Being Frank

  October-November 2024

Tribes to Receive Direct Funding to Maintain Hatchery Programs

Whatcom Watch

Being Frank by Ed Johnstone The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded an unprecedented $240 million to support the hatcheries that preserve salmon and steelhead runs in the Pacific Northwest and provide fishing opportunities for everyone. The treaty tribes had to fight … Continue reading →

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  July 2024

Washington Fisheries Managed Using a Conservation-First Approach

Whatcom Watch

Being Frank by Ed Johnstone This year marked the 40th anniversary of the partnership between treaty tribes and our state co-managers to establish salmon fisheries. Each spring since 1984, we’ve held a series of meetings known as the North of … Continue reading →

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  May 2024

It’s Time to Warrior Up for Salmon

Whatcom Watch

Being Frank by Ed Johnstone   Billy Frank Jr. walked on almost 10 years ago, but one of his most powerful lessons lives on — If we want to recover salmon, we must work together. All of us. The Billy … Continue reading →

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  March 2024

Statue of Billy Frank Jr. Reminds Us to Tell Our Story

Whatcom Watch

Being Frank by Ed Johnstone Family, friends, and tribal and state leaders recently witnessed the unveiling of a model of the Billy Frank Jr. statue in a ceremony at the state Capitol. The 4-foot-tall model—depicting Billy sitting on the banks … Continue reading →

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  January 2024

Successful Co-Management Requires Renewed Commitment

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone As the 50th anniversary of the Boldt decision nears, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has room to improve as co-managers with treaty tribes. Judge Boldt’s 1974 ruling in U.S. v. Washington affirmed tribal fishing rights and … Continue reading →

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  January 2024

Salmon Recovery Is Working, but We Can’t Stop Here

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone  After decades of work and millions of dollars of restoration work, one of our region’s threatened salmon runs is showing encouraging signs of recovery—summer chum that return to the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca. … Continue reading →

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  December 2023

Crabbers Must Be Accountable for Their Share of the Harvest

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone Our shared natural resources are our shared responsibility. Following federal Judge Edward Rafeedie’s 1994 ruling in U.S. v. Washington, state and tribal co-managers have a legal obligation to share equally in the harvest of Dungeness crab. We … Continue reading →

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  August 2023

Tell the Truth, Trust the Science About Orca Recovery

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone My mentor Billy Frank Jr. always said that it’s going to take all of us working together to recover salmon.  He also said, “Tell the truth.”  The truth is that sometimes we have to change our thinking … Continue reading →

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  June 2023

Harvest Management Is Not Enough

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone Salmon extinction is not an option, but harvest management alone is not going to get us to recovery. In April, the treaty tribes in western Washington and our state co-manager finalized the 2023-24 fishing seasons’ agreement.  The … Continue reading →

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  May 2023

Hatchery Salmon Hold the Ecosystem Together

Whatcom Watch

by Ed Johnstone Salmon are a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest — a central part of the food chain and our way of life. Throughout the region, salmon runs are imperiled by the cumulative effects of habitat degradation and … Continue reading →

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