Thompson steelhead recovery plan

[Derby]

Check out the 2 links for the Thompson steelhead recovery plan. Chance for anyone to offer their input. There is also talk of closing the river to all fishing in the fall for a number of years or until the stocks are rebuilt.


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nCs37S9l2ql-KnRCtZouF_CJlf40smEfI6KlgyX1t4M/viewform?edit_requested=true


http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/_Library/TR/thompson_steelhead_plan_draft_23nov16.pdf

 

[Hyde-N-Seek]

I only wish they have done this some years ago. It's a start, for sure.

 

[Derby]

me personal this is what I see that needs to be done right now: I'm quoting a wise friend close to this process and believe its 100 % percent correct... Something needs to be done asp.... " We need something concrete and immediate be done. Something that will actually put more adult steelhead in the river.....

 

[california]

Unfortunately the processes that have caused the decline are unlikely to be reversed or even substantially mitigated. One only needs to drive through the interior and see the green alfalfa fields and commercial sprinkler systems siphoning off water from the T and its tributaries. Add the dam on the Nicola, global climate changes reducing precipitation in the catchment areas and resulting increasing water temperature and deforestation and The Thompson is no longer the River system where those steelhead evolved. With only 325 returning fish in such a big system they may already be functionally extinct. A sad commentary on our stewardship of this resource from a fish standpoint. I suppose one needs to look at the tradeoff of the economic development that the River resources have meant for the area. However it is still sad to see a race of such grand fish becoming extinct.

 

[Aces]

Until they stop the net fishing for Chums on the Fraser and off Nit Nat those fish are doomed and none of these measures will do much

 

[Whitebuck]

There is many factors for the demise of these fish, but when 70% of returning fish get netted there will be no recovery.
These fish may already be past the point of being able to recover.
The water issues aren't helping the fish,but it is nowhere near the devastation that the netting causes.

 

[Whitebuck]

and the amount of fish brought to hand over the last 10years that are covered in net marks is a very high percentage.
Some have mold from the wounds and makes you wonder how many dont actually make it to the spring spawn.

Another issue for these fish is the amount of pressure on the T now in October. A non busy day from the mouth to town is 30plus guys as well as 4 or jet boats ripping back.and forth.
The returning dont have a chance and get beat on daily.
Close the river completely October 1.
I have no problem putting down my rod for the good.of.these fish, unfortunetly the multimedia heroes will use any argument to keep it open, so they can get there instagram pics.

 

[Derby]

Sat on couple different process over the years and same results nothing being done..... At this point I personal feel that all nets need to be out of the Fraser river Sept to Nov 01 .. to do this we would need no river angling on the Thompson... This would at the very least allow what's swimming up to make it to the river.. Water and habitat which has been talked about forever , action needs to be taken.. The ministry hasn't done a lot to address this I believe...I know the Steelhead Society and one Rod gun club for sure have thrown some good money at projects over the years but its time the ministry gets serious and dfo on managing the Fraser and fish habitat... just look at the upper Coho pop. we fish under a wild release in saltwater for how many years now.. how many cycles of cohoe have come and gone and same results...hmmmm

 

[Hyde-N-Seek]

Haven't been up there for a few years now. I used to remembered it was never really that busy during the month of October when it was open. It was always in November that's busy. I guessed the opening til end of October really pushed ppl up there. There are just not really any really completed or tried plans that satisfied everyone or the fish. We will need to do something drastic like now. Hopefully it's not too late.

 

[onefish]

Unless you can stop the commies and natives from netting, and the cow growers from stealing the water the rest is just window dressing.

 

[Derby]

I agree with u...we also need to use as much of the existing habitat available ..... but unless we have fish there to us it..then ??

 

[OldBlackDog]

Hatchery.
Now you can begin the arguments.

 

[Derby]

beg to differ on that for this river system... some other system perhaps...not the Thompsons system.

 

[Whitebuck]

Leave the hatchery off this system. Stop the netting and watch the numbers rebound!
Also use guys who are decent rods and boats to actually get an accurate count of what the numbers actually are.
The couple guys who are doing this aren't the best people for a system this big....

 

[OldBlackDog]

And the hatchery program on the Squamish was terrible?
All those groups you talked about sure hated it, right?

Hatchery program on the Vedder, bad?

What have you people got against a program to re build the stocks.

And by the way DFO told the Steelhead Society and other groups that the Thompson River Steelhead were doomed and here we are now seeing it.

 

[Dave]

And by the way DFO told the Steelhead Society and other groups that the Thompson River Steelhead were doomed and here we are now seeing it.

Any links to that OBD?

 

[Whitebuck]

OBD, DFO prob did tell those groups the steelhead were doomed,those groups don't care as long as they get a chance to catch the last one so they can get a photo to put on their fbook. Those groups will argue any excuse to keep it open.
Sickening.

 

[OldBlackDog]

No, it was at a club meeting of the Kingfishers many years ago.

There have been lots of meetings about the Thompson with reports written and here we are again.

Then again we can look at all the rivers on Vancouver Island and what the province did about Steelhead.

Any links to that OBD?

 

[finaddict]

I stopped fishing the T in 2008. Just could not bring myself to chase down the last 800 which was the projection at that time. That was when MOE and DFO made a commitment to close the T for any returns expected to be less than 1000 fish. Then the town of Spence's bridge lobbied for a closure at 800 to save their town businesses from bankruptcy, then they lobbied for 750, then 700 and in each case, MOE and DFO complied. Why? because there were too many dollars at stake.

I would support ANYTHING that would help the Thompson steelhead, but I am too pragmatic to think that this unique strain of steelhead can be saved. There are very powerful laws in place that could be used to save these fish, but no one to enforce them and waaaay too many special interest groups with way too many alternate agendas that will destroy these fish. I am sorry to say it, but anyone who thinks these fish can be saved in just too naive to the ways of the world when it comes to water in a desert and cash in other uses for the water and for what is in the water.

 

[Aces]

Kingfishers will argue to keep it open even if there is 6 fish left....

Like hell. I call BS! No group has more love and respect for that river and those fish