Tag Archives: the North of Falcon process

Washington State Commercial and Sport fishermen demand transparency in setting salmon seasons

Commercial and sport fishermen are demanding change when it comes to the annual process that determines who gets to fish how much salmon and when. It’s called the North of Falcon process, and it involves several months of private meetings between federal, state, and tribal representatives. They typically start in February. The meetings are not open to the public, but a petition that’s gained more than a 1,000 signatures is just one sign of rising tides against the process, as non-treaty recreational and commercial fishermen rally for transparency. Tribal representatives defend their push for fishing restrictions over the last few years, pointing to low salmon returns. In 2016, the North of Falcon process took so long, the fishing season was canceled for weeks as the state and tribal co-managers stood at a stalemate. Read the story here 09:18