Still no Decision on SFAB Chinook Proposal?

[cohochinook]

DFO continues to drag their feet with no announcement of when Chinook will open for retention in most of the South Coast this year or if they will adopt the recommendations of the SFAB Chinook proposal. Hopefully we hear something soon!

Be sure to join/support the Sport Fishing Institute of BC https://sportfishing.bc.ca/ and the Public Fishery Alliance https://publicfisheryalliance.ca/ Both groups are fighting for our rights to this fishery which should have already been opened by DFO!

 

[rockdog]

Thank you for keeping us informed...

 

[Cuba Libre]

I dont think DFO has accepted a single significant proposal from the SFAB for three years. The proposal to allow one unmarked coho on the east coast of the Island where there are major DFO hatcheries and numerous smaller facilities that dont mark all but a small percentage of the coho fry/smolts they produce, has been ignored by DFO-- No explanation given.... Disgusting.

 

[ericl]

This talks of a MSF Chinook fishery, right? Probably not gonna happen as BC has not submitted a request for ANY MSF Chinook fisheries as required by the 2019 Pacific Salmon Treaty:
https://www.psc.org/publications/te...mmittee-reports/selective-fishery-evaluation/

See table 2.1 on page 3 of the latest report

Maybe I am wrong, but if I am not then DFO/SFAB are either severely under informed or lying.

I am sure many of you will see me as the bad guy here, but this is just the plain & simple truth as I see it.

 

[Derby]

there is way around the PSF 2019 treaty & MSF chinooks fishery... the question is more like will the dept. move off there current position.

 

[ericl]

there is way around the PSF 2019 treaty & MSF chinooks fishery... the question is more like will the dept. move off there current position.

Care to share info on this?

 

[searun]

Care to share info on this?

I'm unclear as to why you suggest Canada has not place-marked MM and MSF opportunities in the PSC process? Couple of quotes (attached below) from the PSC 2019 report seem to indicate otherwise, so I'm a bit confused.

I believe the real road-block is the ongoing internal debate within DFO as to how they shift from CWT to PBT, and the impact of a dramatic shift to MM and MSF Fisheries in the long-term integrity of the CWT program as a management tool going forward. Fun times.

2.1 Mass Marking Proposals Received

A total of 22 MM proposals (8 for Coho, and 14 for Chinook) were received by the PSC for 2019 marking activities (Appendix A). Of the proposals received, two were from southern British Columbia (BC) and 20 from southern United States (SUS). All proposals are summarized in Table 2-1.

3.1.3 New MSF Proposals Five new MSF proposals were received for 2019; one for recreational Chinook Salmon in southern B.C., and four for Chinook and Coho test fisheries in the lower Columbia River1 . There are several concerns regarding the B.C. recreational Chinook proposal, including complex (mark-mixed or mark- and size-mixed bag) regulations, visual sampling of heads leading to no unmarked tag recoveries, misalignment of catch sampling and CWT recovery programs with regulation boundaries, lack of estimates of released catch and for catch in certain periods, and no projected mark rates. The current evaluation of this proposal was based on some assumptions due to the non-specific nature of the proposal; the committee will reevaluate the proposal when an updated version is submitted. T

 

[ericl]

I'm unclear as to why you suggest Canada has not place-marked MM and MSF opportunities in the PSC process? Couple of quotes (attached below) from the PSC 2019 report seem to indicate otherwise, so I'm a bit confused.

It is me who is confused; I saw table 2.1 & figured that was all on the subject - my fault; sorry.

I think I am gaining understanding on this but:

(1) It sounds like many on the forum are expecting DFO to announce a MSF for the 2020 season.

(2) section 3.1.3 says that

The current evaluation of this proposal was based on some assumptions due to the non-specific nature of the proposal; the committee will reevaluate the proposal when an updated version is submitted.

So, in reality there is no submitted proposal. Is there an ECD for the updated proposal? Will the June 1 deadline still apply?
Once the proposal has been submitted, it will be a year at the soonest before it is implemented right?
So the earliest this MSF will occur is 2021?

Am I the only one on the forum who was clueless on this? This is certainly not the manner in which I conduct business (secrecy). I do admit that my ethics have cost me a few or so jobs.

 

[searun]

My understanding is there is a placeholder, but not a specific plan submitted. As noted, there is a bit of an internal debate taking place within DFO. Who know if they ever will land on MM all our hatchery produced Chinook, and actually implementing MSF or even just a simple Hatchery retention fishery. This is one of those issues where it will need to get political to help move along the endless debate. Technically, Canada can proceed....internally....that is an entirely different animal. With Covid, don't look to see MM this season...there's a real challenge just maintaining the 10% marking of hatchery produced Chinook now. Recreational fisheries are not the priority.

 

[ericl]

With Covid, don't look to see MM this season...there's a real challenge just maintaining the 10% marking of hatchery produced Chinook now. Recreational fisheries are not the priority.

Unfortunate but true. I doubt any of the WA proposals will get funded because of COVID.

My understanding is there is a placeholder, but not a specific plan submitted.

IF the plan will need to be as complete as the WA MSF plans are, that is a tall hurdle as to all the monitoring/data collection required. Also in-play is the 12.5% reduction in BC's catch of Puget Sound Chinook from the 2019 PST.
You are right, the situation is a REAL basket case. Paramount principles of theTreaty are (1) Interception, and (2) Catch equity - SEAK get's to take BC fish so then BC get's to take WA fish regardless of run health. I kinda stopped fishing WA over 35 years ago & consider the WCVI Chinook as my "pets". Moored my boat year round in Ucluelet/Tofino; liked Tofino the best; more HOT surfer Chic's.

Thanks for the update, Eric - FYI where are you out of?

 

[searun]

Barkley Sound for me.

 

[ericl]

Barkley Sound for me.

Yup - that's the choice I made 35 years ago when WA starting looking like BC is now.

 

[cohochinook]

Apparently the minister will be coming out with the announcement tomorrow on the SFAB Chinook proposal. Friday afternoon not a good sign!

 

[SpringVelocity]

I was right. Right before father's day.

 

[High Time]

This has been a DFO trademark for the last 30 years. Dump all the controversial cr#p out on Friday afternoon and then head for the hills.....

 

[cohochinook]

I was right. Right before father's day.

And the Family Fishing weekend https://www.bcfamilyfishing.com/

 

[SerengetiGuide]

This has been a DFO trademark for the last 30 years. Dump all the controversial cr#p out on Friday afternoon and then head for the hills.....

that’s any government or departments policy forever. With that being said could be controversial towards other groups and tick them off too. Unlikely but trying to be positive. I’d be shocked if it isn’t a rollover from 2019.

 

[tincan]

Sounds like the announcement will be made at 1:30pm PT today. A little birdy told me that it will largely be similar to 2019 measures with a few distinct exceptions including:
-Some sub-area chinook retention opportunities (largely mainland inlets but also other sub-areas or portions off the main corridors).
-Some new time and space closures for chinook fishing in the Fraser approach areas (SOG/JDF).
-Expanded closure of the Fraser "mouth" to include the banana as well as 29-6 for a longer period of time than last year.

I guess it will depend on the specifics of these sub-area openings and additional closures to see if this is 'better' or 'worse' for us who enjoy fishing and retaining a chinook here and there. As usual, some people and areas will be hit harder than others. We'll find out soon enough I suppose.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Vic, Sooke and Renfrew worry me the most. Hope I am wrong on this one. I am not in the know just a gut feeling I have. Should know soon enough.

 

[ab1752]

please please please please LBJ come through for us one more time!