Maybe this has already been posted on the forum.
https://www.change.org/p/mp-jonatha...TkXwADoIll4o83ePHDt1j898&expired_session=true
https://www.change.org/p/mp-jonatha...TkXwADoIll4o83ePHDt1j898&expired_session=true
Herring Fishing
- Thread starter chevy guy
- Start date
Ever see a herring ball? Ever see one in English Bay?
Rain City
Crew Member
From what I've been told they're doing much better in the harbor? All the false creek enhancements have helped?
These are questions because I have no idea how to find out what the real facts are. Just opinions with plenty of propaganda on both sides.
I wasn't arguing that there is no reason for concern. I just can't understand why so many seemingly smart people can't agree on what the reality is. I'm trying to become informed.
I can only tell you what I was told from guys older than I in the mid 80's. They told stories of herring balls in English Bay dip your salmon net in and yopur car topper was swimming in herring. So I would say since I have never seen one in English Bay we have a long way to go to get back to where things were.
Rain City
Crew Member
Perfect. I feel like that is one great way to identify an issue. Now my next question is are the areas the commercial guys are fishing affecting the "supply" to Burrard Inlet or is it that there are no "local" spawning grounds due to industry and pollution. Do the Herring travel 25 km, 50 km, 75 km from where they spawn? Again not disagreeing just asking the question to help form my own opinion.
Rayvon
Well-Known Member
As the article states,Japanese buyers tastes have changed so their not paying high prices for the roe like they used to.Very few commercial fishermen will get poor prices for their catch to be ground up for pet food or fertilizer.Why exterminate a healthy run of herring as has been done elsewhere because it's deemed sustainable by DFO,we know how reliable their predictions are? At the same time reducing herring that salmon and whales eat that are having trouble surviving.It's a no brainer for me,close all herring fisheries and at the same time kull the seals and sea lions that are killing our remaining runs of salmon.
Rain City
Crew Member
To play devil's advocate here, shouldn't everyone just stop catching everything then in that case? Another side that's been presented. Certainly not my opinion.
So what am I missing here. They are cutting us way back on salmon fishing because the Chanook salmon that the whales feed on are having a hard time and that is probably because they don't have enough food and herring is their food of choise but we want to take that food and grind it up to make food for penned farm fish that we all want to get rid of. What did I miss?
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
Yes more times than I can count-from border to border.
Yes and I've seen Eagles diving on those same bait balls just like they do up @ Langara.
As mentioned the efforts by the folks from Squamish have made a visible difference locally.
Rain City
Crew Member
So Sori what the Kelp is killing it all? Should we be focussing more of our efforts on restoring that stuff first? Is that stuff actually all gone? How bad is it?
fish brain
Crew Member
As with any fishing related issue things are complicated. When I was a kid in the 80's I rarely remember going out off Campbell River and not encountering a herring ball at some point during the day. We used to keep a herring rake on the boat, and would just stop and rake up what we needed. Who even owns a herring rake now, let alone carries one on the boat? So yes the biomass is reduced. As @StormTrooper stated there has also been a huge reduction in Kelp and Ell Grass beds coast wide, also warmer water doesn't grow algae as well, continued pressure on a less lucrative fishery. These are just some of the possible reductions in the biomass. Regardless of the reasons, it's Salmon that are likley to suffer the most.
Rain City
Crew Member
So by the media's wording they're on the brink of extinction.
If I was sure that fighting this fight was worth my time I would be sure and start using words like that.
They used to spray the shore with chemicals to keep the kelp from growing as they saw it a nuisance in parts of the harbour.
fish brain
Crew Member
Oh MAN! that is a whole nother Kettle of fish or Herring if you will. Let's try fixing things here on the ground first.
fish brain
Crew Member
They fished em to collapse back in the 60's. Let them recover and now seem bent on doing it again.So by the media's wording they're on the brink of extinction.
If I was sure that fighting this fight was worth my time I would be sure and start using words like that.
fish brain
Crew Member
I'm with you, we gotta fix their environment, I'm just saying let's start here on earth, rather than throwing more **** into the atmosphere unless we have no other choice.
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