Diminishing runs means season cuts

By Clare Jensen

For Puyallup Tribal News
cjensen@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: September 04, 2008

Avid tribal fishermen and elders may have felt the impact of continued fishing cuts on the Puyallup River this summer, but Coho season is now open for all.

This year and last the river has been closed to fishermen wishing to get their nets wet during the usual summer season, and for those who remember the days when you could fish all year round, it has caused some frustration and confusion.

“The reason why we have the fishing schedule the way it is, is just because of lack of fish,” said Fred Dillon, natural resource policy representative for the Tribe. “It’s plain and simple: there’s just no fish out there.”

The Tribe is required by the state to meet certain escapement numbers for both wild and hatchery salmon, and because of the impact of over-fishing along the Northwest coast, they have had trouble meeting those numbers.

“The fish migrate from our water system to the Sound into the ocean and up to Canada and Alaska,” Fred Dillon said. “When they come back, Alaska is fishing them, Canada is fishing them…and we get the impact.”

Fred Dillon said the Tribe has been in negotiations with Canada and Alaska in order to get them to cut back on fishing.

However, even with cutbacks locally and up north the fisheries won’t see the impact of their efforts for several years.

Fred Dillon said there have been increasing cutbacks on fishing schedules over the past five years, and the last two years Chinook season had to be cut entirely on the Puyallup.

Tribal members may want to venture to other waters, such as Chambers Bay or Carr Inlet, where they are free to fish for salmon.

Coho season, which opened Aug. 31, is open to tribal members on the Puyallup.

The schedule has been cut back two days from the usual schedule during the peak run time in an attempt to get as many salmon back up the river as possible.

The strain on fishing seasons may be difficult for regular fishers to come to terms with, but the Tribe stresses that the payoff in the long run will be significant.

“We have the mentality that we are fishermen, that’s our right,” Fred Dillon said. “I have the mentality that I want to look out for future generations, and make sure that they’ll be able to fish.”

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