Tribes fish and WDFW roll over again.

[Paige]

PORT ANGELES – The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (Tribe), Olympic National Park (ONP), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon on the Elwha River will be open for a limited time during fall 2023. Additionally, the Tribe, ONP, and WDFW agreed to extend the closure of other recreational and commercial fisheries in the Elwha River for another year.

I have zero problems with tribal fisheries, but when we are forced out I call bull shit on WDFW for rolling over...
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[Paige]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
wdfw.wa.gov

April 25, 2023
Contact: WDFW Montesano Office, Region 6, 360-249-4628
Media contacts: Mark Yuasa, WDFW, 360-902-2262
Tiffany Royal, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, 360-621-5934
Roy Zipp, Olympic National Park, 360-565-3003

Elwha River's tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon

PORT ANGELES – The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (Tribe), Olympic National Park (ONP), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon on the Elwha River will be open for a limited time during fall 2023. Additionally, the Tribe, ONP, and WDFW agreed to extend the closure of other recreational and commercial fisheries in the Elwha River for another year.

For more than 100 years, the Elwha River dams blocked salmon access to over 90% of the river, devastating the once abundant salmon population in this system. Since the start of dam removal in 2011, the Tribe, ONP, and WDFW voluntarily suspended all fish harvest on the Elwha River so that salmon populations could recolonize their former habitats and rebuild their populations. In the nine years since the complete removal of the Elwha River dams, multiple salmon species have shown positive signs of recovery.

Coho salmon recovery has been a success story, thanks to the Tribe's hatchery and fish relocation efforts during and after the dam removal process. The Tribe will conduct a harvest with a limited amount of adult coho salmon at the ceremonial and subsistence fishery on the lower three miles of the Elwha River in October of 2023. The timing of this fishery is designed to minimize impacts to non-target salmonid species, particularly federally listed Chinook salmon and steelhead.

The Elwha River system has been central to Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal culture and lifeways since time immemorial. Up until the early 20th century, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal fishers relied on subsistence fishing in the Elwha River to provide a wealth for their families. This ceremonial and subsistence fishery will provide an opportunity for Tribal fishers to finally access local fish from their namesake river for the first time in over a decade.

"WDFW has been anticipating a time when the Elwha River would produce runs of salmon that could once again support treaty rights of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe," said WDFW Regional Fish Program Manager James Losee. "Ceremonial and subsistence fisheries directed at coho salmon this year is a signal that we are headed in the right direction in the recovery of the Elwha River."

"I look forward to fishing the Elwha River. I have been on the river most of my life. It will provide food for my soul and family. It will keep the fishing culture alive not only for me, but for my 16-year-old son. So many youths and adults have given up gill net fishing as the economic value is not there. Many have turned to harvest of shellfish, which provides more value. I hope opening the river to fishing will revitalize our fishing culture and traditions," said Lower Elwha Klallam Vice Chairman Russ Hepfer.

"We join the Tribe and project partners in celebrating the renewal of Pacific Salmonids to the Elwha River and Olympic National Park. The park is truly grateful for the long-term partnership, commitment, and sacrifices made by the Tribe throughout the Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration Project. After a decade-long fishing closure, it's exciting to see a transition from dam removal to ecosystem benefits, and now a meaningful Ceremonial and Subsistence Fishery," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sula Jacobs."The Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration project is truly a benchmark for cultural and ecological restoration, and a river of hope that grows wilder every day. We have made a significant conservation commitment to future generations of people and fish, and the park looks forward to reopening sport fishing to park visitors in the upper watershed within the next few years."

The ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon will be strictly regulated and include a mix of hand held gear and river nets. Nets will be limited to ½ the span of the river. This fishery will be intensively monitored by Tribal fisheries biologists and enforcement officers for compliance with regulations and to ensure that impacts to non-target species are minimized. The Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will simultaneously evaluate the impacts of various fishing gear types on release survival of non-target species. The data that biologists collect from this fishery will be crucial in developing future in-river commercial and recreational fisheries for coho and other salmon species.

Elwha River fish recovery monitoring is a long-term, cooperative effort involving the Tribe, ONP, WDFW, NOAA Fisheries, USFWS, and U.S. Geological Survey. Each year, project partners evaluate spawner abundance, distribution, and juvenile production throughout the river system using a variety of tools including sonar, redd surveys, snorkel surveys, tangle net surveys, and smolt trapping.

The Tribe, ONP, and WDFW continue to evaluate Elwha River coho salmon population data and to refine long-term management objectives for their recovery. This includes Elwha River coho salmon escapement goals that will provide for future commercial and recreational harvest opportunities. Recreational and commercial fishing will resume when there is broad distribution of spawning adults above the former dam sites, spawning rates allow for population growth and diversity, and a harvestable surplus of fish are returning to the Elwha River. Mountain lakes in the Elwha basin within ONP and Lake Sutherland will remain open to sport fishing from the fourth Saturday in April through Oct. 31.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

 

[Divad]

To be fair it’s because it’s in their culture. Likely will arrive to check the handwoven nets via horse, adorning no rubber or modern textiles in a dugout canoe.

Then will undergo the multiple day trek avoiding westernized roads.

 

[Jake Dogfish]

This is the future of fishing on the Elwha. Only those with special rights will be allowed, just like the Skok.

 

[Rob Allen]

Doesn't the Elwah have a run of summer steelhead? If so won't a coho fishery have an impact on it?

