More Unhappy Campers - by Bob Hooton

[OldBlackDog]

More Unhappy Campers

I hope these good people are more successful in obtaining responses than all the others I’m aware of that have tried. Regardless, this is a good and appropriate letter. Hat’s off to its…

steelheadvoices.com

 

[OldBlackDog]

Take from blog,


Graham Anderson
September 21, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Sorry I forgot to add the link. Here is the 10 video.

REPLY

• 
  Bob Hooton
  September 21, 2021 at 6:44 pm
  Forgive my umbrage here but when are we going to stop walking on eggshells with respect to the First Nations gill net fishing that is the biggest harvest factor that is within our control? How can anyone step to the podium talking steelhead conservation, purporting to create public awareness about their status and completely ignore that issue? So, we’re going to try and beat on Alaska about steelhead conservation and ignore our own back yard? The Alaskans are not stupid.
  On that Alaska front, I would ask Skeena Wild where it has been? Alaska forbade the landing and retention of steelhead in it’s two major Skeena/Nass stocks interception fisheries, Cape Fox and Noyes Island, in the mid-1990s. That measure was imposed on the basis of recoveries of BC origin coded wire tagged steelhead that were sampled in the landings from those fisheries. I still have all the data central to that decision sitting right here in front of me. I talked about that in my Skeena book. Some of us from both Canada and the US are collaborating on how to get that issue back into the arena where change might be possible.

 

[OldBlackDog]

Taken from blog,
Jeff Taylor
September 22, 2021 at 5:58 pm
Most groups unfortunately are self interest only with their own welfare ahead of conservation. Bad mouthing DFO attempting to reduce limits, opportunity and closures seems to be their mandate. Hooking and killing more fish is the agenda for members.
Where is the BCWF, SFAB/SFI, BCFDF, BDFFF, Guides Assoc., Lodges etc?

 

[Derby]

Taken from blog,
Jeff Taylor
September 22, 2021 at 5:58 pm
Most groups unfortunately are self interest only with their own welfare ahead of conservation. Bad mouthing DFO attempting to reduce limits, opportunity and closures seems to be their mandate. Hooking and killing more fish is the agenda for members.
Where is the BCWF, SFAB/SFI, BCFDF, BDFFF, Guides Assoc., Lodges etc?

LOL..... All the groups that are listed have been hard a work for many years doing what they can for Steelhead Jeff ? ... where have you been ????

 

[Teal]

LOL..... All the groups that are listed have been hard a work for many years doing what they can for Steelhead Jeff ? ... where have you been ????

I think that is a rather sweeping statement as some of these groups have been working harder on the steelhead front than others. There needs to be a more focussed effort that reaches across traditional angling groups, NGO's and FN's. Something that some of the groups are working on. That being said as far as the Skeena goes it was pretty clear that the guiding industry was put ahead of conservation and recreational anglers something that needs to be rectified before next season.

 

[Derby]

I would agree with your statement for the most part... however there is many battle fronts right now and the list just keeps growing yearly.. As you seem to know there is only so many of us involved in these process and sit on these boards directing the were and whats of the groups.. I would also comment that a problem i see personal in having a unighted front is the age old problem of clashing of persoanalities and beliefs.. My only 1 wish is that all the groups could get together and work as one but at this time I have no faith that could happen as we are dealing with people

 

[wildmanyeah]

How do you stop people from catching and releasing steelhead?

 

[onefish]

How do you stop people from catching and releasing steelhead?

Easy, get the numbers so low that it is virtually impossible to find one to catch then release

or

do what they usually do, close it to fishing.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Easy, get the numbers so low that it is virtually impossible to find one to catch then release

or

do what they usually do, close it to fishing.

Close it to all salmon and trout fishing?

 

[onefish]

Close it to all salmon and trout fishing?

No, just close it to fishing a month or so before anybody has ever caught a steelhead, and keep it closed for a month or so after anybody has caught a steelhead. That way there is no catch and release, just poaching ( see most of the ECVI ).

 

[wildmanyeah]

No, just close it to fishing a month or so before anybody has ever caught a steelhead, and keep it closed for a month or so after anybody has caught a steelhead. That way there is no catch and release, just poaching ( see most of the ECVI ).

close it to just steelhead fishing ?

 

[onefish]

close it to just steelhead fishing ?

Yes, they have done that on many Vancouver Island rivers already.

 

[Birdbrain]

I just had a look at the regs to refresh my old memory; those Van. Island winter-spring closures say "No fishing". No mention of steelhead, even though that's what they're trying to protect.

