Tribes Protest Nontribal Fishing of Spring Chinook

PORTLAND -- Representatives of Columbia River tribes say Oregon and Washington have allowed too much nontribal fishing of upper Columbia spring chinook at the probable expense of tribes depending on what may be an unexpectedly low run.

The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, which represents the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes, sent a letter to the states last week.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Brigham said that tribal fishermen above Bonneville Dam have caught about 1,000 spring chinook, while nontribal fisheries have caught about 19,000. The numbers are supposed to be about equal.

Fishery managers projected a near-record run of 300,000 upriver spring chinook this year. But so far only about 22,000 have reached Bonneville Dam. That's about half the total at the same time last year, when the run was below 180,000 by the end of the season.