How many nets do you see?

[haus]

that might work on the coast, but in the puget sound rivers i don't think it would really help.  there's been zero sport harvest for over 10 years(more like 20 on most rivers) and the runs are still going downhill.  i don't think most of them are coming back, either.  the nisqually has probably some of the best habitat out of all the puget sound rivers and one of the worst fish returns.

Some of the fisheries studies point at the Puyallup delta habitat or lack there of for the cause of limitations in the Puyallup River system fishery, but then you look at the Nisqually.......  ......the winter steelhead fishery was good there in the 80's, same with the puyallup. What has changed? Its not like we weren't logging down to the stream beds prior to the 80's, its not like the puyallup river delta had more habitat in the 80's. The nisqually habitat has hardly changed. So what gives?  If the habitats good and the pollution levels haven't changed......    ........I think its harvest but I don't think its entirely one group, rather a combo. We don't own our fish when they hit that open ocean and last I checked they don't all stay near our borders. Combine that with the survivors getting raped at the river mouths.....

[Dustin07]

are you sure the pollution levels haven't changed? I was under the impression they had.

i agree with the hay bales its retarded that the states and local areas all around talk *censored* about the white man segregating and profiling on us talkin about wanting us for them to get rid of the nets. in all honesty either let the white man fish with nets also or grow the *censored* up stupid indians this is the twentieth century now we wear clothes n *censored* now and have rods n reels to catch the fish. i say one and all not one then some.

Also, you get more flies with honey than vinegar. Its actually the 21st century (not the 20th) and I don' recall seeing any naked people fishing in the river. Making blind ignorant and angry statements about the tribes isn't going to accomplish anything. We need to partner with them, to hopefully share resources in reproducing/protecting the habitat and mutually putting an end to the netting. Before making a general rant about 'stupid' people, perhaps run your post through a spell and grammar checker.  I know you're just passionate, but anger and racism won't accomplish anything.

[seth30]

been a sore subject as long as I can remeber.  The whole thing needs to be looked at again from the goverment level.

[Dustin07]

or just a people level. just people working with people to help people. that's all the government is, is people. so why can't concerned citizens just work with other concerned people? non tribal folks should start forming an alliance with tribal members and go to the wdfw and the tribes game department together as one collective group of conservationists. The tribes care about their resources as well.

[bolsen]

now you guys see what the columbia would look like if you ever got the gilnetters off the river...

[alan]

are you sure the pollution levels haven't changed? I was under the impression they had.

i agree with the hay bales its retarded that the states and local areas all around talk *censored* about the white man segregating and profiling on us talkin about wanting us for them to get rid of the nets. in all honesty either let the white man fish with nets also or grow the *censored* up stupid indians this is the twentieth century now we wear clothes n *censored* now and have rods n reels to catch the fish. i say one and all not one then some.

Also, you get more flies with honey than vinegar. Its actually the 21st century (not the 20th) and I don' recall seeing any naked people fishing in the river. Making blind ignorant and angry statements about the tribes isn't going to accomplish anything. We need to partner with them, to hopefully share resources in reproducing/protecting the habitat and mutually putting an end to the netting. Before making a general rant about 'stupid' people, perhaps run your post through a spell and grammar checker.  I know you're just passionate, but anger and racism won't accomplish anything.

lol one not racist, got plenty of indian mexican and negro friends but what, they too all believe in fair chase and they all have their rod n reels.. and two most of the peopl who net are wasting fish, drive by one of those salmon for sale places along the columbia most of those fish are molting and black already and theyre trying to sell them off for supermarket prices or higher. then take alook around the places they are livin in, thats what i mean about livin in the 20th century (21st) and screw the spell check i am who i am im not puuuurr*censored*t   deal wit it lol

[grundy53]

Dustins right.... we should all hold hands and sing koombyah and hope for world peace. if we all work together we can bring back unicorns and fairies..... then i woke up and i was stuck in reality. the Indians won't "work" with you. why would they? there is nothing in it for them. they don't give a rats @$$ about anything except thereselves.

[Dustin07]

Dustins right.... we should all hold hands and sing koombyah and hope for world peace. if we all work together we can bring back unicorns and fairies..... then i woke up and i was stuck in reality. the Indians won't "work" with you. why would they? there is nothing in it for them. they don't give a rats @$$ about anything except thereselves.

