halting the erosion of remaining spawning habitat and creating more is a goal of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN).
Timberlands about half the size of Washington, D.C., were flattened by the early December storm that packed winds of more than 147 mph along the southwestern coast of the state.…
The Dungeness crab fishery is one of the economic pillars for coastal tribal fishermen as well as one of the most dangerous. Most of the money is made in November and December when weather conditions can be the worst. A good year means fishermen can buy new gear or get a better boat to improve their effort the following season.
The Skagit Valley Herald (subscription required) has an article about the Swinomish Tribe’s new oil-spill response trailer. The Quinault, Hoh, Makah, Lummi, Tulalip, Nisqually, Quileute and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes also benefited from this Department of Ecology grant.
Grant helps Swinomish prepare for oil spills
By KATE MOSER Staff WriterAfter 20 years of experience responding to oil spills, including Exxon-Valdez, Swinomish Police Sgt. James Lynch knows that there is a lot of work to be done for whoever responds the quickest.
“The bottom line is, whoever gets there with the boom first, God bless ’em,” Lynch said, referring to an oil-containment boom, which is a floating barrier used to corral the oil.
That’s why Lynch applied for a state Department of Ecology grant on behalf of the Swinomish Police Department, making oil-spill response equipment ready for use whenever any agency in Skagit County needs it.
TAHOLAH (April 12,2006) – Marty Figg, Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) hatchery manager, remembers the early days of catching steelhead with a fishing pole to obtain fish eggs to rear for the Lake Quinault Hatchery. “Fishing every day with a pole as part of your job isn’t as romantic as some fishermen might imagine,” Figg said chuckling. That was 34 years ago, when QIN strived to obtain and rear 30,000 to 40,000 steelhead eggs. Now, hatchery personnel catch the fish with a net and collect more than 500,000 eggs to rear before releasing young fish in the Quinault and Salmon River watersheds. “We are really proud of our returning adults,” said Figg. “We get fish back anywhere from 8 to 30 pounds.”
COPALIS (June 24, 2005) � An estimated 12,000 non-tribal recreational razor clam harvesters were on Copalis Beach north of Ocean Shores in early May thanks to a gift of 180,000 clams from the Quinault Indian Nation.
TAHOLAH (March, 25, 2005) – Bear grass has been used in tribal basket weaving on the Olympic coast of Washington for centuries. Opportunities to gather bear grass, however, are dwindling on the Olympic Peninsula. Traditional bear grass areas have been converted to commercial forest, eliminating the open space habitat that bear grass prefers. Improper harvest techniques by a rapidly increasing forest products industry are also taking a toll – resulting in no re-growth of bear grass. Finally, a key ingredient in the plant’s life cycle is missing: fire.
“We believe that tribes kept these bear grass areas flourishing by burning them,” said Daniela Shebitz, a researcher from the University of Washington who is working with Justine James, Quinault Indian Nation timber/fish/wildlife cultural specialist, to preserve and enhance bear grass habitat. Shebitz’s goal is to show the importance of reintroducing traditional land management practices to restore culturally important resources.
TAHOLAH (November. 9, 2004) – A five-year cooperative by the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will improve estimates of natural razor clam mortality and may lead to higher harvest limits.
Razor clams play a small, but important role in the QIN economy. The Nation is the only Washington tribe that has a commercial razor clam enterprise. Culturally, razor clams have been a part of tribal diets and ceremonies for thousands of years.
TAHOLAH (June 25, 2004) -- Elk have always been important to Native people in western Washington. Even today, for some Quinault Indian Nation families, elk meat provides 50-90 percent of…