Sweeping salmon closures for recreational fishing

[california]

We are one of the many people leasing halibut quota this year just to make it worth it for our two big trips a year. Our group spends upwards of $20,000 a year and feel its almost impossible to justify with no yellow eye retention and a 115 maximum size halibut. If BC then goes to 1/1 Chinook we are headed to Alaska.

If you are leasing quota isn't it commercial quota? Wouldn't you be subject to commercial size restrictions and daily limits if you have commercial quota? I'm curious how this works. In the future, with shrinking TAC, and the requirement to carve out a FN commercial halibut fishery, leasing quota may be the only way sport fisherman can fish halibut.

 

[outoftowner]

If you are leasing quota isn't it commercial quota? Wouldn't you be subject to commercial size restrictions and daily limits if you have commercial quota? I'm curious how this works. In the future, with shrinking TAC, and the requirement to carve out a FN commercial halibut fishery, leasing quota may be the only way sport fisherman can fish halibut.

Hi

Yes its commercial quota. The going rate is $5.75 per lb Canadian. Your only restrictions is how much you want to pay for. The process is quite simple. Contact the DFO. They issue you a license, you then contact a broker and lease the quota. We leased 500 lbs. between 6 of us. If we don't use it up you can lease it back at the end. If you end up a bit over, you can lease a bit more to make up for it. You have to submit online logs for all your trips and all species as you fish and submit a log book at the end. I am not a huge fan of the system, but given we have already booked and paid for our trips are hands are pretty much forced. None of us really want to go wildlife watching. Next year we will go to Alaska.

 

[SalishSlayer]

Hi

Yes its commercial quota. The going rate is $5.75 per lb Canadian. Your only restrictions is how much you want to pay for. The process is quite simple. Contact the DFO. They issue you a license, you then contact a broker and lease the quota. We leased 500 lbs. between 6 of us. If we don't use it up you can lease it back at the end. If you end up a bit over, you can lease a bit more to make up for it. You have to submit online logs for all your trips and all species as you fish and submit a log book at the end. I am not a huge fan of the system, but given we have already booked and paid for our trips are hands are pretty much forced. None of us really want to go wildlife watching. Next year we will go to Alaska.

A lot of charter outfits on the west coast of the island have bought into this quota system. They don't really have a choice with the limits of ONE little halibut per trip and no snapper!

 

[Admin]

The thread topic is Salmon closures...plenty of other threads to discuss Halibut.

 

[Charter Tofino]

A lot of charter outfits on the west coast of the island have bought into this quota system. They don't really have a choice with the limits of ONE little halibut per trip and no snapper!

One little Hali per trip? Might want to re read those regs before you tell your comox crews that stat.

Also, there are only a few lodges (and clearly one tourist) that were short sighted enough to partake in quota. If you want meat go buy it from the store. Saves you money and avoids backstabbing the sports sector that is clearly opposing commercial quota use.


The remaining commercial Chinook sector and the sport fishing sector are taking a big hit this year. It’s going to be interesting how FN handle their fisheries and if DFO will hold anyone accountable with such grim returns.

 

[Corey_lax]

Why?

I wouldn’t justify a $3,000-5,000 trip for a couple salmon....

 

[wildmanyeah]

I wouldn’t justify a $3,000-5,000 trip for a couple salmon....

In my mind it’s the chance to catch a tyee that makes the trip worth it.

The the meat dose not even make it on the list for me.

To me I’m mind blown that people were going on these trips for the meat

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Holy Crap!! 1 Chinook & Only 1 Possession? Ouch.... I sure hope not.

My understanding was that that’s for area 3/4. Not whole coast as was implied.

 

[outoftowner]

One little Hali per trip? Might want to re read those regs before you tell your comox crews that stat.

Also, there are only a few lodges (and clearly one tourist) that were short sighted enough to partake in quota. If you want meat go buy it from the store. Saves you money and avoids backstabbing the sports sector that is clearly opposing commercial quota use.


