Boldts 40th Anniversary, will the Hoh summer Kings make it another year?

 On the eve of the Bodlt decisions 40^th anniversary the State/Tribal co-managers will sit down and refuse to take decisive action to help the Hoh river kings again.

 The complexity of this issue is overwhelming.  State and federal laws, treaties and fisheries agreements all lock the players into rolls that may insure the destruction of these fish.

 Should this be the legacy of the Bolt decision?  Or can the Hoh Tribe, the department of Fish and Wildlife, and Olympic National Park demonstrate that there is some hope for co-management?

 Will they acknowledge that this is a run of special concern?  Can they agree that increased monitoring of harvest is needed, and enforcement with teeth?

If they can not make any headway it should be a clear signal to all the people of Washington that our entire management system needs a total over haul.

 Preservation of fish first, with MSY in a distant back seat.

Please do these fish a favor, contact the folks listed below, tell them that they need to substantially limit drift netting from June 1 to October 15, and reduce sport mortality by switching to selective gear.

Daily monitoring of both sport and tribal harvest is essential, as is a crackdown on the illegal harvest/sale of these fish.

Make your comments polite, some of these folks really want to help, but they will need public support to take a stand

 director@dfw.wa.gov

sarah_creachbaum@nps.gov

The treaty tribes should celebrate the anniversary of the Boldt decision as an important victory . But no one should confuse the state of Washington’s wild fish stocks with a success story.  It is all of our responsibility to protect our native fish.

The summer kings of the Hoh, Quinault and Queets all need all the help they can get

You can also contact the Native Fish Society, and The Wild Steelhead Coalition to find out what their position is on bolt and its effect on fisheries management.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides