Posted 6/27/2013
LAKE QUINAULT, Wash. – Lake Quinault is closed to all non-tribal activities including fishing, swimming, and boating. Quinault Nation President Fawn Sharp tells KBKW “Closure of the lake was a decision made by the Quinault government after many years of disregard toward our resources, rights, regulations and policies.
“The ban involves all uses of the lake itself. That includes all boats and all non-tribal fishing. Tribal fishing is still allowed, as long as it is within tribal regulations.
Asked when restrictions would be lifted, Sharp said “A far better approach will be to realize the error of treating our lake as a sewer, and committing in a formal sense to recognizing the jurisdiction of the Quinault Nation over its lands and waters.
The Quinault Business Council approved a resolution on June 4th, 2013, prohibiting swimming and boating on the lake, it will be up the business council to decide whether it will be reopened to the public.
In April the lake was closed to non-tribal fishing.
COMMENTARY by Marv Chastain:
The tribes have mostly only themselves to blame for the decline of salmon runs. Our rivers had good salmon runs until the Bolt decision allowed unchecked netting of our rivers. The so-called “partnership” between the state F&W and the tribes is a joke – nobody knows how many fish are netted in the rivers. These netted fish are the brood stock. If the tribes would stop netting and allow the brood stock to actually brood, we would have a lot of salmon – but never the quantity of ancient times before hi-tech ocean fishing.
The tribe was always helpful in the Elwha destruction scam. They got well paid in $ for their cooperation. But now there are no live fish in the Elwha below Glines Canyon. How has or will that help the salmon?
Marv