 

[longputt]

handwoven nets via horse

Horses came from Europe

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Doesn't the Elwah have a run of summer steelhead? If so won't a coho fishery have an impact on it?

Correct.

 

[brownheron]

Correct.

Doesn't the Elwah have a run of summer steelhead? If so won't a coho fishery have an impact on it?

There was no summer-run life history when the dams were present for 100 or so years. When the dams came out, some of the trout (formerly steelhead) behind the dams began the summer-run life history again all on their own. It's still a very small population but they have been found in snorkel surveys during late summer, usually early September.

The article says that the tribal fishery will be in the Fall. Given the fishery will be for hatchery fish near the mouth, depending on what the mean by "Fall", I would think the summer-runs should be upstream of the nets.

I have a lot invested in the Elwha recovery as I funded the snorkel surveys mentioned in the link below. Honestly, I'm surprised the tribe has been this patient, especially given the historical context around the dams. I choose to view the limited ceremonial/sustenance fishery for hatchery coho as a good sign that things are progressing and I'm glad the Elwha tribe is able to start fishing again. Hopefully, I'll get to fish it again someday too, but I'm not sweating it if it doesn't happen.

Field Day Friday: Elwha summer steelhead survey

Fall means another field season of studying steelhead in the Elwha River is over and this is the fourth consecutive year we have counted steelhead in the Elwha by snorkeling various river reaches…

www.wildsteelheaders.org

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

There was no summer-run life history when the dams were present for 100 or so years. When the dams came out, some of the trout (formerly steelhead) behind the dams began the summer-run life history again all on their own. It's still a very small population but they have been found in snorkel surveys during late summer, usually early September.

Where those the snorkel surveys John McMillan did?

 

[brownheron]

Where those the snorkel surveys John McMillan did?

Yes, John led the surveys but it was a big crew as can be seen in the overview video done by Shane Anderson at the link I posted.

 

[Yard Sale]

Feels like the roll over happened when they polluted a newly pristine river with a hatchery just to reach this conclusion.

 

[albula]

Feels like the roll over happened when they polluted a newly pristine river with a hatchery just to reach this conclusion.

There you go calling a spade a spade again. You really should stop doing that.

 

[Jake Watrous]

PORT ANGELES – The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (Tribe), Olympic National Park (ONP), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon on the Elwha River will be open for a limited time during fall 2023. Additionally, the Tribe, ONP, and WDFW agreed to extend the closure of other recreational and commercial fisheries in the Elwha River for another year.

I have zero problems with tribal fisheries, but when we are forced out I call bull shit on WDFW for rolling over...
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I could be wrong, and if I am please correct me, but could it be possible that there's a good reason? One that pops to mind, and I'm uneducated, is that the extended closures of recreational and commercial fisheries in the Elwha could allow authorities and biologists to monitor the effects of the limited tribal fishery on the fish stock? Seems like that could be important data for setting quotas for those other fisheries.

In fact, isn't that what the release states?

 

[Dustin Chromers]

I could be wrong, and if I am please correct me, but could it be possible that there's a good reason? One that pops to mind, and I'm uneducated, is that the extended closures of recreational and commercial fisheries in the Elwha could allow authorities and biologists to monitor the effects of the limited tribal fishery on the fish stock? Seems like that could be important data for setting quotas for those other fisheries.

Why? The tribe sets the quotas and seasons. WDFW just does the press release.

 

[Dr. Magill]

Why? The tribe sets the quotas and seasons. WDFW just does the press release.

Exactly
Pretty sure how this will end
And we won’t be fishing there

 

[Matt Paluch]

Last time I checked it wasn't the tribes who destroyed the salmon runs. It seems pretty ridiculous to complain about them getting to fish first.

 

[Dr. Magill]

I think the frustration is the co-management model

 

[brownheron]

Last time I checked it wasn't the tribes who destroyed the salmon runs. It seems pretty ridiculous to complain about them getting to fish first.

Thanks Matt. That's pretty much what I meant by being surprised and pleased with their patience so far. I'm pretty critical of some of the tribal harvest issues in other places because they just don't make sense, aren't transparent, etc. (example, closing steelhead fishing and allowing non-selective netting and a tribal 'sport' (kill) steelhead fishery the following week).

This doesn't seem like that sort of a deal to me.

Plus, have y'all looked at the map? The hatchery is just upstream of the river mouth. I wouldn't expect many of those fish to be where I'd like to be fishing anyway. My main concern that I had when reading the article was that it it did not explicitly note that it would be hatchery fish only. Given it's probably non-selective gill nets, killing some of the fish that would repopulate the upper river is a bit of a bummer. It'd be a great place to implement traditional pound nets or a weir system, flows permitting.

 

[Stonedfish]

My understanding is that a weir was to be used to separate wild and hatchery fish.
Now it isn’t being used. If I’m wrong about that, please correct me.
Hatchery fish are known to stray, so with nothing to stop them some may go up past the hatchery.
SF

 

[LBL]

I don’t know if it makes much of a difference now but the hatchery was built during a time that the Elwha had 2 dams with no chance for upstream migration. Also without the tribe those 2 dams would still be there.
If we want to see fishing ever return to the Elwha learning to work with the tribe would serve us well. ONP has no interest in restoring fishing to the Elwha IMHO. ONP is very interested in working with the tribe. Both of these two entities have much more federal influence than the WDFW. The majority of the watershed is federal or tribal.