Port alberni sockeye

Speaking of Notices Here's what we noticed Friday Morning July 7 2017 at the north entrance to San Mateo Bay. A self imposed opening by ??? Longest net I've seen in a few years hauling in the Sockeye while we fish on by with barbless hooks and 2 day limits as we should be. His vessel is tied to the Boundary sign on the beach hundred of yards away . He was sitting there like a spider watching it's web for 2 continuous days that we know. Are we missing something reading these DFO Notices?
 

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Thanks for the info. I always feel like I need to take a course in how to find info on the DFO website.
 
wildmanyeah said:
They must be slaying them out there, bumped up the limit and opened the river
Click to expand...

The escapement noted in the last issued updater was 209 K. The notice also stated:

"There continues to be considerable uncertainty around run timing as well as a very low proportion of age 4 fish that usually provide a significant contribution to the later part of the run. As a result, a continued precautionary approach is being taken."

I guess "precautionary" is to bump sports limits, open the river, allow gillnet opportunities, and tell the Fn's to Damn The Torpedoes. And of course everyone scrambles to get in on it.

And people wonder why we see such wide swings in the numbers of returning fish from year to year, along with conservation restrictions for many... o_O

Shakin' the ol' noggin again...
Nog
 
IronNoggin said:
The escapement noted in the last issued updater was 209 K. The notice also stated:

"There continues to be considerable uncertainty around run timing as well as a very low proportion of age 4 fish that usually provide a significant contribution to the later part of the run. As a result, a continued precautionary approach is being taken."

I guess "precautionary" is to bump sports limits, open the river, allow gillnet opportunities, and tell the Fn's to Damn The Torpedoes. And of course everyone scrambles to get in on it.

And people wonder why we see such wide swings in the numbers of returning fish from year to year, along with conservation restrictions for many... o_O

Shakin' the ol' noggin again...
Nog
Click to expand...

I thought it should've been closed as run size and escapement used to be 400k But if there gonna let the FN clean them up in the river, then the sporties and the commercial guys might as well try to slay them first. Or i suppose we should just encourage people to go buy them of the FN for 8 bucks a fish instead
 
wildmanyeah said:
I thought it should've been closed as run size and escapement used to be 400k But if there gonna let the FN clean them up in the river, then the sporties and the commercial guys might as well try to slay them first.
Click to expand...

And that attitude right there is a LARGE part of the problem. :(

Nog
 
IronNoggin said:
And that attitude right there is a LARGE part of the problem. :(

Nog
Click to expand...

I agree but what am i supposed to do sit back at home preach conservation, boycott buying salmon from the store?, instead of taking part in the hobby I love.

When DFO sets are harvest target the fish are dead either way.

I'm a salty fishermen
 
Kinda disheartening when we make the effort to do the right thing, just to have some people up River who preach "keepers of the land and Sea" rape and pillage the resource for profit. I often get that thought crimping barbs.

That's why PC governing needs to stop. We all have a stake in this game. Equally.
 
wildmanyeah said:
I'm a salty fishermen
Click to expand...

By your own words:

wildmanyeah said:
... the sporties and the commercial guys might as well try to slay them first...
Click to expand...

You have identified yourself as part of the problem. Scrambling and insisting on an increasing share of an ever shrinking resource is one way to pretty much guarantee that resource continues it's downward spiral. Defending that position by pointing at others is beyond childish, beyond self-serving, and well indicates your lack of respect for the resource.

FYI: In this instance, the two local bands were the first to step up and suggest no-one fish the sockeye run due to low returning predictions. When the number approached 200K, the FN's continued to advise restraint. It was Jimmy P and the gillnetters that applied HEAVY pressure to get it opened. Due to reduced stocks coast wide, the commercial sector is seeing damn few openings. That drives the price through the ceiling, and of course they are well aware of that. So, the few they might catch here are worth a lot of jingle. As a consequence they turned up the heat as high as they could muster to get the Inlet opened. NOT the FN's. NOT the sporties.

