Local tribes say treaty rights violated
June 16th, 2009 - 5:44am
(Nordland) - Two Olympic Peninsula tribes say federal,
state and county officials have failed to protect tribal shellfish
beds in Marrowstone Island's Mystery Bay in violation of treaty
rights.
The Jamestown S'Klallam tribe of Blyn and the Port Gamble
S'Klallam tribe told government agencies in a recent letter they
are concerned about the increasing number of boats moored in
Mystery Bay. Both tribes have commercial shellfish harvesting beds
in the bay.
The state Department of Health is considering reclassifying the
shellfish growing area as "prohibited" or "conditional" because
of the number of vessels, which pose the possible risk of
discharges that could affect human health through contaminated
shellfish.
The Associated Press
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