Conservation Measures for Northern and Southern BC Chinook Salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whale

[ziggy]

My votes for SFI they Lobby in Ottawa on behalf of all sports fishermen!!! Coast wide join them!!! They fight for us!

Join your area ones as well! No reason not to join a few.

My vote is to tell your local MP this issue will cost them your vote!

 

[scott craven]

My vote is to tell your local MP this issue will cost them your vote!

That's exactly what my e-mail to LeBlanc stated.

 

[beemer]

As good friend pointed out to me that "Food abundance isn’t an issue for the resident Orcas at all. #1 problem by a wide margin is toxins in their bodies, next noise pollution, 3rd...the expanding range and frequency of the Transients in lower Georgia St drives out the residents."

Really points to DFO picking us off as the easy targets!

your good friend is wrong

 

[cohochinook]

your good friend is wrong

Beemer, I am not saying that he's 100% correct, but I do agree that there is other issues facing the SKRW's, than what the DFO is presenting. They're just trying to appear to be doing something and kicking us as sport fisherman in the nuts to portray this façade!

We're one of the user groups that gives volunteer hours and dollars in a big way to support and protect Chinook salmon populations growth and in indirectly help SKRW's. I could get behind partial closures, but this a blanket closure that failed to take any of consultation that was done with SFAB into consideration, who put together a good proposal. Its unformed Fisheries Minister who's listing to his bureaucrats in Ottawa that would even know what a Southern Resident Killer Whale or Chinook Salmon looked like??

Perfect example is cutting area 28 to one chinook. SKRW's don't even feed in that area? Cutting area 29 to 1 Chinook later in summer/fall makes sense, as this when they're feeding on Chinooks. Next year it will be May 1st for area 28 and 29 when the SKRW's aren't even in the area?? It's total hypocrisy when you look at the Fed Government announcing they're buying the Kinder Morgan pipeline for $4.5 billion, which will increase oil tanker traffic exponentially in area 29. Total smoke and mirrors!

Are you saying the DFO decision is the answer to their recovery?

 

[finaddict]

Once again decisions from 3000 miles away that have no basis in reality are impacting us without proper discord. Can anyone tell me of any constructive supportive and proactive measures that DFO has taken to enhance, protect or improve salmon on the West Coast? All they have done for the past 30 years (since the original SEP program was curtailed) is restrictive measure on Recreational fisheries, reduced or eliminated budgets and guaranteed assurances for commercial fishermen of the legality of "owning" quota. Their track record of habitat protection is abysmal, and meaningful research evaporated decades ago. So really I have to ask,

"What benefits do we get from the centralized control of OUR fisheries?"

About 10 years ago I really started to question what benefits I get from federation. What I get is a net drain of our economy, more taxes paid to the feds than I get back from them in transfers, and an endless stream of spin doctoring. I am done . Colour me separatist. I see nothing beneficial. Perhaps its time that Western and Northern Canada looks at saying we are done supporting central Canada and their endless stream of self interest priorities.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Some maps of the closure areas,

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/salmon-saumon/2018-skrw-ers-eng.html

 

[casper5280]

Not that I’m picking on them, but can someone tell me or show me facts that if we can’t fish these closures does that mean no whale watching boats and crab boats in this area also. If we are not allowed in these areas no one should be

 

[jasonj]

This is crazy. I'm frequently in area 18-5 off Saturna Island which now will have full finfish closure. Orcas are frequently seen here but they are always trailed by a fleet of whale watching boats some of which you can hear coming from 10 miles away. I can't believe that the quiet anglers who target the bottom fish near the shore in this area are more of a nuisance than the noisy whale watching fleet. This is very sad.

 

[beemer]

Beemer, I am not saying that he's 100% correct, but I do agree that there is other issues facing the SKRW's, than what the DFO is presenting. They're just trying to appear to be doing something and kicking us as sport fisherman in the nuts to portray this façade!

We're one of the user groups that gives volunteer hours and dollars in a big way to support and protect Chinook salmon populations growth and in indirectly help SKRW's. I could get behind partial closures, but this a blanket closure that failed to take any of consultation that was done with SFAB into consideration, who put together a good proposal. Its unformed Fisheries Minister who's listing to his bureaucrats in Ottawa that would even know what a Southern Resident Killer Whale or Chinook Salmon looked like??

Perfect example is cutting area 28 to one chinook. SKRW's don't even feed in that area? Cutting area 29 to 1 Chinook later in summer/fall makes sense, as this when they're feeding on Chinooks. Next year it will be May 1st for area 28 and 29 when the SKRW's aren't even in the area?? It's total hypocrisy when you look at the Fed Government announcing they're buying the Kinder Morgan pipeline for $4.5 billion, which will increase oil tanker traffic exponentially in area 29. Total smoke and mirrors!

Are you saying the DFO decision is the answer to their recovery?

totally agree with you cohochinook. DFO has grossly mismanaged the "recovery" of killerwhales and salmon. Any government scientist with half a brain and a calculator knows that the Southern resident population of killerwhales is non recoverable. Even 10 years ago their was a slim chance but inaction and focusing on ridiculous priorities have led us to where we are now. May they rest in peace.

beemer

 

[capt hook]

From: Rusch, Bryan [mailto:Bryan.Rusch@dfo-mpo.gc.ca]
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 8:50 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Area G Update to May 30


Average catch for the last two days has been 7 and 11 chinook per day with 46 and 39 boats hailed into the fishery for each day. Total estimated catch to the end of yesterday May 30 is 11,193 chinook leaving 4,514 chinook available to catch. The total number of boat days utilized has been 1,110 not including today which has 39 boats hailed into the fishery.


