So i saw that SG pointed out an article in the sun from our good friend Misty from RCCS, so i read the article, just about puked but after reading it i saw a reply button so here is what i sent Saxe Point hold onto your rainbow shorts....
First off let me say how disappointed I am for you to again spew more false info from Misty. The media and public feeds off of this like a bee to honey. Maybe Misty needs to get out on the water and see for herself what is going on instead of assuming what is going on. Couple of points.
1- The size of the Chinook runs this year around the island have been nothing short of amazing, along with this is the size of the fish have rebounded as well. Now Misty isn’t going to tell you this as this would shoot her theory down, you need to talk to people on the water, people that have been fishing, get the real facts.
2- If hatcheries are so bad why did she not come out and oppose the new restrictions, and state that there should be a retention of hatchery Chinook, because according to her the fish are not a good thing and their numbers are through the roof
3- The percentage of hatchery that I personally have caught along with all the people I know who have been fishing is relatively small this season compared to the wild fish
4- As for what the whales are used to doing maybe ask Misty why they were off of California for an extended amount of time, answer the Chinook runs are very strong there this year and guess what majority of those fish are hatchery fish, also maybe ask her about false statements made that the SRKW’s spend the entire year in the Salish Sea.
5- Maybe also ask for recent pictures of those whales off of California to show their physical state, show us the pea heads, show us how they are starving, again there won’t be any as they are eating well
6- Ask Misty how much money they have put into stream and land enhancement/restoration in the province, I for one can say that I have never ran into anyone from the Rain Coast Conservation Society while volunteering
7- As you know Misty is involved in the lower Fraser watershed, there have been many studies about the seals that habituate the Fraser system and the high percentage of smolts that they consume, but according to her they are not a problem. Excuse me but when you lose 50% of your investment even before they hit the salt water I think that yes there is a problem
8- Now as for hatchery fish yes nothing compares to wild fish, but if things are so bad for the numbers of wild Chinook do you think with the government ineptitude that this ship will be righted in time to restore these fish or will we just be watching old news clips of a past time when there were Chinook salmon in the ocean. Remember that the average life cycle for a Chinook is 4 years, fast forward 40 years and you have 10 cycles of spawners back to the rivers, so a run in trouble with low numbers now, does she honestly think that things will rebound quickly I hardly think so.
9- Another point on the hatchery fish to be made, is the practice now implemented it to get the age classification of the fish back on track, bigger fish on average but a lot of this will also depend on ocean conditions and available food. Also the government maybe could step in and fund the clipping of hatchery fish to achieve 100 % on this then the management of the hatchery fishery could be better done
In closing I have personally sent Misty about 30 emails and she responded to only one in such an arrogant way as to state (you do know that the killers whales have big black fins), this was her answer when I had stated to her that the closing of the fishing in the Juan De Fuca to protect the whales was a mute point as I live ocean front in Jordan River and had seen the whales one day. Now I don’t expect a response from you but would appreciate one but seeing that Misty, the federal and provincial governments have not responded to the many emails and letters I have sent off, except for the complimentary form letter responses that everyone got.
Regards,
A concerned BC fisherman