Salmon Fishery

Lummi Nation seeks federal relief following fishery closure

Lummi tribal fishermen prepare a purse seine during the 2011 Fraser sockeye fishery. The tribe has declared 2013 a fisheries resource disaster after poor returns canceled this year's fishery worth $1.3 million.
Lummi tribal fishermen prepare a purse seine during the 2011 Fraser sockeye fishery. The tribe has declared 2013 a fisheries economic disaster after poor returns canceled this year’s fishery worth $1.3 million.

The Lummi Nation is seeking federal disaster relief for its fishing fleet following another year of poor returns of Fraser River sockeye salmon.

In September, the tribe passed a declaration of natural disaster under the federal Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and a fisheries economic disaster under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Despite a bountiful run in 2010, Fraser River sockeye returns have been declining for 30 years. The U.S. Department of Commerce declared it a fisheries economic disaster in 2002, 2007 and 2008.

There was no commercial Fraser sockeye in 2013. “Our traditional ties to the sockeye are irreplaceable,” said Elden Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Fisheries Commission. “The lack of harvest interferes with our schelangen (way of life).”

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Quilcene Coho Salmon Fishery Helps Sustain Tribes’ Way Of Life

QUILCENE (Aug. 12, 2003) – Each summer, fishermen are lured to one of the most popular fisheries in western Washington. The goal is the same for everyone: catch coho salmon making their way back to the Big Quilcene River. But while most anglers come out for the sport, others are fishing primarily for a meal.

For several Treaty Indian tribes, the Quilcene hatchery coho fishery provides a source of food for families living on reservations, where unemployment can range as high as 80 percent. Harvested salmon also play a big role in the tribes’ traditional ceremonies.

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