Oregon Public Broadcasting

There’s a buzz going around Northwest Indian country about the big run of fish expected this spring.

Fish and wildlife managers from Washington and Oregon are predicting that 300,000 spring chinook are on their way back to the Columbia River. That’s the third highest run since 1977. Richland correspondent Anna King reports.

Spring chinook are prized by sports fishers, but in Northwest Indian country the fatty, rich meat is a sacred part of natives’ Washut religion.

Each year they conduct ceremonies in longhouses to herald the return of the spring chinook. This year there might be more celebrating than usual because the run is so large.

Stuart Ellis, is a biologist with the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission in Portland.

Stuart Ellis: “Fishermen are fishermen wherever and all fishermen love to hear that there is going to be a big run. We have a lot of people that are anxiously awaiting to get after some of these fish.”

Still, Ellis says the forecast for spring chinook is not always reliable.

Native fishers will be allowed to take about 11 percent of whatever the total run ends up being. They’ll start ceremonial fishing in late March.