May 27, 2016 — EVERETT, Wash. — After a nearly monthlong stalemate, the Department of Fish & Wildlife and Native American tribes have come to an agreement on a recreational fishing season for Puget Sound.
The agreement reached Thursday afternoon follows extended negotiations between state and tribal fisheries managers after they failed to reach an agreement earlier this spring.
The state and tribes must now obtain a joint federal permit in order to open the fishing season in Puget Sound waters.
“We plan to re-open those waters as soon as we have federal approval,” said John Long, salmon fisheries policy lead for Fish & Wildlife. “We anticipate getting the new permit within a few weeks.”
Approval of the permit is expected by mid-June. In the meantime, a closure of recreational fishing that was enacted May 1 remains in effect.
The season includes a hatchery chinook season on the Snohomish River from June 1-July 30. A sockeye season on Baker Lake also is planned starting in mid-July, with a maximum take of 4,600 fish for the season.