The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that fishery disasters took place in two of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s salmon fisheries in 2020, clearing that path for the Tribe to received financial relief from the U.S. government.
After recording the lowest return numbers on record, regulators decided not to open the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery in 2020. While the Puget Sound fall chum fishery was opened briefly, it was closed early due to poor returns.
Former Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan applied for a fishery disaster determination for the two fisheries in February 2021, claiming that warm ocean conditions and climate change contributed to the weak salmon runs in both fisheries.
“The non-existent Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s harvest for Fraser River sockeye and severely reduced harvest of Puget Sound Fall Chum has had negative impacts to the way of life, cultural, spiritual and traditional ties to the sockeye and chum salmon,” Sullivan said in his request. “These negative impacts are irreversible. The financial impact our commercial fishermen have endured is equally important and threatens their ability to harvest a reasonable quantity of fish sufficient to ensure a modest living.”
The Tribe estimated that its Fraser River fishing fleet harvested roughly 22,5000 pounds of salmon between 2015 and 2019, generating roughly USD 51,500 (EUR 49,171) in income.
In the 2020 season, the Tribe’s Puget Sound fishers harvested only 86,726 pounds of fall chum salmon, compared to an average harvest of 252,000 pounds over the last five years, producing roughly USD 198,000 (EUR 189,000) in annual income.
Now, the Department of Commerce has determined that those closures do qualify as fishery disasters under federal law, enabling the Tribes to receive financial assistance.
“Due to several factors such as unfavorable ocean conditions and abnormally high-water temperatures, these fisheries experienced an unexpected biomass decline and loss of access from partial closures,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote in a letter to the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. “The factors mentioned caused the 2020 Fraser River sockeye fishery to experience a 100 percent commercial revenue loss and the 2020 Puget Sound fall chum fishery to experience a 67 percent commercial revenue loss compared to the prior 5-year average.”
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe was awarded USD 404,000 (EUR 378,000) for its 2021 Puget Sound fall 2021 chum and coho salmon fisheries earlier this year.
