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Gallery: Reefnetters catch Coho off Lummi Island

A coho salmon is tossed into the live well of a reefnetter on Friday, Sept. 13 off of Lummi Island. After the fish are caught, they're dropped into a grated live well that seawater flows through, where they can swim and relax before being bled then transported to shore.
A coho salmon is tossed into the live well of a reefnetter on Friday, Sept. 13 off of Lummi Island. After the fish are caught, they're dropped into a grated live well that seawater flows through, where they can swim and relax before being bled then transported to shore. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Reefnetters wait for salmon to swim atop their net, suspended with lines between their station and another small barge. When a school of salmon swim through, they lift the net from the water and the live fish are rolled into a well on the deck of the reefnetter. The method follows Indigenous fishing practices, developed centuries back, with the net slung between two canoes.
Reefnetters wait for salmon to swim atop their net, suspended with lines between their station and another small barge. When a school of salmon swim through, they lift the net from the water and the live fish are rolled into a well on the deck of the reefnetter. The method follows Indigenous fishing practices, developed centuries back, with the net slung between two canoes. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
From left, reefnetters Stephen Brisbane, Matthew King and Riley Starks haul in coho salmon. The crew caught 268 coho, a majority wild, between Thursday and Sunday.
From left, reefnetters Stephen Brisbane, Matthew King and Riley Starks haul in coho salmon. The crew caught 268 coho, a majority wild, between Thursday and Sunday. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Another reefnetter sits in Legoe Bay, as they've done for decades. A fleet of hundreds of reefnetters once covered the Pacific Northwest, but now just 12 permits remain for vessels off of Lummi Island.
Another reefnetter sits in Legoe Bay, as they've done for decades. A fleet of hundreds of reefnetters once covered the Pacific Northwest, but now just 12 permits remain for vessels off of Lummi Island. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Research biologist for the Oceans Initiative Laura Bogaard, left, and reefnetter Roger Kubalek check the live well for bycatch — species that are not coho. The method with the live well enables the fishermen to return the wrong fish back to the water.
Research biologist for the Oceans Initiative Laura Bogaard, left, and reefnetter Roger Kubalek check the live well for bycatch — species that are not coho. The method with the live well enables the fishermen to return the wrong fish back to the water. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Reefnetters pull a catch of three fish toward them.
Reefnetters pull a catch of three fish toward them. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Three chinook salmon bounce in the net, trying to break through before being pulled onto the vessel.
Three chinook salmon bounce in the net, trying to break through before being pulled onto the vessel. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
During a long dry spell without salmon, the reefnetters rest atop the 20-foot crows nest, bouncing with the waves.
During a long dry spell without salmon, the reefnetters rest atop the 20-foot crows nest, bouncing with the waves. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Stephen Brisbane, left, and Riley Starks repair a hole in the reefnet that allowed salmon to escape.
Stephen Brisbane, left, and Riley Starks repair a hole in the reefnet that allowed salmon to escape. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Matthew King prepares to bleed a salmon. They're then dropped into a netted bleed well to drain before being dropped into coolers of ice and transported to shore.
Matthew King prepares to bleed a salmon. They're then dropped into a netted bleed well to drain before being dropped into coolers of ice and transported to shore. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Reefnet fishermen set out to Legoe Bay for the 2024 season, starting on Thursday, Sept. 12, to catch fall salmon running near Lummi Island.

As of Monday, all the gears have collectively caught more than 1,000 coho salmon — majority wild with some hatchery fish — nearing their limit.

The reefnet is a sustainable fishing practice rooted in Indigenous practices. A net was once strung between two canoes and is now between two barges or floats. The fishermen use solar panels to power cameras to watch the fish, and winches to help lift the nets. As the fish swim between the floats, the net is lifted from the water, hauling the school on board.

The fish hang out in a live well — sunk into the ocean to allow seawater to flow through — where they swim and rest before being bled, then processed on shore.

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