Cowichan River

Then your friend should be phoning the RAPP line and turning the s.o.b. in. That is no different than being a thief. That is a violation of the laws and should be treated accordingly. Passing the information to you without doing so is aiding a crime and should be punished. It is just like buying stolen goods. If there was nobody to buy there would be no reason to steal.

This clown is obviously looking for attention by taking pictures and passing them on. Give him the attention he deserves.
 
Bear said:
Then your friend should be phoning the RAPP line and turning the s.o.b. in. That is no different than being a thief. That is a violation of the laws and should be treated accordingly. Passing the information to you without doing so is aiding a crime and should be punished. It is just like buying stolen goods. If there was nobody to buy there would be no reason to steal.

This clown is obviously looking for attention by taking pictures and passing them on. Give him the attention he deserves.
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He is calling the person in. Not sure if it will matter though. It is part of the same group that is netting and such. Just another bad apple in the bunch. I just wanted to get the picture out there so people can see that it is happening, and likely on a daily basis. This is the first actual proof I've seen. I have heard of a lot worse this season but have not seen proof until tonight. The more people that witness things and post pictures the better. If anyone sees any illegal activities happening pictures should be plastered all over social media and get these **** suckers the bad publicity they deserve. Not calling everyone in this "elitist" group out just the few bad ones. I know plenty of good guys out there that would be equally disgusted.
 
Got the same pic from our mutual buddy. He works with a Native fellow in Duncan and this fellows Brother in-law is one of the Native guys fishing and killing in the Bible Camp area over the past while. Maybe he has a permit maybe not. Fact is there are wild steelhead being caught and killed on the Cowichan on a weekly if not daily basis.
 
Man some of things being posted are concerning.... Usually we don't have that many issues..... I mean you have some...but somethings seems to have changed.....? I am hoping SFAB through negotiations can speak to cow tribes..As a community member I am deeply disappointed this is going on.. Some bad apples or not. If it continues I don't want to hear sob stories in cowichan valley citizen by cowichan that steelhead are dwindling.... We have to work together as a team here... There are not many places we can steel head anymore. It is what is nowadays but I would hate to see these fish completely wiped out... Not to mention the damage its doing in the community..

I haven't seen one new article on this issue by our local paper at all. Anyhow keep up thee work Derby and let us know if you hear of anything...
 
Like i said bring back the Hatchery before all the wilds are gone.. I know a lot of people don't want to hear this but a least before when there was a hatchery program going we had more fish in the river.. Probably not going to happen. Looks like the Vedder is having success with it..
 
That's the problem who is funding it? Anglers talk about it but DFO has told us all loud in clear there out of a lot of these projects.... FN aren't going to do it...The fish counting station that is manned is even funded by DFO not first nations.. Who do you think did the brood stock chinook? That is small individuals like Cowichan lake Salmonoid Society probably a lot of you know doesn't exist that do that with hardly any funds...The funds are generated through communities and salmon enhancement derby and events... They receive very little money and run on total fumes. I got to listen to the needs last year and it was scary how underfunded that group is.

If I asked everyone just on here for 100.00 each to save Cowichan would everyone do it...Likely not.

It is not wrong its just reality.

I agree with you but until DFO up in Ottawa changes the policy in these fragile rivers we are stuck right now... There are so many politics on this river and beyond.... If we want a hatchery its going to have to come from the community with sponsors, and Cow tribes needs to buy in.

I hope this is also being talked about behind the scenes I am sure it is.....
 
Fins -n- Skins said:
Like i said bring back the Hatchery before all the wilds are gone.. I know a lot of people don't want to hear this but a least before when there was a hatchery program going we had more fish in the river.. Probably not going to happen. Looks like the Vedder is having success with it..
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I would like to know what one hatchery fish to the beach is worth? BTW. They aren't net proof.
 
