Andrew P
Well-Known Member
Hey Guys,
This was sent to me by David Ellis, retired fisheries planner, former commercial fisherman, and avid environmentalist.
Thanks,
Andrew P
A REPORT ON THE TRAGIC HERRING FISHERY, WITH AN APPEAL TO MR. JIMMY
PATTISON BY DAVID ELLIS Feb 26, 2013
Summary: Killer whales, Chinook, coho, ling cod, and sea birds, will all
now clearly continue to decline, due to the expanded exploitation, of
the remnant herring, of the Salish Sea (see below). But in Howe Sound,
where the First Nations have now taken decisive legal action to stop all
industrial fishing, and where the communities have taken over herring
monitoring and enhancement, herring, and the many species that so depend
upon them, are now seeing a massive rebound.
The herring industry, is largely within the sole ownership, of Mr. Jimmy
Pattison, who now has the option, of continuing to press the Federal
government to fish these depleted stocks, or to develop a plan to retire
the herring fleet, for public benefit. No greater legacy, has ever
awaited a citizen of British Columbia.
REPORT: THE TRAGIC OVER-FISHING, OF THE SALISH SEA HERRING
Industrial herring over-exploitation in the Salish Sea has now gone from
bad, to worse. As the market for fresh herring increases, and the roe
herring industry has now "fished itself into the ground", this
over-capitalized industry has moved to exploit the fragile "resident"
herring populations of the Strait of Georgia, in a new "Food and Bait"
fishery (see DFO report below). For the 2nd year in a row, in addition
to the fast declining March roe herring fishery, these rare local
herring, have been relentlessly pursued. The "resident" herring catch,
on the first year, was 3,450 tons, and the preliminary anticipated catch
for the second year, just closed (see below) is approximately 4,400
tons, after four months spent hunting down these small, remnant schools.
Meanwhile, the roe herring are now so small that the quota was not even
market-desired by the seiners in 2011, who refused to fish; they decided
to fish in 2012, but due to lack of roe herring, only 3,156 tons, or 52%
of the seine quota, could not even be pulled, from the sea (see below).
THE FRAGILE "RESIDENT" HERRING POPULATIONS
The "resident" herring populations, stay all year, in the Salish Sea.
They are therefore a nutritional key, directly or indirectly, to the
survival and health of the endangered and/or very depressed populations
of killer whales, Chinook, coho, ling cod, and sea birds, that over the
millennia, have evolved to stay all year, in the Salish Sea. The
"resident" herring, are not distinct, genetically, from the "migratory"
herring that come into the Sea to spawn at Hornby Island, etc., but they
are very biologically unique, nevertheless. Although much reduced in
numbers at this time, their National importance, is immense. When I sat
on COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) we
often listed, such geographically different, and Nationally important,
local populations, of mammals, plants, reptiles, fishes, etc, even if
they were not, genetically distinct.
NATIONAL ECONOMICS
The rebuilding of the Salish Sea herring, offers massive economic
potential for the sportfishing and bird watching industries, if one back
calculates, the tourism revenues, that once accrued from sportfishing
tourism, alone. These industries are now expanding on other areas of the
BC coast, but the sheltered Salish Sea, still offers the largest obvious
potential future contribution to the Canadian tourist economy, if
"community enhancement" herring policies are now backed by the Federal
and Provincial governments, and the sport fishery, is redeveloped in a
sustainable manner. Some scientists have citing "global warming" as a
reason for the decline of herring, and other species. But the sudden
rebound of the herring in Squamish, at the very southern end of the Sea,
has now debunked this theory.
These industry declines, as well as the loss of First Nations access
(see below) can be directly correlated, to periods of past over fishing
(see catch statistics below). Herring spawning areas that have seen
habitat loss, are now being rehabilitated in areas such as Squamish,
where the salmon enhancement "stream keepers", are expanding from
salmon, to herring. In my opinion, the community energy available for
such activities, is immense, even if government budgets, are limited.
But support for the rebuilding of the sportfishery, by both the Federal
and Provincial governments, is paramount.
