2009 Salmon Returns

[chris73]

I thought I start a new thread for this as we always like to find this info later on in one place to reference for arguments; plus if all of you involved or interested in hatchery programs and all of you with local river experience post your knowledge about this year's returns we can get a good picture where our coast is at this year and where the "hot" and cold spots are. Latter is interesting for further anlysis about the whys and hows...

From what I have seen so far this year:

1) Campbell River/Quinsam R: Record returns of pinks (>800k), strong returns of springs, and expected good coho returns from first in-river counts and reports from fisherman in the approaching waters.

2) Sooke River: Hatchery volunteers had one attempt for brood stock today and got probably close to 30% of the springs they need in one shot. Water at the hatchery still too low otherwise they could have kept even more. Looks like a good year for springs. Chum showing already strong (quite early already) in the river. Coho only few so far but lots showing in the approaching waters outside the river. Looks like a good year for the Sooke.

3) Stamp River: Springs at 5k so far with 2X000 needed . Cohos and sockeye strong this year.



Any numbers and reports from other systems yet? Or updates on the mentioned rivers?

 

[Dirtdog67]

Do the other threads not speak for themselves, the whining and bitching about our so called managed fisheries gives any indication of how the 09' fishery was indicates the displeasurement of so many..
One thing that so many have to come to terms with is the fishery, as stellar as it was, had a huge applause to the yanks for beefing up their hatchery production, which kept us happy..
If it was not for the columbia and a handfull of other dedicated yet finacially based systems on our southern counterparts, we would be up **** creek trying to rely on what, as Canadas exuse for hatchery supplementation would have done for us.. A very pissed off dirty-

 

[sundance]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

I thought I start a new thread for this as we always like to find this info later on in one place to reference for arguments; plus if all of you involved or interested in hatchery programs and all of you with local river experience post your knowledge about this year's returns we can get a good picture where our coast is at this year and where the "hot" and cold spots are. Latter is interesting for further anlysis about the whys and hows...

From what I have seen so far this year:

1) Campbell River/Quinsam R: Record returns of pinks (>800k), strong returns of springs, and expected good coho returns from first in-river counts and reports from fisherman in the approaching waters.

2) Sooke River: Hatchery volunteers had one attempt for brood stock today and got probably close to 30% of the springs they need in one shot. Water at the hatchery still too low otherwise they could have kept even more. Looks like a good year for springs. Chum showing already strong (quite early already) in the river. Coho only few so far but lots showing in the approaching waters outside the river. Looks like a good year for the Sooke.

3) Stamp River: Springs at 5k so far with 2X000 needed . Cohos and sockeye strong this year.



Any numbers and reports from other systems yet? Or updates on the mentioned rivers?

 

[sundance]

chinook returns as of today,terrible 2 pairs,total of 8000 eggs,compared to last year of 300 chinook ,looks like that will be it for this year ,hopefully coho numbers will be our savior!

 

[sundance]

that reply was for the goldstream

 

[sundance]

we helped take chinook eggs last week at the nitnat hatchery we put down 1.5 million ,they have about 8000 chinook in the river ,so should make their goal of 4 mill,also their coho numbers will be down this year.we were to go to robertson creek to help them out ,they have less then 4000 in the river ,after that net fishery,plus the big derby,their numbers go over 25000,so we will pay big time for that!we have good numbers of coho holding in portege inlet long as the seals leave them alone,also coho in esquimalt harbour waiting for rains to go up the fish ladders up the millstream which had a return of 200 coho last year.will keepyou posted as we get some fish back in our lower island streams,gary [esquimalt anglers assoc .

 

[Governor]

This update is for 7 October 2009. Details include an update of the fence enumeration and results from a swim count below the fence. Catalyst Pulp Mill was generous enough to give the salmon a pulse flow this past Sunday-Monday and this resulted in an increase in the number of Chinook and especially Coho passing through the fishway at the enumeration weir. The total enumeration as of this morning at 0800 is:
126 Chinook adults (very low for this time)
129 Chinook jacks
363 Coho adults
272 Coho jacks
19 Chum
116 PK
Today, DFO and Cowichan Tribes Guardians conducted a swim enumeration using 4 swimmers and 1 vessel. The swim was done from the fence downstream to the Silver Bridge (Highway 19). Water clarity was between one and two meters. The estimated number of salmon within this section was:
280 Chinook adults
250 Chinook jacks
225 Coho adults
190 Coho jacks
3 live Pink
5 dead Pink 4 Chum
The Chinook and Coho seemed bright and may have entered the Cowichan River during the pulse flow. Here's hoping for lousy, wet weather next week!