Jimmy has a very long history of persuasion regarding fisheries openings, and the department, especially here, has a long history of catering directly to that persuasion. The results are obvious here - widely fluctuating run sizes, ever increasing incidences of critically low numbers of fish returning, and questionable openings on bare minimal returns. Sad situation.

Of course the sporties eventually caved in - as did the FN's. So once again it is "business as usual" and the "slay them" mentality you so well displayed above rules the day. The writing is already on the wall, and this resource will not withstand a hell of a lot more of that kind of abuse before it faces collapse.

Sickening...
Nog
 
IronNoggin said:
By your own words:



You have identified yourself as part of the problem. Scrambling and insisting on an increasing share of an ever shrinking resource is one way to pretty much guarantee that resource continues it's downward spiral. Defending that position by pointing at others is beyond childish, beyond self-serving, and well indicates your lack of respect for the resource.

FYI: In this instance, the two local bands were the first to step up and suggest no-one fish the sockeye run due to low returning predictions. When the number approached 200K, the FN's continued to advise restraint. It was Jimmy P and the gillnetters that applied HEAVY pressure to get it opened. Due to reduced stocks coast wide, the commercial sector is seeing damn few openings. That drives the price through the ceiling, and of course they are well aware of that. So, the few they might catch here are worth a lot of jingle. As a consequence they turned up the heat as high as they could muster to get the Inlet opened. NOT the FN's. NOT the sporties.

Jimmy has a very long history of persuasion regarding fisheries openings, and the department, especially here, has a long history of catering directly to that persuasion. The results are obvious here - widely fluctuating run sizes, ever increasing incidences of critically low numbers of fish returning, and questionable openings on bare minimal returns. Sad situation.

Of course the sporties eventually caved in - as did the FN's. So once again it is "business as usual" and the "slay them" mentality you so well displayed above rules the day. The writing is already on the wall, and this resource will not withstand a hell of a lot more of that kind of abuse before it faces collapse.

Sickening...
Nog
Click to expand...


The only problem I have with your logic Nog is that this is not even a natural Sockeye run. When we talk about the doomsday scenario of a "collapse", well, sockeye didn't even exist here before transplanting. This has been a really incredible success to build a sustainable run and while we always want to believe the DFO is brain dead (I admit that I have accused them many times of this) I suspect there science and statistics are far superior to our arm chair quarterbacking. If they have determined the run is of sufficient size to allow harvesting and sport fishing, then I am happy to let the good taxpayers of this country share in this resource without regret or chastisement.
 
I have some great memories of sockeye fishing in Alberni and some not so good. I've taken kids to Paper Mill and fished with single barbless while watching nets get pulled in down stream . I've hired a charter for me and my dad and watch the guide try to maneuver around all the commercial nets and I wonder how a fish could even get though .I stopped at Tims for a coffee and was asked if I wanted to buy fish. I've heard the stories of fish being dumped on logging roads. As a sport fisher this really drives my nuts. But I don't understand the science involved. As far as fisheries being pressured its all about $$$ SAD. I just hope all the parties involved don't screw this up .In my opinion this sport fishery brings much needed money to Alberni. I could be wrong but I'm not seeing the commercial guys coming into town buying gas,food,hotels,restaurants,fishing gear on and on. As much as it burns my butt to see nets across the river and fish stands up and down the road at least that money stays in Port Alberni far as the commercial fleet not so much and yes I have good friends that are fisherman and most of them agree with me. I look forward to other opinions.
 
I have unforgettable memories of fishing sockeye in Port Alberni inlet also. Lets keep trying to keep this fishery sustainable, whether commercially or for the sport fisherman. This may be a slim year we should protect it. It is hard to go a year without a pay cheque or filling the freezer. Diversify or subsidize?
 
Hey, an artificial market is an artificial market. It provides profit for lots of local people and it really doesn't matter if the run is natural or not.

The thing is, and I don't know either way, that the people/FN profiting from it make the enterprise a long lasting one by contributing to it being rejuvenated by putting some profits back in. That is key to success for all
 
wouldnt that be a legacy, salmon ranching instead of fishfarms supported by jimmy funds.
 
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