For the First Nations, the rebuilding of the herring, would
re-invigorate the health and well being of the communities, give
strength back to the Coast Salish culture, and contribute significantly
to a decline in the rates of diabetes.
>From the perspective of the entire economy of Canada, then, the
continued over-exploitation of the already depressed herring of the
Salish Sea, has serious repercussions. Added to this, then, the
potential economic size, of an expanded bird watching industry (the 2nd
largest hobby after gardening in North America) which is also now
suffering loss of opportunity, due to the massive declines in the many
sea bird populations, which is due to past over fishing.
FIRST NATIONS LOSS OF ACCESS
At this time, no First Nations groups, are able to gather significant
quantities of herring eggs, in the Salish Sea, due to exploitation by
the commercial fisheries, and policies of the Federal Fisheries. The
ethnographic and historic record clearly shows, that former Coast Salish
consumption levels were high, and were a very significant nutritional
and economic part of the Coast Salish way of life. These First Nations,
have Constitutional protection, to access these wild foods, and
increasing capability, to leverage this, in law. The past, and
continued, forcible loss of these vital wild foods, because of the
continued policies of First Nations exclusion by the Federal Fisheries,
remains a major issue for the Salish Sea First Nations. As levels of
diabetes are now soaring in the First Nations communities, due to loss
of access to this and other wild foods, the health costs to Canada, also
continue to escalate.
LACK OF A BIOLOGICAL RATIONALE, FOR A FISHERY FOR THE "RESIDENT" HERRING
POPULATIONS
The "resident" herring are being fished now by very efficient large
seine vessels, that work in a long duration "food and bait" fishery,
Nov-Feb (see below), the very worst way to exploit fragile, unstudied,
populations. Instead of initiating a research program at the huge
Pacific Biological Station, at Nanaimo, which is world renowned for the
quality of its fisheries scientists, the Federal Department of
Fisheries, is saying, publicly (see below) "little information is
available to develop ecosystem-based conservation limits". This is
"pleading ignorance", in the same way, that it pleads ignorance, of the
disease problem, created by salmon farming. A DFO report (see below)
that "biological samples collected from the "Food and Bait" fishery,
will be analyzed to better understand the linkages between migratory and
non-migratory herring throughout the coast". But to begin to fully
understand the "resident" versus the "migratory" herring, a formal
research program involving heavy and expansive sampling of Salish Sea
herring, especially in the summer months after the "migratory" herring
have left, is long overdue.
THE DEPLETED ROE HERRING FISHERY AND ITS OWNERSHIP
The roe herring fishery is still held every March. The size of these
herring has declined, as most of the large female fish, have been
removed in past years. This has also reduced the market value of the
declining catch. In 2011 the small roe herring were not market-desired
by the seiners, who did not fish; in 2012, the quota was taken, but due
to the lack of abundance of herring; 3156 tons, or 52% of the seine
quota of the quota, could not be taken.
The Salish Sea is one of the last remaining roe herring fisheries on the
BC coast, the rest now being too depleted, by the roe herring fishery,
to be industrially viable. Alaska now faces similar declines, after
years of roe herring fishing. With the general decline of the Japanese
market for roe herring, the local Salish Sea roe herring, even though
now very small in size, are also more economically attractive, being
closer to the large fishing plants in Vancouver, particularly that of
the largest industry participant, the Canadian Fishing Company, owned
privately, by well known B.C. businessman, Mr. Jimmy Pattison. If Mr.
Pattison wishes to press the Federal government to allow continued
fishing these depleted stocks, or to agree to a long term herring
fisheries closure, is now his personal choice. If he now takes no
action, the sportfishing economy of the Province, and the First Nations,
will continue to suffer.
How could this happen, under the "pre-cautionary principle" policy, that
is supposed to now be the guide, for Federal fisheries? Because, in my
opinion, the corporate fishery lobby, largely under the control of Mr.
Pattison, continues to control DFO herring regulation, in much the same
way, as the Norwegian salmon farming lobby, continues to control, salmon
farming regulation.
