The Squaxin Island Tribes salmon fisheries started off slow but appear to be at or above recent year averages, with exception of coho.

Our harvest of Chinook was above average at 7, 839.  Approximately 4,968 Chinook made it past our fishing efforts to Tumwater Falls Hatchery.  Tumwater Falls reached the needed egg take goal to continue production for our Fall Chinook run at 4.6 million eggs, as well as 2 million egg surplus to support other programs of need.

Coho for the second straight year was dismal.  We harvested 5,255 coho in 2011.  This number may be bigger given that a number of fishermen sold fish over the bank to theTeamstersBeachvisitors, sport fishermen and others.  It is not too late for fishermen to report over the bank sales by calling the Squaxin NR office.  Coho returns for the entirePuget Soundhave been at all time lows for the past two years. PoorOceansurvival and poorPuget Soundsurvival when our fish are released from the Net Pens are some theories to as why we are seeing low returns recently.

Our chum fisheries are managed according to escapement goals of wild chum stocks.  For example Totten Inlet escapement goal is 11,500 chum.  Each week Kennedy Creek and the surrounding Totten Inlet Creeks are walked to count chum to be used to calculate the escapement.  Each inlet escapement is carefully monitored and fisheries are scheduled accordingly to ensure escapement goals are met.

The last stream count on Kennedy resulted in 5,820 live chum and 278 dead chum.  We are well on our way to the 11,500 escapement goal in Totten.  This years Eld escapement goal is 14,500 chum.

To date our chum catches are at 19,164 and we have only had two directed chum fisheries.   This years chum catches are on track to be at our above our five and ten year average catches.

If you have any questions please contact:

 Joseph Peters

Squaxin Island Tribes Harvest Manager

360-432-3813 or email: jcpeters@squaxin.us.