Strait of Georgia Anglers - Please turn in your Clipped Coho Heads!!

Bugs

Well-Known Member
Hi Folks,

I posted something like this last year. Some people may not realize it is important to turn in the heads of clipped Coho, as well as clipped Chinook, to a DFO head drop-off site. Not only are these heads checked for coded wire tags, but genetic samples from all heads submitted by anglers are analyzed against samples collected at the hatcheries for something called parental based tagging, basically a genetic way of assigning fish back to hatcheries and even individual parents, even without a tag.

Also, I have a selfish motive for posting this. Our lab is analyzing growth rates of Coho Salmon in the Strait of Georgia using their otoliths (ear bones), in order to try to understand why some Coho are resident in the Strait in their second summer while others are not. We will get the otoliths from all 'resident' type Coho heads submitted to DFO (fish caught in the Strait in June and July). So please submit those heads!!!
 
The recent reg. changes aren’t helping your case...

I definitely understand the disappointment that folks are feeling on the regulation changes, that said, collection of good data on the fishery is important. The data generated from heads that are turned in are public, they are used by government and university scientists here in Canada and in the US. I think our research provides a good example of this, we are a UVic group, not DFO, but we are able to access these data and use them to try to understand factors that have changed abundance and distribution of salmon and impacted the fishery.

Choosing to not participate in head recovery out of frustration with DFO policy will weaken the ability of DFO and non-DFO fishery scientists to understand changes in salmon survival and distribution. Ultimately it is the fish and fishery that will suffer, not the policymakers whose decisions are leading to this frustration.
 
Look at the Sooke area's restrictions. No data= more restrictions. Turn in the heads.
SORRY i call ******** on that one we did it last year and look where it got us you can debate it all you want WHATEVER we do, DFO will do the opposite its quite simple they dont give 2 ***** about us or you and definitely how it impacts our communities we call home....I for one will never put another head in or data book....

Wolf
 
SORRY i call ******** on that one we did it last year and look where it got us you can debate it all you want WHATEVER we do, DFO will do the opposite its quite simple they dont give 2 ***** about us or you and definitely how it impacts our communities we call home....I for one will never put another head in or data book....

Wolf

Hey I am in same boat as you and think south island got the shaft. I think it is major ****** what is going on your community, and your business. But...If we dont collect data we wont have a leg to stand on to push back. If the south had the same data collection program would the outcome be different. I tend to think we might have had stronger case especially with what is going on now. Were damned if we dont and damned if we do.
 
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If you think for a second that DFO is using science as a base for any of their decisions, think again! They don't even have any staff left that could do science!
 
If you think for a second that DFO is using science as a base for any of their decisions, think again! They don't even have any staff left that could do science!
I would have to partially disagree. DFO collects a lot of information. There are many variables on a species that depends on freshwater for its early and late life stages, and the Ocean for the mid-life stages and ranges over sometimes vast migration routes, so data will always have limits on its accuracy. The uncertainty on any salmon data and modelling , no matter how robust, is significant. But DFO knows and has known about Fraser and North Coast Chinook population issues for a significant period of time, and eventually gets around to managing based on that science. The issue is the eventually part, as with the Atlantic Cod they know whats happening, but trail the data because of politics. The reductions in limits on Fraser bound fish should have been implemented several years ago, and the FN netting on the Fraser for Chinook is a disgrace. DFO and its scientists know that, but politics kept them from reducing limits when it should have been done just as they prevent the FN nets from coming out. They also know the limits on the WCVI chinook should be reduced to 1 fish as well, as they intercept some Fraser fish and many US runs in as bad or worse shape than the Fraser. But again its politics, the Salmon treaty is up for renegotiation, the US is going to want a reduced take of WA/OR/CA fish on WCVI, and it is likely a bargaining chip during those negotiations. The limits will be reduced, but there is no point reducing WCVI limits now and giving away some sort of concession from the US that could be gained for that reduction.
 
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One only has to look at this and SEE that area 19/20 which have had 100% restrictions in place for 2 marine cycles and SEE WE ARE NOT then problem DFO reacted to the threat of being sued. THATS all and he said ok ....
THEY dont use science for anything they are just plain and dont give a about us in west.....food for thought look at where the places that got slammed see what political rep is from.... oh thats right NDP and Greens....

btw couldnt agree with you more california
 
And BTW thats coded wire tagged (CWT) fish there would be NO WILD for JDF as we cant keep them....
 
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