Salmon hold a special
place in Washington, largely owing to their importance as food but also
as integral components of the natural environment we cherish. Numerous
Native American tribes have been sustained by the runs of salmon returning
to our rivers, either by direct harvest or by trade. Since the early
1800s, many nations, including the United States, developed commercial
fleets to harvest salmon using a variety of different gears. Gill nets,
seines and trolling gears are all familiar parts of our Northwest heritage.
Other gears like reef nets, dip nets, and fish traps predate the arrival
of Europeans, and are still used today. Fish wheels were common on the
Columbia River before the construction of the dams, and were very effective
harvest tools. They faded into history in the early 1900's.
The seemingly endless
runs of salmon are in decline. Habitat destruction (urban development,
hydro development, water diversion for irrigation, logging, etc.), inappropriate
use of hatchery production and excessive harvest have all contributed
to this decline. While the exact role of each component is a source
of considerable debate, there is no question that they all share the
blame, and that all need improvement to contribute to recovering our
salmon populations.
