[quote IAintLying] That is hilarious.....Speculate much?[/quote]
Yeah, all that "conditional" language was pretty hilarious. I agree. Thanks for your note on it. The people I talked with yesterday were speaking off the record so I had to use all that "speculative" language.
I've been luckier today in getting information. The trap numbers are falling because of both Shoshone-Bannock Tribal fishing and more efficient sport fishing in the very upper portion of Section 19. The Tribe is allowed to fish above the sport fishing boundary to within 100 feet of the Sawtooth weir. As it was explained to me today, "They get the last chance at the fish."
Also, The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal fisherman have a similar harvest target as the sport fishery. In other words, if the sport fishermen have what's currently thought to be a harvest target of 1400-1500 fish, then The Tribe would also have the same harvest target. To put it another way, the actual harvest target is split evenly between the sport fishery and The Tribe: 50-50.
The Tribe also has other agreements that come into play as far as the salmon go. Some of the returning chinooks are distributed to The Tribe for subsistence purposes. Over 300 such fish were distributed yesterday.
Likewise, IDFG assists in the implementation of a supplemental agreement that trucks salmon from the Sawtooth to the Yankee Fork.
Our IDFG contact states emphatically the Sawtooth is in good shape as far as meeting its broodstock goal of 700 adult fish. As of today, the trap number was in excess of 2000 and nearing a level 3 times the broodstock goal.
We have a call into The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Fisheries Manager and will do an article on the subject after we have talked with him.
Well, that's about all I know today for whatever it's worth. Have a great day & Many Cheers, jp
http://www.salmonriveridaho.net/p/fish.html
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