God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton

 

[Tailspin]

I have really heard alot of mixed numbers on returns to various systems so far, not sure what to make of it yet? Some great reports and some awful. It would be nice to just look at a site to see actual numbers as reported to date, is there anything?

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[sundance]

quote:Originally posted by smiley66

Sorry what were the number of chinook in goldstream. You didn't mean a total of 4 did you??????

Smiley66

4 springs is all we got,there was 25 or so down by the nature house but were taken by somebody else ?

 

[sundance]

Originally posted by Tailspin

I have really heard alot of mixed numbers on returns to various systems so far, not sure what to make of it yet? Some great reports and some awful. It would be nice to just look at a site to see actual numbers as reported to date, is there anything?

www.tailspincharters.com


[/ quote]no none of the hatcherys take the time to post returns etc,as it changes every few hours ,middle of dec before all results are put to bed ,i will keep us informed as i get the results from the lower island streams,gary [esq/anglers assoc]

 

[reelfast]

thanks dirtdog67, you are correct that the columbia system had/has an amazing run of chinook and now coho this year. of course no one has a clue just why as the number of fry that have been released, year after year, has been about the same. perhaps the infamous 'ocean conditions' were right for these fry as they hit the salt, who knows. one thing is for certain, this years stellar salmon season does nothing to predict next year.

 

[chris73]

reelfast, as far as I can tell it was 1) improved ocean conditions and 2) a significant decrease in Alaska's and BC's commercial chinook TAC.

 

[reelfast]

thanks chris73, we will put your theory to the test next season

 

[searun]

Hey, bottom line is the US guys saved our bacon....DFO has messed up the whole program here, with ever lower escapements and lower numbers of hatchery fish production........spells disaster unless mother nature can come up with ultra strong ocean survival, which it appears to have given the number of 3 year old fish already in our rivers.

 

[Nimo]

"decrease in Alaska's and BC's commercial chinook TAC."

I think this deserves a whole lot more attention than it has received. Alaska curtails it's own fishery for a season and all of a sudden it's Boom time in BC??

IMO, the biggest problem for all species remains overfishing and overharvest.

 

[geo_tonz]

One thing not too many people talk about is the herring fishery and roe harvest. How the hell can salmon maintain their numbers if the herring are being decimated in both adulthood and as eggs? Herring don't receive the media attention of popular sport fish like Salmon do so there's no drive to conserve. Kill off the herring, kill off the salmon.
http://www.bcseafoodalliance.com/documents/Sustainherring.pdf

The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...

 

[Osama Bin Hopper]

Go one step deeper and look at the krill harvested for fish food!!!

Gimee the gaff!!!

 

[chris73]

I hear you guys but please I would like to see salmon return info for 2010 on this thread.

Just learnt that the Sooke River hatchery, as of today, has obtained all the chinook eggs that they need (300,000). There will be plenty of chinooks spawing naturally on top of this. Nice result again! No info on the cohos yet.

 

[quicksilver11]

Was up at the Big Q last week, the fellow there said they had what they needed for Chinook (1400females) and enough males. He said they had about 2000 pinks in the system carry over from one of the other local rivers and there were other Chinook in the river as well as Coho starting to show. It looked good. But it is the same story you hear from most places not enough $$ being put in to make the returns like they should be.

 

[rln]

quote:Originally posted by reelfast

thanks dirtdog67, you are correct that the columbia system had/has an amazing run of chinook and now coho this year. of course no one has a clue just why as the number of fry that have been released, year after year, has been about the same. perhaps the infamous 'ocean conditions' were right for these fry as they hit the salt, who knows. one thing is for certain, this years stellar salmon season does nothing to predict next year.

not that anyone knows if it helped, but the smolts for this years return on the Columbia were not barged out like normal but instead "pushed" out with water flows. Some guys seem to be giving this at least part of the credit for the increased return to the Columbia this year.