Sun Editorial of 9/19/04 - OUR VIEWS    A first step to saving Hood Canal
 

Before it's resolved, Hood Canal's low-oxygen problem probably will kill thousands more fish in seasonal and episodic "dead zones."

And costly, comprehensive studies still are needed before all the condition's causes can be identified and prioritized.

But last week, the first tangible step was taken toward reversing the canal's oxygen-depletion problems. Federal, state and Skokomish tribal officials announced they've reached agreement on a plan to end tribal fishermen's dumping of chum salmon carcasses in Hood Canal. Because chum salmon eggs are worth more than the fish, tribal fishermen in have been dumping stripped carcasses back into Hood Canal.

Under state law, dumping or wasting salmon has long been illegal for non-tribal commercial fishermen, however tribal fishermen are legally bound only by the laws of their tribes. Regulations vary from tribe to tribe, as does enforcement. In recent years, chum salmon dumping has been widespread and openly done by Skokomish fishermen, due largely to depressed chum salmon prices and economic pressures.

Reportedly, as many as 400,000 dead salmon were dumped into Hood Canal last year, and as the carcasses decompose, they consume oxygen. According to a study for the Puget Sound Action Team, fish dumping could be responsible for up to 15 percent of the low-oxygen problems that have killed countless fish and shellfish in recent years.

But thanks to $200,000 in federal funds -- acquired with the help of U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks -- and cooperation of tribal officials, Skokomish fishermen no longer will be dumping salmon, and good use will be made of the fish.

The Tribal Council has prohibited dumping any more salmon, and they've talked to fishermen, who understand the seriousness of the Canal's low-oxygen problems.

The federal funds will be used for two contracts for disposal of the fish; one with fish processor American-Canadian Fisheries of Bellingham, and the other with the tribe. The company will supply a boat to pick up salmon from fishing boats on the water, and tribal members may be hired to process the fish from a barge or on shore.

In addition, the tribe also is exploring other ideas for making use of the salmon carcasses, including mixing dead fish with wood chips to create a rich compost, or possibly developing fish-based organic fertilizer.

Overall, those are impressive returns for a relatively modest investment of $200,000 in taxpayer dollars. It is an efficient, locally based, cost-effective approach -- and one that probably can be used to resolve some other issues in Hood Canal's many-faceted oxygen depletion problems.

Natural factors contributing to the problem are "sills" near the Hood Canal Bridge that disrupt incoming flows of seawater, large numbers of rivers that create layers of fresh water near the surface, and the fact that Hood Canal actually is a long, dead-end fiord with a hook on the end.

Seasonal plankton blooms also are a part of the problem; when plankton die, they decompose, consuming oxygen. Because nitrogen increases plankton growth, researchers are investigating the effects of septic systems, fertilizers, agricultural wastes and storm water runoff, all of which are sources of nitrogen. At this point, nobody knows how much these man-caused factors contribute to the problem.

But last week's cooperative venture by federal and tribal officials, working with private interests, was a promising approach that should be explored for reducing some other small-scale localized problems.

Yes, it's a complex puzzle. But from salmon to septic systems, every individual piece can help -- or hurt -- Hood Canal and its low-oxygen maladies.