In regards to the May 7 story in The Herald titled “Tensions boil over fishing,” with the subtitle “Recreational fishermen protest tribal member’s harvest of salmon,” is only partly correct.
One of the issues is that recreational fishermen protest tribal member’s harvest of salmon “without the proper permits.” The Bureau of Indian Affairs that approved the fisheries has no authority to authorize fisheries that include Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon. The National Marine Fisheries Service is the only agency allowed to permit endangered salmon in tribal and sport fisheries.
The importance of this is even though the intent of the Boldt decision was to split the harvest of salmon evenly, the tribes have higher impacts to Puget Sound ESA listed chinook equaling 64.85 percent in 2015, with the tribes wanting to make this even more lopsided this year.
This year’s breakdown of negotiations is no surprise and has been coming for some time.
Last year for example, negotiations were all but agreed upon when the Muckleshoots’ last-minute ultimatum that area 10 (Seattle area) be closed with additional substantial cuts in harvest in Area 9 for chinook to sport anglers. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife agreed to this last-minute shenanigan just so there could be an agreement. This year the alleged ultimatum was to close all waters in Puget Sound where Puyallup chinook swam— effectively closing most/all of Puget Sound to recreational salmon fishing.
I was at the Lacey rally to support Fish and Wildlife Director Unsworth’s “no deal” to these ultimatums, and lopsided agreements. It is time to start bargaining in good faith and come to an equitable agreement
Lewis Boyd
Everett
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