Portland, Oregon
-
Tribal treaty fishers today began what is expected to be a strong
month of commercial fishing for Columbia River Fall Chinook. This
year’s fall Columbia River Indian salmon harvest will be highlighted
by “over-the-bank” sales providing ample opportunities
to the public to buy Chinook salmon directly from tribal fishers.
The public 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.
The Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes have authorized
over-the-bank sales beginning today. Sales of scaffold- or hook-and-line-caught
Chinook, coho, steelhead, walleye, shad and carp will continue each
day until further notice. Sturgeon are not available for sale at
this time.
Initial commercial fishing and sales periods approved by interstate
compacts are:
- 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, through 6 p.m. Thursday, August 24,
with sales throughout the weekend.
- 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, with
sales throughout the weekend.
- 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, through 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9,
with sales throughout the weekend.
Additional fishing periods will be set and announced as run-sizes
are updated.
Biologists predict this fall's run of Chinook, which typically
return from the sea to freshwater in late August through September,
will include nearly 385,000 upriver fish - an above average return.
The tribal harvest is expect to be slightly less than 30 percent
of total upriver fall Chinook run, or up to about 115,000 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 resource managers 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 Les Brown at CRITFC's Portland office, (503)
238-0667, or learn more online by clicking “2006 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. |
