Next round of closures SRKW related

Questions that I would like answers to:
1/ What NEW means of monitoring and enforcement will be implemented this year to put an end to the illegal netting on the Fraser River? (by all races)
2/ What NEW means of monitoring and enforcement will be implemented this year to be sure all whale watchers are keeping the required distance and conforming to all regulations set for them?
3/ What NEW funding and action plan will be implemented this year to restore and protect rivers, creeks and spawning grounds?

As noted by many, these restrictions and closures mean nothing if nothing else changes.
 
Tips Up said:
Questions that I would like answers to:
1/ What NEW means of monitoring and enforcement will be implemented this year to put an end to the illegal netting on the Fraser River? (by all races)
2/ What NEW means of monitoring and enforcement will be implemented this year to be sure all whale watchers are keeping the required distance and conforming to all regulations set for them?
3/ What NEW funding and action plan will be implemented this year to restore and protect rivers, creeks and spawning grounds?

As noted by many, these restrictions and closures mean nothing if nothing else changes.
Click to expand...

wish i could triple like this.
 
Tips Up said:
I hope this is addressed at the meetings.
If they want us to think this is anything about protecting the whales then they are going to need to address whale watchers also.
The only way to truly get whale watchers on our side (and their money to help) is to have them closed to the same areas, monitored and fined when not compliant.
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I’ve seen orcas in burrard inlet more in the last 2 week than I’ve seen on the wcvi in 15 years
Is burrard inlet goin to be a no go zone now
 
I think those are transients that hopefully are munching as many seals as possible.... I believe the SRKW are still vacationing down south
 
I went to the "consultation" meeting in Victoria tonight. It really wasn't the right forum for protesting loudly. The first half was just a bunch of rhetoric about why the refuges are needed. The last half allowed comments from the audience followed by a Q and A session. Chief Chips (sorry if I have this wrong) of the Beecher First Nation opened with some excellent questions about why he and the local Mayors and Chambers of Commerce were not consulted on what the closures would mean to them. Lots more good comments from many people about DFO's mis management and lack of oversight in the past leading to this problem.
The big question at the end of the night is, was DFO's mind already made up and they are just going through a sham consultation process like the other times, or are they really listening this time?
 
FBrain.
Thanks for attending and filling us in.
I mirror your thoughts. Simple Lip Service.

Thats why i sold the whole shootin match today.

This is just the beginning of DFOs plan. And they could care less of the Recreational anglers and Small Commercial Trollers our input of Millions and Millions into this economy. Its only going to get worse.
Truley sad times on our West Coast and those of us that have put our heart and soles into the fishery volunteering fundraising etcetc sharing amazing family and friends time.
Nothing but political decisions based on emotion .....NOT SCIENCE.
THE LIBS ARE GONE THIS OCTOBER!!!

Lets let the Conservatives KNOW whats important to us West Coasters
 
I was at this meeting also. Lots of productive, well forumated comments.

I wasn’t overly impressed with DFOs presentation though. Seemed to be thrown together and still in progress. For example they talked about contaminants but didn’t specify what they were or what form they take but were quick to say they would stop it’s use if toxic to the whales.

I actually think they have no clue what to do hence the blanket “catch all causes” closures.
 
Irishwolf said:
I was at this meeting also. Lots of productive, well forumated comments.

I wasn’t overly impressed with DFOs presentation though. Seemed to be thrown together and still in progress. For example they talked about contaminants but didn’t specify what they were or what form they take but were quick to say they would stop it’s use if toxic to the whales.

I actually think they have no clue what to do hence the blanket “catch all causes” closures.
Click to expand...
This just proves how incompetent they are and this decision is purely political to win the green vote. They already know what there going to do option A and B are just a farse.
 
I also attended the meeting last night.

Yes, the presentation was nothing more than showing maps and reading off the same information that has been posted already.
They noted more than once that these were just the proposed measures and they value our input. But it certainly felt like lip service. Just checking the box that a public meeting had been done.

Some good comments from Russ Chips to start off, followed by some other good comments.

What was disappointing was the turn out in my opinion. I figured showing up at 5:45 that I may not get in the room but it was only 2/3 full.
The majority of that was the same usually crew. Local politicians, a small group of animal lovers, people who sit on boards, guides and whale watchers.
Not enough joe fishermen and not enough people. We sure look like an easy target and a weak group. No one under 40 in the room and the majority quite a bit older than that.
Where were all the passionate people from this forum? Where were our numbers?
 
