2019 Haida Gwaii Reports

[outbeen]

It goes in cycles. At least that is my hope.

Straight of Georgia has best fishing in years (decades?). Skeena / Nass runs have had a tough few years.

I’ve had better fishing on the ECVI / Vancouver / Gulf Islands, etc. than my last two trips to up the Gwaii. Maybe more 10-15 lb fish down this way and fewer Tyees. But numbers-wise, no need to travel far if that’s what you are looking for.

For me, it is worth the trip up for the experience, scenery, etc. and I will continue to go up there. You just have to temper expectations. Some trips the fish are there...others, they aren’t.

I agree Gwaii aint what it used to be. Ive had better fishing on the island the last 3-4 years then I have up north.

 

[dmurph]

I think littlechucky is correct in his statement of cycles, I remember the stories from people around the marina when I first bought a boat for salmon fishing, everyone claimed fishing was dead in the straight of Georgia. I like to think that the normal we know has just changed, fish changing their migration routes and times slightly.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I agree with the cycle theory but this year is not a typical year. The commercial trollers typically are not restricted to August 20th. They likely cleaned out what ever local fish are around this time of year. Typically they are focused on big run of migrating fish earlier in the year. I am not sure what areas F quota is
But is typically fairly significant

 

[littlechucky]

I agree with the cycle theory but this year is not a typical year. The commercial trollers typically are not restricted to August 20th. They likely cleaned out what ever local fish are around this time of year. Typically they are focused on big run of migrating fish earlier in the year. I am not sure what areas F quota is
But is typically daily significant

Quite likely they hammered some specific runs of fish.

All the effort focused on a small area / time.

More DFO brilliance.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Just cycles .... that’s what us Newfies tried to convince ourselves of on the East Coast for years .... and we all know how that worked out.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[walleyes]

Just cycles .... that’s what us Newfies tried to convince ourselves of on the East Coast for years .... and we all know how that worked out.

Cheers!

Ukee

Different fish, different circumstances. The west coast salmon can have good run years and bad run years completely different situation than the east coast Cod fishery. How are those Cod now, it’s my understanding they are doing quite well but it’s still shut down cept for a few fish aloud each year. Another DFO lie and blunder.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Big DFO lie and blunder, but in that case it was lies to keep the harvest of cod high to make a new cooperative fish plant be successful. That DFO scandal is well documented. All fish stocks, not just salmon, cycle as does the ocean productivity like those driven by the pacific decadal oscillation. Atlantic cod migrate and are top predators so are subject to the predator-prey cycles of most natural food chains.

Folks hate change and rationalizing things so we can avoid change or acknowledging it is a well documented behaviour/reaction. There is a lot more going on in the entire salmon ecosystem and life-cycle than can be explained by any of the natural cycles known to fisheries scientists and there isn’t a single “smoking gun” to blame.

Natural systems have a lot of built in resiliency, things we refer to as over abundance and redundancies. As such, fish and wildlife populations can be very resilient to a lot of change and it typically takes multiple factors in combination to elicit a significant change at the population scale. For e.g. intense fishing harvest in past decades was easily offset by high ocean productivity and ample freshwater habitat productivity. Currently I feel we’re finally seeing the effects of sustained unsustainable harvest, watershed scale freshwater habitat changes and loss, unsustainable ocean ranching, climate change effecting everything from freshwater stream temps, ocean temps and currents, freshwater hydrographs, ocean chemistry, species shifts and hosts of other changes we know and don’t know about. Eventually all natural ecosystems resiliency will be overcome if the host of impacts continue to stack up and persist for long periods. There are a lot more examples of this happening in recent history than just the Atlantic cod and there will be a lot more in our future as well.

That’s my view anyway.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[Aces]

Big DFO lie and blunder, but in that case it was lies to keep the harvest of cod high to make a new cooperative fish plant be successful. That DFO scandal is well documented. All fish stocks, not just salmon, cycle as does the ocean productivity like those driven by the pacific decadal oscillation. Atlantic cod migrate and are top predators so are subject to the predator-prey cycles of most natural food chains.

Folks hate change and rationalizing things so we can avoid change or acknowledging it is a well documented behaviour/reaction. There is a lot more going on in the entire salmon ecosystem and life-cycle than can be explained by any of the natural cycles known to fisheries scientists and there isn’t a single “smoking gun” to blame.

Natural systems have a lot of built in resiliency, things we refer to as over abundance and redundancies. As such, fish and wildlife populations can be very resilient to a lot of change and it typically takes multiple factors in combination to elicit a significant change at the population scale. For e.g. intense fishing harvest in past decades was easily offset by high ocean productivity and ample freshwater habitat productivity. Currently I feel we’re finally seeing the effects of sustained unsustainable harvest, watershed scale freshwater habitat changes and loss, unsustainable ocean ranching, climate change effecting everything from freshwater stream temps, ocean temps and currents, freshwater hydrographs, ocean chemistry, species shifts and hosts of other changes we know and don’t know about. Eventually all natural ecosystems resiliency will be overcome if the host of impacts continue to stack up and persist for long periods. There are a lot more examples of this happening in recent history than just the Atlantic cod and there will be a lot more in our future as well.

That’s my view anyway.

Cheers!

Ukee

Very well put!

 

[chinnok]

Big DFO lie and blunder, but in that case it was lies to keep the harvest of cod high to make a new cooperative fish plant be successful. That DFO scandal is well documented. All fish stocks, not just salmon, cycle as does the ocean productivity like those driven by the pacific decadal oscillation. Atlantic cod migrate and are top predators so are subject to the predator-prey cycles of most natural food chains.

Folks hate change and rationalizing things so we can avoid change or acknowledging it is a well documented behaviour/reaction. There is a lot more going on in the entire salmon ecosystem and life-cycle than can be explained by any of the natural cycles known to fisheries scientists and there isn’t a single “smoking gun” to blame.