The fishery closes in all areas tonight, May 31, 2018 at 23:59. I’ll provide a catch update next week when all of the catch reports are received for the fishery. The next potential fishery will not be prior to August and will depend on available TAC and any further constraints to protect Fraser stocks of concern.


Thanks,


Bryan Rusch
Resource Manager
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3225 Stephenson Point Road

Nanaimo BC V9T 1K3
Phone: (250) 756-7294
Fax: (250) 756-7162Email: bryan.rusch@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[capt hook]

As others have stated....remember Mr. Dress UP , when its time to vote .
I shuttered and felt sick when he appointed Leblanc as fishery Minister.
DFO and LIBS will never do dip#### for the west. EVER !!!
REMEMBER that next time you vote.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Alaska is apparently getting a really high price per pound so far this year, any idea what the area G trollers are getting?

 

[capt hook]

Maybe these are deperate measures needed at a deperate time....
but if money and management was invested properly , it would not have and should not have come to this.
BC , Fishery,s needs a TOTAL rebuild , starting with firing everyone. EVERY Parisite sitting at a desk.

 

[capt hook]

Alaska is apparently getting a really high price per pound so far this year, any idea what the area G trollers are getting?

Not sure , as my buds all FAS freezer boats... and have not delivered.
i,m sure it will be good. Not like Halibut which is in the tank , due to alternative product on market...eg. polluck

 

[california]

Perfect example is cutting area 28 to one chinook. SKRW's don't even feed in that area? Cutting area 29 to 1 Chinook later in summer/fall makes sense, as this when they're feeding on Chinooks. Next year it will be May 1st for area 28 and 29 when the SKRW's aren't even in the area??

There are two issues on the restrictions, one is SRKW, and the other is dwindling Fraser returns. The reductions in the limit to 1 in area 28 and 29 and the total closures of subareas 7,9 and10 have more to do with decreasing utilization of Fraser chinook by 35% than SRKW. The 2 total closure zones in the gulf Islands and near Sooke are for the SRKW, although they did not restrict other activity such as whale watching (chasing) which is senseless.

 

[cohochinook]

There are two issues on the restrictions, one is SRKW, and the other is dwindling Fraser returns. The reductions in the limit to 1 in area 28 and 29 and the total closures of subareas 7,9 and10 have more to do with decreasing utilization of Fraser chinook by 35% than SRKW. The 2 total closure zones in the gulf Islands and near Sooke are for the SRKW, although they did not restrict other activity such as whale watching (chasing) which is senseless.

Area 28 you have fish going back to the Squamish and the Capilano. Both of which have hatcheries on them. The blanket closure makes no sense? Hopefully they will make adjustments when the fishery in front of the Cap kicks into full swing, but I am not holding my breath!

 

[ziggy]

There are two issues on the restrictions, one is SRKW, and the other is dwindling Fraser returns. The reductions in the limit to 1 in area 28 and 29 and the total closures of subareas 7,9 and10 have more to do with decreasing utilization of Fraser chinook by 35% than SRKW. The 2 total closure zones in the gulf Islands and near Sooke are for the SRKW, although they did not restrict other activity such as whale watching (chasing) which is senseless.

How do the whales and salmon get from Sooke closure to the Gulf Islands closure? I call BS. Politics not Science!

 

[SerengetiGuide]

I think this just shows dfo does not listen and could care less what SFAB says. It’s time to start protests and getting attention. I think one of the dumbest posts I’ve ever read on here said not to set up protests and on the water blockages cause the tv crews may interview someone who is off the rocker at the protest.

Yeah. No. Dfo doesn’t listen to the way we do things now. So we will have to change tactics and start some major blockades of ports etc

 

[Powerset]

I wonder how long these particular chinook closures will take to boost SRKW populations? That’s why they’re doing right ? So based on this program we should expect how many new whales next year, or the following year as a direct result of what dfo has just announced? IMO they have to be able to draw a direct correlation between our closures and a bump in orca population or else what’s the point? Of course tanker traffic,pollution,ocean temperatures,whale watching boats all got no attention at all, so until all the stakeholders are paying equally these closures are discriminatory against sport fishing, and will quite likely show no measurable results . I noticed the mighty quota holders didn’t get touched either. I guess when u donate enough money to politicians u can dance between the raindrops and keep your lines in the water.

 

[calmsea]

I tend to agree; the SFAB process is broken and as proven pretty much useless. Especially when you consider the amount of time and effort it costs our volunteers to participate for so little to show for. I am starting to think there is a strategy by DFO to tie up our best warriors in an unwinable endless battle so they can do as they please. Maybe we should quit the SFAB and divert all this effort to an effective lobby group. DFO would maybe have to come to us then to engage and we could actually negotiate with them from a position of power and not as beggars like now. You SFAB'ler please think about this long and hard. It might be a better bang for your efforts.