The remaining commercial Chinook sector and the sport fishing sector are taking a big hit this year. It’s going to be interesting how FN handle their fisheries and if DFO will hold anyone accountable with such grim returns.

The rumour is next year will be much worse for halibut and most likely kings as far as sport fishing goes in British Columbia. I'm not sure it's short sighted as I don't imagine it getting better.

 

[cuttlefish]

Here is a link to the Fisheries notice; http://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=207412&ID=all
I'm surprised this wasn't posted sooner but, in any event, it looks like it only applies to recreational in-river fishing for Chinook in all watersheds draining in Areas 1 thru 6. As for the 1/1, I couldn't find any reference.

 

[ericl]

Many lodge guests are on trips paid for by the companies they work for.

FYI it is called "sport fishing" - if you need to justify the meat per dollar ratio you SHOULD go the the fish market.

As for a limit reduction, it is overdue. Lot's of whining when it went from 4 to 2. In reality it then took as long to catch 2 as it used to take to catch 4 back in the day. In the US Chinook catches peaked in 1870 or so. Over the past 150 years we have had plenty of opportunities to change. It does suck to have to pay for the mistakes of others. It is the responsible thing to do to break the pattern so that we stop mistake inheritance.

 

[outoftowner]

Many lodge guests are on trips paid for by the companies they work for.

FYI it is called "sport fishing" - if you need to justify the meat per dollar ratio you SHOULD go the the fish market.
.

Have you ever actually ever been to a lodge? The statement regarding most guests are from companies that are paying there way is completely false. Most guests in my vast experience (100 plus guided trips over 30 years) are people who love to fish, love to eat fish and don' want to be bothered with all the hassle of having your own boat or just don' have the time to get out often and want to make the best of what little time they have . If you take away the "meat" portion of the trip, The industry would not exist . Certainly not in the capacity it does now

 

[wildmanyeah]

"While the closure announcement on May 8 was for the recreational salmon fishery, an announcement is expected in early June for commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the adjacent marine areas, Areas 3, 4, 5, off the mouth of the Skeena River up to Haida Gwaii."

https://www.theprogress.com/news/salmon-closures-a-devastating-blow-to-north-coast-business/

 

[OldBlackDog]

Category(s):
ABORIGINAL - General Information,
COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Troll

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0379-ABORIGINAL - Salmon: Troll - AABM Chinook - Demonstration Fishery - Opening May 14, 2018

The Ahousaht, Ehattesaht, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht and Tla-o-qui-aht
First Nations’ (T’aaq-wiihak Nations’) AABM Chinook salmon demonstration
fishery by troll will open May 14, 2018 at 00:01 hours until further notice.

The following areas are open with the exception of Rockfish Conservation Areas:

- Portions of Area 24: Subareas 24-6, 24-8, 24-9 and that portion of Subarea 24-
2 seaward of a line commencing at Starling Point Light (49°23.647 N, 126°13.849
W) then heading 270 degrees true West to the opposite shoreline of Sydney Inlet
(49°23.646 N, 126°15.742 W).

- Portions of Area 25: Subareas 25-6, 25-7, 25-15 and that portion of Subarea
25-13 seaward of a line commencing from a point (49°50.020 N, 126°57.906 W) at
the northeast entrance of Rosa Harbour continuing to a point (49°51.577 N, 126°
59.640 W) at the western entrance of Port Eliza.

- Portion of Area 26: that portion of Subarea 26-1 southeasterly of a line
running through Grassy Island from the shoreline (49° 57.067’ N, 127° 13.365’
W) to the surfline (49° 54.755’ N, 127° 16.123’ W) that is a parallel to the
boundary between Area 125 and 126.

- That portion of Area 124 extending seaward from the surfline to 9 nautical
miles seaward of the surfline.

- That portion of Area 125 extending seaward from the surfline to 9 nautical
miles seaward of the surfline.

