Natives neting the puke

[flinginpooh]

Man after reading how pissed some people get because "Natives are netting" makes me think. Im not trying to start anything here at all, but really some peoples kids. I take it a majority of the people on this site are not native. I do know that there is a few of us on here that are. I have great pride in my heritage. I myself do not wish to net fish. But it has been done that way since well before Settlers came into washington and started to claim Native land as theres. There was whole tribes, bands, small clans that all got pushed off the lands that they roamed around. They hunted freely, fished freely, was able to live freely. My ancestors did not have to worry about the crap until settlers came and took what they decided they wanted. Think about this when some of you complain about a few fish being removed before you get a chance to TAKE them again. Enjoy the time you get to spend out there. Soak in the peace and serenity of it all. Try to just have a good time and know you earned what ya catch. Be proud of the fish you catch. But man stop blaming Natives for the fish you dont catch.

[Shane]

flinginpooh-Man after reading how pissed some people get because "Natives are netting" makes me think. Im not trying to start anything here at all, but really some peoples kids. I take it a majority of the people on this site are not native. I do know that there is a few of us on here that are. I have great pride in my heritage. I myself do not wish to net fish. But it has been done that way since well before Settlers came into washington and started to claim Native land as theres. There was whole tribes, bands, small clans that all got pushed off the lands that they roamed around. They hunted freely, fished freely, was able to live freely. My ancestors did not have to worry about the crap until settlers came and took what they decided they wanted. Think about this when some of you complain about a few fish being removed before you get a chance to TAKE them again. Enjoy the time you get to spend out there. Soak in the peace and serenity of it all. Try to just have a good time and know you earned what ya catch. Be proud of the fish you catch. But man stop blaming Natives for the fish you dont catch.

Not trying to start nothing with anyone, this is just what i think. I catch fish all the time so i dont need to blame them for nothing but u know just as well as everyone else knows when the nets are n the fishing slows down dramaticly and basicly stops on lower parts. This is not just a few fish. Iv watch at least 1000lbs get pulled from the nisqully on a dayly basis in sep.

[flinginpooh]

Well also look at it this way. They have a tribal hatchery system that puts way more fish into the river then they take out. Not all of those fish make it back to the river but they do add to the rivers that fish are harvested from.

[Shane]

Ya there takeing the natives and puting hatchery fish back that go right back to there hatchery. Ya we have a good number of hatchery but not natives.

[Marc Martyn]

I just want to say that this discussion should be kept civil and respectful. If any of the readers want to take issue with the current laws and regulations regarding this subject, they should contact the WDFW and the Northwest Indians Fishing Commission.

http://www.nwifc.org/about-us/fisheries-management/

http://wdfw.wa.gov/

[corny]

I get off at Portland Ave in Tacoma to go home and a block up the road is a new sign for salmon @ 2.00 per pound. This is on Puyallup tribal land. I was wondering where they were getting the salmon from... now I know.

hey that sign has been there for a long time , it was there last fall

[Matt]

Ya there takeing the natives and puting hatchery fish back that go right back to there hatchery. Ya we have a good number of hatchery but not natives.

Think you missed the point. I doubt they are only keeping natives and releasing hatchery fish, that makes no sense. I think the point was that many hatcheries are operated by tribes and therefore those fish are intended for harvest by tribal members and not the general public. Any fish taken by then general public are just a BONUS for everyone. Take away native-run hatcheries and take away a large portion of hatchery origin fish (AKA legally harvestable fish) from the general fishing population AKA you and me.

I think the debate is not over Native VS Non Native fishing I think the real dilemma lies in non selective commercial fishing practices and illegal harvest. I strongly believe that non selective fisheries should be BANNED globally for commercial salmon fisheries. Gillnets, drift nets, and to some extent purse sein fisheries are all very destructive practices in that they kill ALL fish taken into the net regardless of species or origin (hatchery vs native). The other aspect is concern over legality issues and people fishing illegally.... well the answer to this problem is obviously higher levels of enforcement which we DO NOT SEE despite the constant complaints about illegal fishing practices. It takes cooperation between tribal as well as state entities to patrol ANY commercial fishery tribal or otherwise and until these agencies step up and start enforcing the laws they have in place we will continue to see rampant illegal fishing actions.

There is no such thing as a bad Indian, just a bad person. If commercial fishing was open to the public you would see the same thing you see in native fisheries; a select group of people (criminals) willfully CHOOSING to harvest illegally for monetary gain due to a LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. Skin color doesn't matter, there are bad apples in every batch.

[bionic_one]

If you had a grade school class of white, black, indian, and mexican kids, they would pick on eachother over skin color.

If you had a grade school class of all the same color, they would pick on eachother over who's parents had more money, or who had better shoes, or whatever.

Grown folk are supposed to be smarter.

Yes there are stereo types for every race out there, and sometimes they fit, but you should decide on every man's merits, not just on what you SEE when he's walking up to you.