And illiterate online posts filled with profanity and derogative stereotypes will accomplish more?

i agree with the hay bales its retarded that the states and local areas all around talk *censored* about the white man segregating and profiling on us talkin about wanting us for them to get rid of the nets. in all honesty either let the white man fish  with nets also or grow the *censored* up stupid indians this is the twentieth century now we wear clothes n *censored* now and have rods n reels to catch the fish. i say one and all not one then some.

I have no idea what the last sentence even means.

[CastleRocker]

now you guys see what the columbia would look like if you ever got the gilnetters off the river...

EXACTLY!!!  I've been trying to get that across to some of my idiotic friends that I sport fish with for YEARS!  It's still a hot topic when we are out fishing.  Makes for some good "spirited discussions".

When I last looked, (back when I was a full time commercial fisherman), the commercial driftnetters are the ONLY legal thing keeping tribal setnets from the lower Columbia.  Get rid of them and guess what comes next?  (Go look at the picture on page #1).  Yeah, you can doubt it all you want, but the reality is that it's Federal Law.  Good luck trying to change that one with our new U.S. Supreme Court.

[Houndhunter]

go down to hoodsport hatchery when they net, you'll catch more dead stripped out hens than live fish . wait they use the fish for all its resources??

[WSU]

I'm not a fan of the Bolt decision and dont agree with the allocation #'s but fish do get past the nets and if they were all pulled then there is no way the sports fishermen could stop the surpus of fish going up to the spawning beds. When you get a lot  of over escapement the fish do more damage to themselves then the nets ever could do. As they go to lay their eggs they will disturb another bed of already laid eggs and usually kill off the whole bunch, the rest that dont die off instantly they then develop a disease that creates a film over the once healthy egg and eventually break free and float down the river. Every other nest that infected egg comes into contact with spreads that disease to an otherwise perfectly healthy nest.

This is the biggest bunch of BS ever.  Are you honestly going to claim that salmon didn't do better before we screwed the environment and/or over-fished?  There is no "over-escapement" as far as biology goes.  There is over escapement as far as those who are economically interested are concerned, i.e. "I could have made more money."

As far as the picture goes, it certainly seems wrong to be fishing stocks that haven't been meeting escapement (even artificially low escapement).  Anyone who argues otherwise needs to explain what I'm missing. 

[WSU]

I definitely think that the treaties need to be amended. Whats your guys opinion on that? Will it ever happen in our life time? This you get half we get half and usual and accustom hunting grounds in my opinion is B.S.
We are all held as stewards of the land, our river fisheries for salmon and steelhead are in trouble and nothing changes in tribal netting? I don't think i will ever be able to rap my head around that.

I would like to know what you propose the change should be?  Keep in mind, we got all the land we now live on in exchange for the tribes reserving the right to catch half the fish.  Perhaps we should give all the land we live on back in exchange for them agreeing to give up their reserved fishing rights?

[WSU]

Blame the Indian nets for part but let's start putting blame also on population explosion on the westside, small feeder streams disappearing, river banks over run etc all these help clean river water for eggs, how about all those chemicals I see neighbors using on their un-naturally enhanced green lawn, trees that clean water before it soaks into the ground being removed for a view or to be replaced with nothing...oh I could go on and on. Look around folks wild life needs habitat no matter what you say habitat (good quality) is disappearing, so don't put 100% blame on the Native American look instead in the mirror and you'll see why wild life is disappearing in high population areas.

I couldn't agree more.  Nets are to blame, but in general, our practices and population explosion is much more to blame.  The tribes were netting at high rates prior to us arriving.  The combined hundred years of logging, building, etc. all add up.  Someone above asked what has changed since the 80's.  A large thing that is often overlooked is that these factors build over time and have a cummulative effect.  The sedimentation that results from road building/logging continues to exists.  Same goes for the forest's inability to obsorb rainfall.  Plus, our rivers continue to have many of the same problems such as pollution, diking of rivers (which reduces habitat, especially for juvenile fish, and often especially in the lower stretches of rivers which is very important), etc.

[3dsheetmetal]

Actually we shouldn't give all of "there land" back WSU but should wind those TREATIES up on little rolls and leave them in the outhouse were they belong.I can just imagine what this country would be like if the natives were in charge.Get over it they lost the white man won and they should be grateful for all the free handouts they receive.  

[Dustin07]

you truly are a bonehead aren't you.

Underwater video of low dissolved oxygen event in Hood Canal