17 september 2004
Media Contact:
Kahseuss Jackson,
Business Specialist
(503) 731-1297
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Mmm!
Mmm! The fall Columbia River Indian salmon harvest surges
Portland, Oregon
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Thanks to an energetic run of upriver fall Chinook along the Columbia
River Basin, the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes
have added a fifth week for over-the-bank sales of gillnet-caught
fish beginning Monday, Sept. 20. The additional period boosts opportunities
to enjoy fresh-caught salmon directly from tribal fishers.
Salmon lovers can score fresh catch – including Chinook, coho,
steelhead, walleye, shad and carp – 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.
Sales of gillnet-caught fish, comprising the above fisheries, will
run Monday morning, Sept. 20, through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, with
remaining fish sold through the weekend. Sales of scaffold- or hook-and-line-caught
Chinook, coho, steelhead, walleye, shad and carp will continue until
further notice.
Biologists predict this fall’s run of Chinook, which typically
return from the sea to freshwater in late August through September,
will include nearly 600,000 upriver fish, perhaps the second largest
showing since 1948. Snake River fall Chinook, part of the Columbia
Basin run, continue registering record counts at Lower Granite Dam,
with a daily count of 976 fish on Sept. 12. This comprises the highest
daily count since the dam's 1975 inception.
Tribal fishers, however, plan a limited catch of less than 30 percent
of the total upriver fall Chinook run, or up to approximately 136,600
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
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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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