 

[Teal]

I would agree with your statement for the most part... however there is many battle fronts right now and the list just keeps growing yearly.. As you seem to know there is only so many of us involved in these process and sit on these boards directing the were and whats of the groups.. I would also comment that a problem i see personal in having a unighted front is the age old problem of clashing of persoanalities and beliefs.. My only 1 wish is that all the groups could get together and work as one but at this time I have no faith that could happen as we are dealing with people

In order to save wild steelhead, "all the groups" needs to include FN's. In addition, the bc recreational angler needs to understand that the guiding industry does not represent the interest of the residential angler or the best interest of the fish. (this was demonstrated this season on the Skeena). DFO and the Province need to communicate in and open and transparent way to all stakeholders concerned about the declining steelhead runs. With the pink salmon openings on the Fraser, I suspect the IFS numbers will be the lowest returns on record...sad times indeed.

 

[Whitebuck]

Teal, great post. Its no different the first few years the Thompson closed. You had a certain group that were pushing to keep it open(fly only) using poaching(eyes on the river) as an excuse to harrass the lowest recorded return on record.

Even with the pink opening on the Fraser this year everyone was so excited about the opening....yet not seeing what DFO was doing. They allowed the Fraser to get absolutely hammered with netting. How many IFS and coho died for us to get an opening? How many of our South Thompson Chinook as well and Fraser sockeye had to die for us to get that opening? The nail in the coffin for this years IFS return will be the chum fishery starting any day now. Sturgeon bait and overseas roe market is more important than our steelhead and wild stocks in the Fraser now.

As per the skeena and tribs.....until you have a complete closure the guide industry will still push to be open even when we are down to our last few fish. The fact that it stayed open this year is truly a black eye on the sports industry and just goes to show our government cares nothing about conservation with our salmon and steelhead stocks.

 

[Sharphooks]

I was floored that the guides and lodges decided to operate on the Skeena this year. And the cynicism of the lodges is a thing to behold.

In late August I was curious if there would be a fishery on the Skeena this year so I called a lodge to make inquiries. With no hesitation they responded....why of course we’re open. Why wouldn’t we be?

They then offered me a spot for October 12th........funny how they chose that paricular day to offer me a spot. I asked about their refund policy if the rivers closed by then

Oh, we’ll hold your money and give you a credit in 2021....

Smithers and Victoria had already told them about the 12th October closure, no doubt....they saw a handy way to get an interest free loan over the winter

If you’re making your living on the backs of a dwindling resource, at least do it with some dignity. I see none of that behavior in the steelhead lodge/guiding industry or the pimps that find them their clients

I’ll admit I’m one of the lucky ones who spent two months a year up there back in the 70’s and 80’s......not a guide in sight and yes, lots of fish.

Then along came the internet

 

[Derby]

In order to save wild steelhead, "all the groups" needs to include FN's. In addition, the bc recreational angler needs to understand that the guiding industry does not represent the interest of the residential angler or the best interest of the fish. (this was demonstrated this season on the Skeena). DFO and the Province need to communicate in and open and transparent way to all stakeholders concerned about the declining steelhead runs. With the pink salmon openings on the Fraser, I suspect the IFS numbers will be the lowest returns on record...sad times indeed.

100% Fully agree...In a prefect world this would and should happen .. however at this point i just don't know how all the above would or will happen & who would be the one to pull all the group leaders together to speak with one voice ?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Great question.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Great question.

that’s like asking the greens. The conservatives, NDP and the liberals to work togeather on all issues.

Even if you could get that you would still have to listen to the PPC and the libertarians complaining.

if we do a though experiment of what it looks like when all the groups work togeather imo it would look more like the area 23 round table then the “close down all fishing” that some want. It would also likely mean more fishing in small tribs on near spawning beds where you can avoid the main stem mix stock fishery’s.

in the ocean even if we went to a full mark selective fishery there would still be C&R mortality on stocks of concern. There would be people unhappy about that.

im not saying ignoring steelhead on the skeena is the answer eather. Clearly it was a utter failure by the rec sector to continue fishing with the bad returns. It was a big failure by the province to completely ignore it as well. Some of the rumours I heard were the lodge operators are the ones who successfully lobbied to keep it open but I have no evidence of that just hear say.

 

[searun]

I think we are deluding ourselves by thinking that closing rivers to angling is in some way going to address the real and substantive issues impacting steelhead. It might make some of us feel as if we are doing something noble or honourable, but the sad reality is there are a number of real issues impacting steelhead that are far larger contributors to their coast-wide demise than angling. If closing angling is the silver bullet that will lead to recovery, then please explain why we are seeing extirpation of steelhead even in pristine rivers that are largely inaccessible to any anglers or folks who might string out a gill net?

Steelhead are beyond recovery in most river systems. The time to take some action to at least preserve their genetic viability has or is slipping away rapidly. Extirpation is now a real likelihood. The once mighty Gold is now down to just a few observed adults...the end is near without significant intervention. Suggesting recovery will come from angling bans and wishing for a miracle is analogous to sending an unvaccinated person with no PPE into a covid ward in the hospital and hoping they don't contract the disease...highly unlikely IMO.