Several reports indicate that the Quinault tribe seeks to expand their "usual and accustomed" (U&A) fishing areas to include Willapa Bay, Shoalwater Bay, and south through to the lower 60 miles of the Columbia River (see here and here). They organized a "meet and confer" meeting last Friday with representatives from the Federal government, the State of Washington and other local tribes, including the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe. No agreement came out of those negotiations. The expectation is that the next step will be for the Quinault Tribe to sue in Federal Court to include these areas as part of their U&A. This lawsuit will be opposed by the Shoalwater Bay tribe and the Chinook Indian Nation at the least.
There is uncertainly concerning the status of treaty fishing rights by the Shoalwater Bay tribe and the Chinook Indian Nation currently lacks Federal recognition (recognition in 2001 but withdrawn in 2002 [spearheaded by objections from the Quinault Tribe...]), there have been no treaty fishing rights for these areas. Oregon and Washington states jointly regulate the Lower Columbia. The Quinault Tribe is considered to be covered by the Treaty of Medicine Creek and is a party to the Boldt decision ["rights of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and station, in common with all citizens of the Territory"). If this expansion of the Quinault's U&A is successful, the members of the Quinault Tribe would be permitted to harvest 50% of the Dungeness crabs and finfish in this area. That would have a major impact on harvest for non-tribal fishers in this area (and farther up the Columbia as well, I suspect). It may also have implications for hunting in this area as well.
This could really throw a wrench into already-complex harvest management in these areas.
Steve
There is uncertainly concerning the status of treaty fishing rights by the Shoalwater Bay tribe and the Chinook Indian Nation currently lacks Federal recognition (recognition in 2001 but withdrawn in 2002 [spearheaded by objections from the Quinault Tribe...]), there have been no treaty fishing rights for these areas. Oregon and Washington states jointly regulate the Lower Columbia. The Quinault Tribe is considered to be covered by the Treaty of Medicine Creek and is a party to the Boldt decision ["rights of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and station, in common with all citizens of the Territory"). If this expansion of the Quinault's U&A is successful, the members of the Quinault Tribe would be permitted to harvest 50% of the Dungeness crabs and finfish in this area. That would have a major impact on harvest for non-tribal fishers in this area (and farther up the Columbia as well, I suspect). It may also have implications for hunting in this area as well.
This could really throw a wrench into already-complex harvest management in these areas.
Steve
