Marine Resources - Ocean, Bay, and Beach

The Quinault Marine Resources program focuses on the fisheries in the marine waters off the coast of the QIN reservation, the "Usual and Accustomed" (U&A) areas of Grays Harbor, and the adjoining coastal habitats and marine ecosystems including: coastal wetlands, pocket estuaries, and shellfish beds. Salmonid species are fished in marine waters under treaty troll regulations, and Dungeness crab, halibut, black cod, and other marine species important to Quinault fishers and tribal members (subsistence) all fall within the purview of the Marine Resources scientific staff.

Monitoring Harvests

Harvests of commercial species, especially Dungeness crab, halibut, and black cod (sablefish), are monitored closely. Constant pre-, in-season, and post-season communication with resource co-managers (State of Washington, other tribal entities, federal and other agencies) ensure treaty allocations are established and quotas met.crab pot overhead being brought on board boat

QIN, as a self-regulating nation, has implemented electronic monitoring of crab pots to prevent gear tampering, ensure fishing within the correct management areas, and regulate the allotted number of pots per fisher and correct fishing grounds using cameras on vessels and GPS. Highly successful with new technology in 2021, QDFi now employs a technician to work with the systems, fishers, and compile data collected. QIN has also, for years, required all longline fishers to deploy "streamer lines" when setting gear to minimize seabird mortality.

All treaty marine catch by Quinault fishers  are subject to sampling by QDFi staff at offload facilities in Westport, Washington.

Bruce Wagner and Scott Mazzone sampling a halibut in 2012
Scott Mazzone with rockfish and ling cod at Westport fish house

Monitoring Habitat

Coastal resources can be impacted by a wide array of factors from climate change to technological advances. Many of these influences are of high interest to the Marine Resources program:

  • european green crab with ruler to show sizeMarine Invasive Species
    • an example of marine invasive species potentially affecting QIN is the European Green Crab (EGC), which are known to prey on juvenile Dungeness crab and numerous other native species. Found in increasing numbers in Grays Harbor and coastal estuaries, EGC can negatively impact the natural ecosystem through their feeding and foraging activities if not held in check;
  • Marine Debris
    • The Nature Conservancy, the Quinault Marine Resources program, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program have partnered to remove derelict crab pots from tribal waters off the QIN coast and to develop a sustainable reporting and annual recovery program for lost pots as part of the fight against marine debris. QIN also partners with Coastsavers and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to conduct annual beach cleanups of marine debris along the reservation coastline;
  • Development projects
    • wind farms, cabling, ocean condition monitoring instruments, and deep sea exploration can also impact habitat and, potentially, QIN ocean fishing;
  • Ocean Acidification
  • Sea Temperature Rise
  • Sea Level Rise