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Ecology and salmon related articles

Tribes Air Issues with Non-Indian
Sport, Commercial Fisheries

by Allen Thomas
The Columbian, July 31, 2014

Young fisherman show their plentiful catch of Chinook from the Columbia River. The four Columbia River treaty tribes reminded Washington and Oregon this week on how much they disagree with the way the states manage sport and commercial fall salmon fisheries downstream of Bonneville Dam.

Bruce Jim, chairman of the fish and wildlife committee of the Warm Springs tribe and a commissioner with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, listed the follow disgruntlements with states:

Wilbur Slockish of the Yakama tribe said fishing seasons where fin-clipped hatchery fish are kept and wild fish are released are just another way of increasing the catch by sport fishermen.

The tribes are upset with the political victories the sportsmen have achieved in recent years over non-Indian commercial fishermen, he said.

"They're looking at us, too," Slockish said.

Jim said there is too little monitoring of the sports catch and the sport harvest is larger than the states claim.

With huge salmon runs anticipated, releasing catch makes little sense in 2014, Jim said.

"This year, it simply makes more sense to keep what you catch," he said.


Allen Thomas
Tribes Air Issues with Non-Indian Sport, Commercial Fisheries
The Columbian, July 31, 2014

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