OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state’s struggling salmon population is turning longtime rivals into allies.
Members of the Billy Frank Jr. Salmon Coalition include recreational fishermen and tribal members.
“It was long overdue,” said member Ron Garner, president of the Puget Sound Anglers.
Garner said for too long commercial and recreational fishermen blamed tribes for depleting the state’s salmon population.
“We’ve got this finger-pointing going on, that it’s always somebody else’s fault,” Garner said.
Coalition member Glen Gobin, a former council member of the Tulalip Tribes, said tribes and fishermen have been at odds “for years.”
He said working together to solve a common problem makes sense.
“Let’s put the differences aside and start to work on the values that we have,” Gobin said. “The draws us to the water, to the outdoors."
The coalition is working to expand the restoration of natural habitats, change policies to reduce seal and sea lion populations, and raise awareness about the importance of hatcheries.
Formed in 2018, the coalition is launching a new campaign to recruit additional “salmon warriors” on its website.