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FYI: Tribal Poaching Patrol

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  flytyer 
#1 ·
#3 ·
Fred,

Provided they get a formal "Articulated Agreement" with the Snohomish and Skagit Counties Sheriff's Offices, they will have the same authority to arrest non-Indians both on- and off-reservation (it is actually a reservation of about 53 acres) as the Sheriff's Deputies from these counties.

I personally think this has the potential of being a very good thing for fishing and hunting law enforcement in the Sauk and Skagit above Rockport. It would sure be nice to see another 3 or 4 fish and game cops in that area on a regular basis. The poachers will have a problem with it though.
 
G
#6 · (Edited)
Kerry,

Might it be a perk for tribal leaders, or

Might it be to maintain a tribal presence, in Puget Sound, for the tribe's commercial fishing interests?

Sure seems to me to be a waste of funding dollars. Let the lower tribes spend up a big boat - you know they will; freeing up funds for a more thorough local enforcement on the upper rivers' spawning grounds.

$.02

mmm
 
#7 ·
MMM,

The Sauk's cannot fish in the Sound commercially unless they are invited to do so by the Swinomish or Upper Skagit tribes. They have no history of fishing in the Sound like the other two Skagit Valley tribes. This being the case, I suspect they are buying the 27 ft boat as a means to show the other two tribes that they will help with inforcement in the Sound; thus, having the other two tribes continue to invite them to harvest shellfish in the Sound.

The three Skagit Valley tribes with fishing rights per Bolt (Samish was a "decommisioned tribe" at the time of the Bolt decision and have no fishing rights as a result) have been working on a way to help WDFW enforcement officers the last five years. The stumbling block has been money to hire the tribal officers. The three tribes have all received federal grant monies for the express purpose of helping enforce the fishing regulations of WDFW in the Skagit drainage.

I for one am glad that the three fishing treaty tribes are taking their co-management of the resource seriously and have pursued funds in order to hire more "fish cops". Lord knows that the WDFW enforcement folks have a huge territory to cover with far too fewd officers for the task. I bet the poachers are not going to be happy about this change though.
 
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