Tips Up said:
I also attended the meeting last night.

Yes, the presentation was nothing more than showing maps and reading off the same information that has been posted already.
They noted more than once that these were just the proposed measures and they value our input. But it certainly felt like lip service. Just checking the box that a public meeting had been done.

Some good comments from Russ Chips to start off, followed by some other good comments.

What was disappointing was the turn out in my opinion. I figured showing up at 5:45 that I may not get in the room but it was only 2/3 full.
The majority of that was the same usually crew. Local politicians, a small group of animal lovers, people who sit on boards, guides and whale watchers.
Not enough joe fishermen and not enough people. We sure look like an easy target and a weak group. No one under 40 in the room and the majority quite a bit older than that.
Where were all the passionate people from this forum? Where were our numbers?
Click to expand...

I took a rough count of around 140-150 people - not terrible, not great given the situation and the advertising with a much further reach than normal. As for the no one under 40, u missed the 4 Uvic girls that kicked Tom D out of his row..lol
Something I took note of and decided to challenge them by email last night once again was the whole seal-hake-smolt relationship. They essentially blew off the cull argument right away bringing that up, the same argument that NGO's use all the time. I want to see the studies that prove this as there aren't any online. The only 2 I can find show krill is main diet of hake and there is barely a mention of smolt (one study doesn't even mention, the other, I believe they showed up in like 0.1-0.5% of samples over a 5 year period). I call BS as the only 'logical' place I see - great depths right adjacent to estuary is the Englishman River. I want to actually see the facts, not just hear parrot talk coming from some other guy that says its fact! Considering this never seemed to be a problem when we hunted the seals to low levels back in 70's, I think this is a BS relationship they continue to use as an excuse.

So I say to them, prove me wrong and maybe I will listen! Personally I think some whacky scientist once got confused between hake and mackeral and its just stuck ever since!
 
All this SRKWhale stuff of starving etc etc. Is Pure BS.

The Whale numbers at present are in line with the 60 and 70s....... Its nothing but a smoke screen for the Antis and FNs.
The general public is getting screwed over HUGE.

To much Apathy in BC and Canada. This forum is a prime example.
Lots of Hard core Salt chuckers with a ton of passion experience and knowledge . But were the small peas in the pod. That said 5% doing 95% of the load. Those that have remained silent and not involved have No one to blame but themselves.
Enjoy your Salt chuckin memories boys n girls. Our days were numbered long ago. Your just getting down to the last jelly beans in the jar.
Sickening !!!
 
Sino said:
Seawest is a site created and supported financially by Salmon Farms. Anything that comes from that site is opinion based and biased towards the Salmon Farms main oblective, which is maintaining status quo in regards to the open pen feedlots. I don't read anything from there as its usually garbage.
Click to expand...

This was also covered elsewhere.
 
When I read all these comments all it does is want me to stay home and not go to the meeting in richmond this week
 
Like it or not these animals have evolved to spend about half of each year in the Salish Sea. The U.S. and Canada, Washington state and BC, share responsibility for these animals. Current abundance does not tell the full story. There are only 3 or 4 or 5 females of reproductive age remaining. Most of the offspring produced in recent years don't make it beyond their first few days/weeks of life. Mortality marches on. The population is not replacing itself. This is not a formula for long term well being of the population.

As apex predators the toxins in their environment and in their food tend to collect and accumulate in their fat reserves. When food is scarce they depend on these fat reserves but must also deal with elevated toxins in their system. Individuals often look sickly and malnourished. All this has lead to a general "less than good health" diagnosis for the population.

Chinook salmon are deemed the most important food source for the SRKWs. So as fishers of the Salish Sea, we are required to cut back our harvest. What seems to be overlooked in all of this is the environment. Sure, our harvest is directly related to the food supply of these orcas. We must sacrifice. But what are other segments of the larger community doing? Anything?

The health of these animals is not just tied to their diet. It is also tied to their environment. So what is being done to address the environment? How many development permits are denied because they intrude into the floodplain of the Fraser or the Skagit (for example)? What outfall permits are being reviewed and required to meet more strict water quality standards? What storm drain filtering mechanisms are being "fast tracked" in order to treat pollution before it gets into out waterways? How do we make room for millions more humans moving into the Salish Sea watershed while trying to save the SRKW population? Certainly the only answer is NOT "make more Chinook" or "cut back harvest." There is way more to it than that. But we seldom hear about any other measures.
 
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