The Suquamish Tribe

Treaty Fisheries in Puget Sound

vbarry@suquamish.nsn.us

www.suquamish.nsn.us

• Brief Historical Background & Chronology of EventsTreaty of Point ElliottJudge Boldt DecisionJudge Rafeedie Decision

• Shellfish Implementation Plan

• Sharing, Allocation and Used and Accustomed Areas (U&As)

• Case Study: Geoduck Clam

Chronology of Events:

Treaty of Point Elliott•Article 5 secured fishing rights in common with all citizens

Judge George Boldt Decision•1974, half of the available salmon & steelhead

Judge Edward Rafeedie•1994 half of TAC for shellfish onpublic & private land / waters

Objective of Plan:To provide a framework, principles andcourse of action for cooperative management

Goal:To provide Treaty & non-Treaty parties the opportunity to harvest their share in an orderly manner

Procedures:Calls for interim and long term management plans (Suquamish is involved in drafting plans for eight species in roughly 5 management areas)

Coordination among Tribes:Tribes are responsible for all inter-tribal coordination

Principles addressed in Plan:•Sharing•Management plans for resources in public waters•Commercial shellfish growers•Private property w/o commercial shellfish growing•Dispute resolution

Overlapping U&As:Where 2 or more Tribes have overlapping U&As, the combinationof tribal harvest shall not exceed 50%of the overall TAC

Intertribal Allocation:Allocating the tribal share shall be determined by the affected Tribes through appropriate intertribal agreement.Lack of such agreement shall not entitle a combination of Tribes to take over 50%

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/geoduck/

Seattle

Geoduck Tracts 18’ to 70’ MLLW

How to Establish the Biomass

Each Tract:

•Is surveyed prior to fishing•Method used is random / systematic•Scuba divers swim transects perpendicular to shore•Geoduck siphons (shows) are counted within 6’ X 150’ transects (900ft2)•Random weight samples are collected•Biomass is calculated using a show factor

How to Determine Quotas

•Biomass from each surveyed tract is summed in the area to manage•The total poundage is multiplied by 0.027 to determine annual TAC•The annual TAC is divided by 2 between state & tribes

Harbo 1997

SR1

SR2

SR3-4

Central Sound Region TAC = 1.2M lbs

State share = 600K lbs

Treaty share:

SR1 = 300K lbs•Exclusive Suquamish U&A

SR2 = 200K lbs•Suquamish Tribe•Tulalip Tribes

SR3-4 = 100K lbs•Jamestown Tribe•Lower Elwha Tribe•Lummi Tribe•Port Gamble Tribe•Suquamish Tribe•Swinomish Tribe•Tulalip Tribes

Issues:

1) State considers the whole region as basis for TAC

1) Tribes have to calculate TAC in their respective U&As

1) State has disproportionately harvested within the region, affecting future treaty TACs

Current situation:

1) Tribes part of the Central Sound Management Plan are requesting the state to harvest proportionately within the overlapping U&A sub regions.

2) State is willing to accommodate some proportionate harvest over time but have not put a plan forward after 4 years of negotiations

3) Not all Tribes agree on how to deal with state’s years of disproportionate harvest