This was sent to me by David Ellis, retired fisheries planner, former commercial fisherman, and avid environmentalist.
Thanks,
Andrew P
A REPORT ON THE TRAGIC HERRING FISHERY, WITH AN APPEAL TO MR. JIMMY
PATTISON BY DAVID ELLIS Feb 26, 2013
Summary: Killer whales, Chinook, coho, ling cod, and sea birds, will all
now clearly continue to decline, due to the expanded exploitation, of
the remnant herring, of the Salish Sea (see below). But in Howe Sound,
where the First Nations have now taken decisive legal action to stop all
industrial fishing, and where the communities have taken over herring
monitoring and enhancement, herring, and the many species that so depend
upon them, are now seeing a massive rebound.
The herring industry, is largely within the sole ownership, of Mr. Jimmy
Pattison, who now has the option, of continuing to press the Federal
government to fish these depleted stocks, or to develop a plan to retire
the herring fleet, for public benefit. No greater legacy, has ever
awaited a citizen of British Columbia.
REPORT: THE TRAGIC OVER-FISHING, OF THE SALISH SEA HERRING
Industrial herring over-exploitation in the Salish Sea has now gone from
bad, to worse. As the market for fresh herring increases, and the roe
herring industry has now "fished itself into the ground", this
over-capitalized industry has moved to exploit the fragile "resident"
herring populations of the Strait of Georgia, in a new "Food and Bait"
fishery (see DFO report below). For the 2nd year in a row, in addition
to the fast declining March roe herring fishery, these rare local
herring, have been relentlessly pursued. The "resident" herring catch,
on the first year, was 3,450 tons, and the preliminary anticipated catch
for the second year, just closed (see below) is approximately 4,400
tons, after four months spent hunting down these small, remnant schools.
Meanwhile, the roe herring are now so small that the quota was not even
market-desired by the seiners in 2011, who refused to fish; they decided
to fish in 2012, but due to lack of roe herring, only 3,156 tons, or 52%
of the seine quota, could not even be pulled, from the sea (see below).
THE FRAGILE "RESIDENT" HERRING POPULATIONS
The "resident" herring populations, stay all year, in the Salish Sea.
They are therefore a nutritional key, directly or indirectly, to the
survival and health of the endangered and/or very depressed populations
of killer whales, Chinook, coho, ling cod, and sea birds, that over the
millennia, have evolved to stay all year, in the Salish Sea. The
"resident" herring, are not distinct, genetically, from the "migratory"
herring that come into the Sea to spawn at Hornby Island, etc., but they
are very biologically unique, nevertheless. Although much reduced in
numbers at this time, their National importance, is immense. When I sat
on COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) we
often listed, such geographically different, and Nationally important,
local populations, of mammals, plants, reptiles, fishes, etc, even if
they were not, genetically distinct.
NATIONAL ECONOMICS
The rebuilding of the Salish Sea herring, offers massive economic
potential for the sportfishing and bird watching industries, if one back
calculates, the tourism revenues, that once accrued from sportfishing
tourism, alone. These industries are now expanding on other areas of the
BC coast, but the sheltered Salish Sea, still offers the largest obvious
potential future contribution to the Canadian tourist economy, if
"community enhancement" herring policies are now backed by the Federal
and Provincial governments, and the sport fishery, is redeveloped in a
sustainable manner. Some scientists have citing "global warming" as a
reason for the decline of herring, and other species. But the sudden
rebound of the herring in Squamish, at the very southern end of the Sea,
has now debunked this theory.
These industry declines, as well as the loss of First Nations access
(see below) can be directly correlated, to periods of past over fishing
(see catch statistics below). Herring spawning areas that have seen
habitat loss, are now being rehabilitated in areas such as Squamish,
where the salmon enhancement "stream keepers", are expanding from
salmon, to herring. In my opinion, the community energy available for
such activities, is immense, even if government budgets, are limited.
But support for the rebuilding of the sportfishery, by both the Federal
and Provincial governments, is paramount.
