WCVI Commercial Opening

fishyboy99

Active Member
This just came through on the wire. Not impressed:(


Subject: FN0532-Salmon: Troll - Area G - Chinook - August 2 Opening


Category(s):
COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Troll

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0532-Salmon: Troll - Area G - Chinook - August 2 Opening

Troll opens 00:01 hours Saturday August 2 until further notice in the following
portions of Areas:

5 nautical miles seaward of the surf line in Areas 123, 124, 125, 126-1, 126-2,
126-3 and,

2 nautical miles seaward of the surf line in Area 126-4 and 127.

This fishery is a plug fishery only. No person shall fish in a directed Chinook
fishery by means of trolling with any gear other than plugs equipped with one
single, barbless hook. The plug size shall be no smaller than 6 inches (15.2
cm) as measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail of the plug
(excluding the hook).

The target species is Chinook, incidental catch of chum and pink may be
retained. Coho and steelhead may not be retained. The minimum size limit for
Chinook is 55 cm fork length (head on), and 44 cm (head off).

Variation Order No. 2008-G-TR-WCVI-06

The harvest level for this period is limited to a maximum of 10,000 Chinook.
Coho and Chinook sub-legal by-catch releases will be monitored and the fishery
will be shaped to avoid areas of high encounters. Impacts on Lower Georgia
Strait Chinook stocks continue to be a major consideration. Fishery impacts on
LGS Chinook will be moderated by a reduction of 20% in the overall Harvest Rate
in the Area G troll fishery. This action will reduce the annual Total Allowable
Catch for the 2007/08 season from approximately 107,600 to 86,000 Chinook.

Observers are required for this fishery. Fishers able to accommodate an
observer please contact Diana McHugh at 250-729-8367 or email at:
Diana.McHugh@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fishers are able to pick-up an “amendment request form” for the new conditions
of license from any local Fisheries & Oceans Canada office. These new
conditions of license are required if fishers wish to fish with 6 inch (15.2
cm) plugs. Fishers are also reminded that the current license must be returned.

Trolling is specifically not permitted in the Rockfish Conservation Areas.
These closures are listed at the website address http://www.pac.dfo-
mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Restricted_Areas/Rockfish_Maps_2004/default_e.htm or can be
accessed at DFO district offices.

Fishers and industry are reminded that sampling for coded wire tags from landed
Chinook is essential. In order to facilitate sampling, fishers are asked to
call J.O. Thomas and Associates 24 hours in advance toll-free at 1-866-638-6301
before they land their catch with the following information:

Landing location.
Estimated date and time of landing.
Processor/company.
Area(s) fished.
Number of Chinook onboard.

Note that calls to this number between Monday and Friday during office hours
(08:00 – 16:00) will be answered in person. Calls made after office hours and
on weekends will be directed to a voicemail box where this information can be
left.

Reporting requirements are a legal obligation as a condition of licence.
Fishers must consult their licence to ensure that they are in compliance with
legal catch reporting requirements.

The fishery may also close on short notice if appears the harvest level will be
attained, or if:

1. Vessel masters do not follow catch reporting requirements.
2. Vessel masters refuse to take an observer on board when requested to do.
3. Coho encounter rates are excessive.

Daily catch reporting does not replace the requirement to purchase and enter
catch information in a logbook. Note that there is a requirement to report both
the catch retained as well as by-catch released.

Freezer vessels are required to retain ALL heads from chinook and coho salmon
caught and retained. These heads must be delivered at the time of off-loading
of the salmon catch and be made available for examination by representatives of
the Department. Contact J.O. Thomas and Associates Ltd. at 1-866-638-6301
between 08:00 hours and 16:00 hours for instructions relating to these heads.

As an alternative to retaining the whole head from retained Chinook and coho,
fishers can opt to keep the upper jaw and head, from the tip of the nose back
to 1 cm behind the eye. These "snouts" must be cut from the top of the head,
with the cut travelling one centimetre posterior (behind) the eye, to the back
corner of the mouth. There is no need to retain the lower jaws or gill plates.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is interested in reports of sea turtles in BC
waters. By documenting sightings we are able to learn more about how, when,
and where these turtles are using our waters. If you see a sea turtle, please
call this toll-free phone number: 1-866-I SAW ONE (1-866-472-9663). Please
include information such as the type of sea turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the
location, and time of sighting.