- That portion of Area 126 southeasterly of a line from Grassy Island, running
parallel with the Area 125 boundary, beginning seaward from the surfline (49°
54.755’ N, 127° 16.123’ W) to 9 nautical miles seaward of the surfline (49°
47.840’ N, 127° 25.062’ W).

Excluded Rockfish Conservation Areas are:

Those portions of Subareas 125-2 and 125-3 that lie inside a line that begins
at 49°37.900’N 127°01.111’W in water then to 49°37.900’N 126°52.600’W in water
then to 49°33.500’N 126°52.600’W in water then to the beginning point (West of
Bajo Reef - Chart 3604).

Those portions of Subareas 24-1, 124-3, 124-4, 125-1, 125-2 and 125-5 that lie
inside of a line that begins at 49°23.526’N 126°27.818’W north of Matlahaw
Point then to 49°19.500’N 126°23.900’W
in water then to 49°17.000’N 126°31.200’W in water then to 49°22.100’N 126°
44.700’W in water then to 49°25.067’N 126°34.598’W Hesquiat Peninsula then
following the southerly shore of Hesquiat Peninsula to the beginning point
(Estevan Point - Chart 3603).

That portion of Subarea 24-6 that lies inside a line that: begins at 49°
13.560'N 125°57.887'W in water then through Morfee Island to 49°13.300'N 125°
56.750'W Dunlap Island then following the westerly shoreline of Dunlap Island
to 49°12.941'N 125°56.373'W Dunlap Island then to 49°12.100'N 125°57.048'W
Vargas Island then westerly following the shoreline of Vargas Island to 49°
12.600'N 125°58.132'W Vargas Island then to the beginning point (Vargas Island
to Dunlap Island - Chart 3603).

The T’aaq-wiihak Nation’s Fishery Managers have set a target catch for this
opening of 100% of their current Chinook TAC or 3,634 pieces. This will be
reviewed each week and the fishery will close on or before May 31st.

Species and amounts permitted for sale:
Chinook: Trip limit of 130 pieces. All Chinook retained for sale must be
greater than 55cm fork length (head on) and 44cm (head off).

Chum and Pink: Bycatch of Chum and Pink may be retained for sale.

Halibut: Troll vessels over 25 feet may retain for sale a daily limit of 2
pieces per vessel to a maximum of 8 pieces per trip. Mosquito vessels under 25
feet may retain for sale a daily limit of 1 piece per vessel to a maximum of 4
pieces per trip. The lesser of the daily limit or the trip limit will apply.
All halibut retained for sale must be greater than 81.3 cm (32 inches) head on
measured in a straight line, passing over the pectoral fin, from the tip of the
lower jaw with the mouth closed to the extreme end of the middle of the tail or
head off more than 61.0 cm (24 inches), measured in a straight line from the
base of the pectoral fin at its most anterior point to the extreme end of the
middle of the tail. All halibut sold will be counted against the commercial
quota holdings of the T’aaq-wiihak Nations.

Rockfish: A daily limit of 7 pieces per vessel to a maximum of 28 pieces per
trip may be retained for sale. The lesser of the daily limit or the trip limit
will apply. Quota will only be required for sale of the following rockfish
species: yelloweye, quillback, copper, china, and tiger rockfish. For all
other rockfish species not previously listed, quota will not be required for
sale. Retention of all rockfish will be mandatory (releases prohibited) and
catches above the sale limits will be attributed against each T’aaq-wiihak
Nation’s FSC allocation.

Lingcod: Troll vessels over 25 feet may retain for sale a daily limit of 4
pieces per vessel to a maximum of 16 pieces per trip. Mosquito vessels under
25 feet may retain for sale a daily limit of 2 pieces per vessel to a maximum
of 8 pieces per trip. The lesser of the daily limit or the trip limit will
apply. All lingcod retained for sale must be greater than 65 cm head on
measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail or head off, greater
than 50 cm measured along the shortest length of the body to the tip of the
tail. All lingcod sold will be counted against the commercial quota holdings of
the T’aaq-wiihak Nations.

