10 May 2004
Media Contact:
Kahseuss Jackson
Business Specialist
(503) 731-1279
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Wipe
your tears: more Indian-caught Chinook salmon available through May
Portland, Oregon
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Missed last week's Columbia River Indian salmon harvest? Don't
cry. Fishers from the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama
tribes will offer more Chinook salmon to the public from Tuesday
through the end of May.
But hurry: The amount of fish available will diminish with each
passing week, as Chinook salmon head for their spawning grounds.
Tribal fishers sold more than 3,000 salmon last week, and biologists
anticipate the current catch will nearly match that figure.
The prized fish, which typically returns from the sea to freshwater
in March to May, signals a scramble for folks wanting the firm,
full-bodied delicacy. Cooks and connoisseurs can buy fresh Chinook
along the Columbia River banks in areas including Marine Park in
Cascade Locks; Lone Pine in The Dalles; North Bonneville, a mile
east of Bonneville Dam; and Columbia Point in Washington's Tri-Cities
area.
The Indian salmon harvest reflects age-old traditions cemented by
an 1855 treaty between the four Columbia Basin tribes and the U.S.
federal government. Nutrient-rich salmon, flush with heart-healthful
omega-3 fatty acids, figure prominently in native culture. Tribal
members have long honored its importance for food, religion and
livelihood.
Indian fishers and scientists also link salmon's importance with
stewardship, working to restore once-robust runs decimated by dam
construction and other challenges. Tribal staff and the Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission developed the restoration plan
Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit, or "Spirit of the Salmon,"
to help replenish Columbia Basin fisheries.
All this makes for a brief period during which folks can score fresh
spring Chinook direct from a local fisher. So grab the car keys,
bring a fish-holding cooler with ice and keep the following tips
in mind:
- Sales from tribal fishers generally run 10 a.m. to dusk through
month's end, but the amount of available fish will decrease with
each passing week.
- Sales sites are along the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam
in Oregon to the Tri-Cities in Washington.
- Most sales are cash only.
- Buyers should request a receipt.
- Tribal fishers can advise on topics including fish freshness
and preparation.
- Times, days and locations might vary with vendors. Call the
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's toll-free recording
at (888) 289-1855 for details.
- Questions? Call Kahseuss Jackson at CRITFC's Portland office,
(503) 238-0667, or learn more online by clicking "2004 Spring
Salmon Harvest" at www.critfc.org.
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About CRITFC
The Portland-based Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is
the technical support and coordinating agency for fishery management
policies of the Columbia River Basin's four treaty tribes: the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes
and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe.
CRITFC, formed in 1977, employs biologists, other scientists, public
information specialists, policy analysts and administrators who work
in fisheries research and analyses, advocacy, planning and coordination,
harvest control and law enforcement. |
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