Portland, Oregon
-
Missing something on your dinner plate? We found it! The fall Columbia
River Indian salmon harvest has launched, with four periods of over-the-bank
opportunities in August and September to buy Chinook directly from
tribal fishers.
With the third largest upriver fall Chinook run since 1988 expected
along the Columbia River Basin, the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs
and Yakama tribes have authorized over-the-bank sales beginning
Wednesday, Aug. 25. Sales of scaffold- or hook-and-line-caught Chinook,
coho, steelhead, walleye, shad and carp will continue until further
notice. Sales of gillnet-caught fish, comprising the above fisheries,
are under way during the following periods:
- 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, through 6 p.m. Friday, with remaining
fish sold throughout the weekend.
- 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, with
remaining fish sold throughout the weekend.
- 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, with
remaining fish sold throughout the weekend.
- 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 13, through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, with
remaining fish sold throughout the weekend.
- Additional fishing periods may open depending on returning-fish
numbers.
Folks can score fresh catch from tribal fishers at points 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.
Biologists predict this fall's run of Chinook, which typically return
from the sea to freshwater in late August through September, will
include nearly 525,000 upriver fish, the third largest showing since
1988. However tribal fishers plan a limited catch of less than 30
percent of total upriver fall Chinook run, or up to about 160,000
of the fish.
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 to experience the Columbia River
Indian salmon harvest. 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.
- 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 Fall
Salmon Harvest" at www.critfc.org.
# # # #
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. |