For the First Nations, the rebuilding of the herring, would
re-invigorate the health and well being of the communities, give
strength back to the Coast Salish culture, and contribute significantly
to a decline in the rates of diabetes.
>From the perspective of the entire economy of Canada, then, the
continued over-exploitation of the already depressed herring of the
Salish Sea, has serious repercussions. Added to this, then, the
potential economic size, of an expanded bird watching industry (the 2nd
largest hobby after gardening in North America) which is also now
suffering loss of opportunity, due to the massive declines in the many
sea bird populations, which is due to past over fishing.
FIRST NATIONS LOSS OF ACCESS
At this time, no First Nations groups, are able to gather significant
quantities of herring eggs, in the Salish Sea, due to exploitation by
the commercial fisheries, and policies of the Federal Fisheries. The
ethnographic and historic record clearly shows, that former Coast Salish
consumption levels were high, and were a very significant nutritional
and economic part of the Coast Salish way of life. These First Nations,
have Constitutional protection, to access these wild foods, and
increasing capability, to leverage this, in law. The past, and
continued, forcible loss of these vital wild foods, because of the
continued policies of First Nations exclusion by the Federal Fisheries,
remains a major issue for the Salish Sea First Nations. As levels of
diabetes are now soaring in the First Nations communities, due to loss
of access to this and other wild foods, the health costs to Canada, also
continue to escalate.
LACK OF A BIOLOGICAL RATIONALE, FOR A FISHERY FOR THE "RESIDENT" HERRING
POPULATIONS
The "resident" herring are being fished now by very efficient large
seine vessels, that work in a long duration "food and bait" fishery,
Nov-Feb (see below), the very worst way to exploit fragile, unstudied,
populations. Instead of initiating a research program at the huge
Pacific Biological Station, at Nanaimo, which is world renowned for the
quality of its fisheries scientists, the Federal Department of
Fisheries, is saying, publicly (see below) "little information is
available to develop ecosystem-based conservation limits". This is
"pleading ignorance", in the same way, that it pleads ignorance, of the
disease problem, created by salmon farming. A DFO report (see below)
that "biological samples collected from the "Food and Bait" fishery,
will be analyzed to better understand the linkages between migratory and
non-migratory herring throughout the coast". But to begin to fully
understand the "resident" versus the "migratory" herring, a formal
research program involving heavy and expansive sampling of Salish Sea
herring, especially in the summer months after the "migratory" herring
have left, is long overdue.
THE DEPLETED ROE HERRING FISHERY AND ITS OWNERSHIP
The roe herring fishery is still held every March. The size of these
herring has declined, as most of the large female fish, have been
removed in past years. This has also reduced the market value of the
declining catch. In 2011 the small roe herring were not market-desired
by the seiners, who did not fish; in 2012, the quota was taken, but due
to the lack of abundance of herring; 3156 tons, or 52% of the seine
quota of the quota, could not be taken.
The Salish Sea is one of the last remaining roe herring fisheries on the
BC coast, the rest now being too depleted, by the roe herring fishery,
to be industrially viable. Alaska now faces similar declines, after
years of roe herring fishing. With the general decline of the Japanese
market for roe herring, the local Salish Sea roe herring, even though
now very small in size, are also more economically attractive, being
closer to the large fishing plants in Vancouver, particularly that of
the largest industry participant, the Canadian Fishing Company, owned
privately, by well known B.C. businessman, Mr. Jimmy Pattison. If Mr.
Pattison wishes to press the Federal government to allow continued
fishing these depleted stocks, or to agree to a long term herring
fisheries closure, is now his personal choice. If he now takes no
action, the sportfishing economy of the Province, and the First Nations,
will continue to suffer.
How could this happen, under the "pre-cautionary principle" policy, that
is supposed to now be the guide, for Federal fisheries? Because, in my
opinion, the corporate fishery lobby, largely under the control of Mr.
Pattison, continues to control DFO herring regulation, in much the same
way, as the Norwegian salmon farming lobby, continues to control, salmon
farming regulation.
Applies to so many areas of industrial development or resource exploitation these days. I'll use this one myself, if I may.
