Approved native commercial fishery on Fraser River

[Silver Streak]

DFO's allocation policy which recognizes priority access to chinook by recreational anglers
over commercial fisheries for the species is not being adhered to. Recent minutes of a
Mid Fraser/Thompson Okanagan Sport Fishing Advisory Committee meeting held March 10
note that native commercial in-river fisheries for chinook have been approved. The minutes
state "Business plans were reviewed by Aboriginal External Review Team and internally by
DFO and are approved." The minutes continue "This year the likely opportunities are with
4(1) chinook and Okanagan sockeye." It would appear they are talking chinook harvest
numbers exceeding 4000 as the minutes state "The group needs about 4k chinook to make
a profit using the current fishing methods."

Since March 1, recreational anglers in Juan de Fuca have been under restrictions which
require the release of all unclipped (wild) chinook over 67 cm. After June 15 and possibly
well into August, we are being threatened with additional restrictions which could be even
more severe. Because of the nature of the Juan de Fuca mixed stock fishery, these same
chinook being targeted by a native commercial fishery in the mid-Fraser are travelling through
the Strait throughout the spring and summer and being released by anglers because of the
restrictions we are under. In effect, we are being asked to save chinook so that natives may
catch them in a commercial in-river fishery. This is not right.

Check out the letter to the editor in the Sunday April 15 edition of the Victoria Times-Colonist
on this same subject.

[Lipripper]

Additional restrictions on salmon unwarranted

BY WAYNE ZACCARELLI, TIMES COLONIST APRIL 15, 2012










The recently proposed additional restrictions on the recreational chinook fishery in Juan de Fuca Strait for this summer are not warranted.
Anglers are currently under regulations which require the release of unclipped chinook longer than 67 centimetres in an effort to protect spring chinook heading to the Fraser River. The additional restrictions being sought are aimed at summer chinook.
Both of these are declining due to habitat issues, particularly water quality and quantity as they spend more than a year in the freshwater environment. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has no intention of addressing this problem, as evidenced by their inaction to date.
As far as harvest rates on these fish are concerned, anglers in the Juan de Fuca Strait are not the culprits. One third of the total harvest of these fish comes from the native catch on the Fraser River. DFO's allocation policy recognizes conservation ahead of all directed fisheries; native food, social and ceremonial catch followed by sport harvest ahead of all commercial chinook fisheries.
Because of the nature of the Juan de Fuca mixed-stock fishery, these same fish being targeted for a native commercial fishery in the Fraser River system are travelling through Juan de Fuca at the same time as sport fishermen are under restrictions and the threat of further restrictions to protect chinook. In effect, we are being asked to save fish so that natives may catch them in a commercial fishery.
This is not right.







Read more:http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/...#ixzz1sKAZrNBB

[r.s craven]

I agree with Wayne, these restrictions are not fair.
We are expected to abide by them in order to preserve
the early Fraser Chinook, and then see a commercial
opening in the river in which they spawn ?

[JuandeOne]

Now lets all thank Sir James Douglas for not settling (more) treaties when the opportunity was there 170 years ago.

Oh what a different world it would be!

[declining stocks]

The restrictions of fishing right now are for the Earliest Chinook 4(2); coldwater river, Spius creek, Nicola River, Deadman River, Louis Creek, Bessett Creek, and the Bonaparte. Near final numbers of return for 2011: 3885 from a brood (2007) of 2496. The next set of chinook coming in are the Spring and Summer 5(2) are also declining rapidly. It is this Spring and Summer 5 (2) that DFO is basing (baseing) their management decisions on. Even though the Spring and Summer 5(2) do not have any current CWT (2000 to 2006 only) or indicator stock as the Early Chinook 4(2) do. ???? and DFO does not know what is returning to the river (not the spawning grounds) until the Chinook start passing Albion test fishery (located 40 km in river) before they have a small idea of what is actually returning. This happens after any type of fishing opportunities have occured in the marine areas.

The native commerial fishing may be on the 4(1) chinook that come in later and have been returning in the 100,000 in the last few years. and of course the Okanagan sockeye do not affect the fraser fishing, they come up the columbia river.