Fins -n- Skins said:
Like i said bring back the Hatchery before all the wilds are gone.. I know a lot of people don't want to hear this but a least before when there was a hatchery program going we had more fish in the river.. Probably not going to happen. Looks like the Vedder is having success with it..
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying, take the pressure off. But what happens when the hatchery funding is cut, like now? Not many fish left is there?
 
For sure a touchy subject Poppa..Go look at the Vedder thread. Looks like they have funding ? Where they getting that from ?? Thats a beauty going into the bag and off to its home at the hatchery.. Good job guys !!
 
Poppa, the Cowie hold on average between 500 and 1500 steelhead. These are estimates as no one has counted them yet. According to sources in the Province there is a stock inventory project in the works. Hopefully there will be anything left to count after the commercial style gillnet slaughter this winter. Previous river studies estimated the current steelhead capacity of the river to 3500. Before modern impact on the river its steelhead capacity was likely 5 - 6000. So you can see even for today's standard the steelhead stock is depressed at best and cannot sustain much pressure. I's one of a few steelhead genpools left in the province that can produce specimen of over 20#. Once that is lost it will be gone for good - need examples? Think Capilano, Seymour, Cheakamous, Squamish and many others...
 
Posting pictures of dead steelhead ain't going to change things. The real way forward is to speak directly with the Tribal leadership and help them understand the crisis their actions are creating, and further how bad it really makes the Cowichan Tribes look in the community. We have some allies involved in the Peace Makers group which is working very well on the Fraser. This was discussed at SFAB Main Board as a side issue this past weekend, and the BCFDF leadership agreed to work to organize an approach with the Cowichan Tribes leadership to possibly start a Peace Makers process.

This will not happen overnight, and certainly stirring up conflict isn't going to help either, and may only serve to shut down any potential avenues to engage them in meaningful dialogue. Far more can be accomplished by recognizing the way forward is to honor and respect the interests of each group through engaged discussion.

I'll put a bug in the ear of the BCFDF president to do what he can to move this initiative forward as a priority.
 
Fins -n- Skins said:
For sure a touchy subject Poppa..Go look at the Vedder thread. Looks like they have funding ? Where they getting that from ?? Thats a beauty going into the bag and off to its home at the hatchery.. Good job guys !!
Click to expand...

I'll admit I saw that fish and it looked like a beauty, wouldn't mind a river full of those to play with. I might not be up to date on the research but worry about the wild genetics getting diluted to the point of no return -- but then again maybe it's too late anyway.
 
Well said Chris73 and Searun.
We probably should not over react and let the due process work. It's great to see caring groups stepped forward.
I agreed a properly done hatchery probably will help to infuse more steelheads back to the system. We used to get a good run of hatchery fish later in the season, March and April. I noticed a lack of fish last couple years late in the season.
 
I was also just reminded that there will be a joint BCFDF and BCWF meeting with local steelhead bio to talk about approaching meeting set up with Cowichan Tribes. Everyone is hoping to help explain the crisis and help resolve situation. Hoping professional engaged discussion wins the day!
 
I have been following this thread and tried to inject a little humour into it, a page ago. Truth be told, I am saddened to hear of what is going on in the Cowie. What a magnificent river to row a drift boat down and fish for large Steelies. Something worth fighting for. I am not up on the all the particulars of funding the hatchery on the Vedder. But I can say in my yrs of experiences fishing for the silver ghosts on the Vedd, the program works. I hate to think what the fishing would be like if there was no hatchery and broodstock program in place. After a couple of slow seasons, this season so far has been a lot of fun...
 
Yes the argument of loosing the great genetic wild strain on the Cowichan was lost when the hatchery program was introduced years ago. Do you not think those hatchery raised fish spawned with "wild" fish and have produced fish and so on and so on...To call the Cowichan steelhead a pure wild strain now is false, the so called damage has been done. But to call the hatchery steelhead wind in small clones isn't true. The majority of the hatchery fish we caught on the Cowichan were big like brood they were taken from. I don't have the perfect answer for the Cowichan but I do know that from my experience fishing it there are less fish and more pressure every year.
 
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