Natural systems have a lot of built in resiliency, things we refer to as over abundance and redundancies. As such, fish and wildlife populations can be very resilient to a lot of change and it typically takes multiple factors in combination to elicit a significant change at the population scale. For e.g. intense fishing harvest in past decades was easily offset by high ocean productivity and ample freshwater habitat productivity. Currently I feel we’re finally seeing the effects of sustained unsustainable harvest, watershed scale freshwater habitat changes and loss, unsustainable ocean ranching, climate change effecting everything from freshwater stream temps, ocean temps and currents, freshwater hydrographs, ocean chemistry, species shifts and hosts of other changes we know and don’t know about. Eventually all natural ecosystems resiliency will be overcome if the host of impacts continue to stack up and persist for long periods. There are a lot more examples of this happening in recent history than just the Atlantic cod and there will be a lot more in our future as well.

That’s my view anyway.

Cheers!

Ukee

Yeah, a good meal of fish n brews would be good right now!!!

 

[Fishin'Zinn]

Great observations and anecdotes Ukee.

Many opinions and countless factors on the political side, it's so tough! I'd rather fish, and delegate around 'worst case' scenario or possible realities than a best guess, estimate of a (possibly false/wait and see) positive view. I wish it was managed more on an "err on the side of caution" basis. As there is definitely decline in such a pure, almost untouched locale. The average size aggregate is a shade of what it used to be now as well. Glad we are finally releasing the big boys consistently but it took too long to get to this point. Ask anyone that's been going up there for 25 years what they've observed and what has changed. Eye opening. I hope it lasts and I hope we can preserve the beauty. The whales, birds, everything else depends on it and doesn't deserve to be harmed due to us taking their food source away by mismanagement. Or warming, or plastic/garbage etc. Stacked odds... The problem will be a massive undertaking for my generation in the future! I just want the whales I saw playing to still be there in 100 years. If I am disallowed fishing privileges but I that can be a reality I'll be a really happy guy. I think there is room for everyone but at this time it's still unsustainable.

Still, the scenery and beauty of that place...Makes me feel better coming back to this city and the smog knowing that such a place exists! Hah!

 

[walleyes]

Big DFO lie and blunder, but in that case it was lies to keep the harvest of cod high to make a new cooperative fish plant be successful. That DFO scandal is well documented. All fish stocks, not just salmon, cycle as does the ocean productivity like those driven by the pacific decadal oscillation. Atlantic cod migrate and are top predators so are subject to the predator-prey cycles of most natural food chains.

Folks hate change and rationalizing things so we can avoid change or acknowledging it is a well documented behaviour/reaction. There is a lot more going on in the entire salmon ecosystem and life-cycle than can be explained by any of the natural cycles known to fisheries scientists and there isn’t a single “smoking gun” to blame.

Natural systems have a lot of built in resiliency, things we refer to as over abundance and redundancies. As such, fish and wildlife populations can be very resilient to a lot of change and it typically takes multiple factors in combination to elicit a significant change at the population scale. For e.g. intense fishing harvest in past decades was easily offset by high ocean productivity and ample freshwater habitat productivity. Currently I feel we’re finally seeing the effects of sustained unsustainable harvest, watershed scale freshwater habitat changes and loss, unsustainable ocean ranching, climate change effecting everything from freshwater stream temps, ocean temps and currents, freshwater hydrographs, ocean chemistry, species shifts and hosts of other changes we know and don’t know about. Eventually all natural ecosystems resiliency will be overcome if the host of impacts continue to stack up and persist for long periods. There are a lot more examples of this happening in recent history than just the Atlantic cod and there will be a lot more in our future as well.

That’s my view anyway.

Cheers!

Ukee

As you state it’s very complex. It’s funny that cycles was brought up in this because if you read into the collapse of the northern cod fishery a cycle also plays into it big time. Certainly not as big as the obvious over fishing but ocean cycle played a big part in it as well. During the ‘80’s the waters on the banks went through a cooling period which in turn moved off the main food source of the cod which is Capelin and moved in shell fish in particular shrimp. The cod moved off following the cold water and their main food source. In the last few years the waters are returning to pre 1980’s temp and as a result the cod are coming back quite nicely. So as we look at the big picture yes indeed cycles do come in to play. As far as climate change yes it’s happening and has happened since the dawn of time and will continue to happen long after we cease to exist. It’s a cop out and an easy out and easy explanation for any change in what we perceive as normal in our very limited and short recorded human time line.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

As you state it’s very complex. It’s funny that cycles was brought up in this because if you read into the collapse of the northern cod fishery a cycle also plays into it big time. Certainly not as big as the obvious over fishing but ocean cycle played a big part in it as well. During the ‘80’s the waters on the banks went through a cooling period which in turn moved off the main food source of the cod which is Capelin and moved in shell fish in particular shrimp. The cod moved off following the cold water and their main food source. In the last few years the waters are returning to pre 1980’s temp and as a result the cod are coming back quite nicely. So as we look at the big picture yes indeed cycles do come in to play. As far as climate change yes it’s happening and has happened since the dawn of time and will continue to happen long after we cease to exist. It’s a cop out and an easy out and easy explanation for any change in what we perceive as normal in our very limited and short recorded human time line.

Absolutely and thus why there is emerging management science that advises managing for resiliency. However if you stack up impacts and changes for decades and rather than respond we keep doing the same things to over harvest (gill nets in the Fraser) and continue to negatively affect both ocean productivity (unsustainable ocean ranching, net pen fish farming) and freshwater habitats (too many to list!), we shouldn’t be surprised with the results.

40-years without fish and brews is a big price to pay for ignoring the obvious signs!!

Cheers!

Ukee