All rockfish encountered in this fishery must be retained. Amounts of fish
retained above the sale limits described above and all other fish species not
permitted for sale will be counted against the T’aaq-wiihak Nations’ Food,
Social, and Ceremonial (FSC) allocations.

Retention of Sockeye is prohibited in this fishery.

 

[wildmanyeah]

First Nations around the coast are salivating reading that notice.

 

[Derby]

https://www.theprogress.com/news/salmon-closures-a-devastating-blow-to-north-coast-business/

 

[OldBlackDog]

Bob Hooton
Deception is too weak a descriptor of what DFO is up to with respect to its approach to conserving and restoring Interior Fraser Steelhead that have approached the brink of extirpation on their watch. The BC Wildlife Federation is taking them to task with some more appropriate language. Good on them!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 9, 2018

Surrey, B.C. The BC Wildlife Federation and conservation partners have been calling on the federal government to list and manage Thompson and Chilcotin River steelhead under the Species At Risk Act (SARA). In February of this year, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) concluded an emergency assessment and found both populations are at imminent risk of extinction.

The BCWF wants fishing that intercepts endangered steelhead in the approaches to and in the Fraser River to stop. In 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) approved commercial chum salmon gill-net fishing which allowed up to 20 percent mortality of the returning Thompson Chilcotin steelhead. This is a low estimate since there are other net fisheries on the river not accounted for.

In a May 8, 2018 letter to Harvey Andrusak, the president of the BCWF, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada states a proposed four-week rolling window closure for salmon fisheries of "approximately four weeks is expected to protect 90 percent of the Interior Fraser River steelhead."
Government is not telling the truth about these closures. A DFO document, titled, "Proposed 2018 Fisheries Management Measures to Support Recovery of Interior Fraser River Steelhead (IFR SH)," states that it expects 90 percent of the IFR SH return will only be protected 43 out of 100 years. So DFO only intends to protect 90 percent of IFR SH less than half the time. This is unacceptably misleading.

Provincial government (the agency charged with steelhead management) data show the proposed rolling window will protect less than 60 percent of returning IFR steelhead. The historical data on run timing and migration suggests a rolling fisheries closure of greater than two months is required to protect 90 percent of the run -- worlds apart from what DFO has told the public.

DFO states it will manage these fish through its Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) while it reviews the COSEWIC assessment.
This approach is similar to what DFO did with Sakinaw Lake Sockeye (which now sees 0-1 fish return per year) and Cultus Lake Sockeye which has suffered a 40 percent decline since 2002. A recent paper released by the UVIC Environmental Law Clinic conducted on behalf of the BC Wildlife Federation showed that the Federal Government's approach of ignoring the Species at Risk Act in favour of IFMP is an abject failure for salmon and steelhead.

The letter sent to Andrusak also states this approach affords steelhead more protection than interior coho. Upper Fraser River coho collapsed in 1994 and never recovered. Coho fishing has been closed since the late 90s; DFO has "managed" these fish through the IFMP with no meaningful signs of recovery. More importantly, IFR steelhead are at imminent risk of extinction, while coho are not.

The BCWF fears that the agency responsible for our wild salmon is deliberately deceiving the public to justify the status quo, and is willfully pushing IFR steelhead towards extinction.
Andrusak said, "It is a sad day when our federal government claims to protect 90 percent of endangered runs, when the data suggests it is only protecting them 43 percent of the time

 

[ericl]

Have you ever actually ever been to a lodge?

Yes

 

[The Jackel]

Those numbers will be the end of the charter fleet and a lot of boats for sale

Maybe we need to do what Alaska did a few years ago to limit the number of guides. Every year in Renfrew there are more and more guides, no limit on the number that is allowed, might be something to think about. One friend i know took all his courses this winter was all gung ho, going to buy a new boat, i sat him down and had a chat and told him he might want to wait a bit and rethink it. He thanked me the other day said i saved him a ton of money and heart ache

 

[chromatose007]

Geez... I hope there are a lot of whales around this year. Should have oodles of time for 'eco adventures'...