Notices concerning potential short notice closures, fishery extensions, or
boundary amendments will be released via Tofino Coast Guard radio. Information
and updates concerning this fishery are available by phoning 250-754-0281.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Terry Palfrey 250-756-7158

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0532
Sent July 29, 2008 at 10:23
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
 
Demand is at a all time high right now at the restaurant level for Chinook salmon (especially trolls). Money talks as we all know. This is the result of demand for wild salmon at the consumer level. Expect more of this. Of course the fact that there are so few this year to catch should not disuade anyone from demanding wild salmon when ordering from a retailer or restaurant.
 
Actually there is nothing wrong at all with this opening. If there is to be a commercial opening for chinook this would be my preference over any other commercial method. Regardless, this opening is based on abundance of stock and it can be afforded with the restrictions that have been impossed. Mason
 
quote:Originally posted by mason.jar

... this opening is based on abundance of stock and it can be afforded with the restrictions that have been impossed.

Correct. Area G Troll is the most micro-managed fleet there is in our Province, bar none. Without the current abundance levels, there certainly would be no opening. Harvest is limited to 10K, so given 40-50 boats participating, that translates to somewhere between 2 and 4 days. Couple that with 6" minimum plugs ONLY, and the bycatch will be rather close to zero (this has been directly proven in several studies I was involved with historically).

Also note the line: "Fishery impacts on LGS Chinook will be moderated by a reduction of 20% in the overall Harvest Rate in the Area G troll fishery. This action will reduce the annual Total Allowable Catch for the 2007/08 season from approximately 107,600 to 86,000 Chinook." The quota has taken several hits this year, this is just the latest. We all pretty much recognize that trolling is a "Sunset Industry", largely due to being intentionally starved out by DFO, often for no real science (rather political instead) behind management decisions.
At this point in time, the Recreational Sector harvest will once again top the numbers removed by the Area G Fleet. Should we, as sporties, start to realize reductions in our impacts as well?

For those such as fishyboy who are "Not Impressed", too bad. You are of course entitled to your opinion, however misinformed that might be. A great deal of consideration has been involved regarding this particular fishery, and without the direct backing of proper science, it would not proceed.

c.r angler: I tend to agree with your assessment in the larger picture, just not in this particular instance.

As for myself, I'll be headed out to the grounds to anchor up sometime tomorrow, in preparation for the opening at first light the next morning. Will eventually letcha know how it goes...

Cheers,
Nog
 
We sportfishers have borrowed/stolen commercial troll technologies and knowledge from electronics to black boxes to leader lengths, traded in 14 foot Sangsters for offshore capable boats and now we get pissed off when a drastically reduced fleet gets a few days on "our" banks where they once fished everyday from April to October. When we point fingers during a slow year, these guys shouldn't be near the top of our blame list. United, divided, Rome etc...
 
I guess I should clarify that I have nothing against the troll fishery. In fact, I feel it is by far our best form of commercial salmon fishing. It's the most selective, provides the most valuable product ect... My point is that DFO has run most of OUR fisheries so far into the ground that this is all the commercial boys get any more.
 
I hope they make a few bucks on their opening. We could look at their limited openings as a glimpse of our future as sportfishers. For whom the bell tolls...
T2 (an old troller)
 
As long as the numbers can justify a commercial opening, I have no problem with the trollers being given a go. The trollers are a species selective method of commercial harvest. They are the least harmful to endangered runs of non target fish. Perhaps if the trollers were given preference over the gillnetters and seiners our Salmon stocks wouldn't be in the sad state they're in today.

No point in griping about the trollers being given an opening, it's the nets that are extincting entire runs and devastating the Salmons forage base. The DFO is always going to allow commercial openings, just as they will always give the natives first priority to harvest. As sportfishers we must learn to pick our battles. Siding with the least destructive of the harvest methods may not be palatable, but the alternatives are far worse.

I say good luck to the trollers, I would rather be fishing beside them than dodging nets any day.
 
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