Annoucement of Protest Outside Fisheries Minister's office May 1 from 12 to 1 PM

cohochinook said:
There our lots of issues facing early Fraser Chinook. DFO has mismanaged this stock severely and is a large part of why we're in the situation that we're today. I just want to remind everyone of the main focus of the protest is that:

"DFO's decision to close recreational fishing to the retention of chinook. Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and DFO have announced large blanket closures which are an ineffective way to manage the recovery of early Fraser River chinook stocks. There is no scientific data to support the effectiveness of these closures. The announcement has serious and substantial socioeconomic impacts on coastal communities. We’re encouraging all concerned individuals, groups and businesses to join us to protest the following and push for a sustainable solution.

The Recreational Fishery has proven through CWT and DNA submission that there is very little interception of threatened Fraser River Chinook Stocks in the Strait of Georgia. In 2018, DNA shows that less than 1 percent of the total recreational catch was of Fraser Stocks of Concern. To say the DFO did not have sustainable Chinook retention options in the spring and early summer in Areas 13 to 19 is simply not true. The same can be said for the West Coast of Vancouver Island and from Campbell River to Port Hardy. The Recreational sector is committed to conservation, enhancement initiatives and standing up to politically motivated management decisions.

The closures to chinook retention in our local area between Vancouver and Nanaimo include Bowen Island, Howe Sound, Sunshine Coast and Gabriola Island. These areas have been experiencing amazing chinook fishing (for non-interior Fraser stocks) for the last 10 years. This closure is being done for the opportunity to keep First Nations nets out of the Fraser to save interior Fraser stocks. Minister Wilkinson and DFO need to recognize that the chinook salmon that are off Bowen Island and across to Nanaimo are not early Fraser stocks of concern. DFO has confirmed this through CWT (coded wire tag ) data and DNA sampling. The resulting data clearly shows that the fish we catch in those areas are not the Fraser River stocks of concern we need to protect. This is a scientific fact, not speculation. The fish we are catching in the Spring and Early Summer are known are mainly East Coast Vancouver Island, Puget Sound, Fall Run Fraser River Stocks of hatchery origin.

We want DFO to take real and meaningful action on a recovery plan for early Fraser chinook that includes chinook predator control, habitat rehabilitation, key hatchery enhancement and adequate funding of fisheries officers and habitat staff. Currently there is no plan with funding in place for these crucial actions to take place and that needs to change now! We are requesting a retention fishery of 1 Chinook per day for all South Coast Areas currently without Chinook retention opportunities due to the 2019 Fraser River Chinook Conservation Measures. We support hatchery only retention where science shows elevated interception of threatened Fraser River Chinook Stocks. There is no conservation concern for these stocks and a 1 per day chinook limit or a 1 per day hatchery chinook limit, is certainly sustainable, extremely conservative and acceptable from a scientific fisheries management viewpoint."
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Great thread and thx for the hard work
CohoChinook.

Can you inform me where the early Fraser runs are being intercepted besides the net fishery in river. My local area is 13/14 I'm just wondering what impact if any area 13/14 is having on early Fraser chinook.

Thx Scott
 
Jwolfe said:
We should be able to keep Hatchery fish ,the fact that we can’t blows my mind
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That can only happen if FN FSC is allowed and that puts the Gillnets back in the River. Once that happens then you can't tell the difference between FSC nets and poachers unless it is monitored by DFO on each boat.
 
terrin said:
That can only happen if FN FSC is allowed and that puts the Gillnets back in the River. Once that happens then you can't tell the difference between FSC nets and poachers unless it is monitored by DFO on each boat.
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Why is the government applying this logic to chinook but they don’t apply it to coho?
 
High Time said:
Maybe this might provide a little motivation.... I will be there.
Information forwarded to me at 7:30 this evening, April 29. Native gillnetter fishing at Wellington point west of Ladner, top of Canoe Pass Arm of the South Fraser.Picture taken at 7:04 this evening, net partially picked up, CFV No. 24797. Blue hulled Double Eagle boat with a white cabin.



Oolichans
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big rock said:
Great thread and thx for the hard work
CohoChinook.

Can you inform me where the early Fraser runs are being intercepted besides the net fishery in river. My local area is 13/14 I'm just wondering what impact if any area 13/14 is having on early Fraser chinook.

Thx Scott
Click to expand...

This question can be answered due to DNA sampling data provided by Creel Surveys and a joint program with DFO and recreational anglers called Avid Angler Program. DFO has that data and it is available. I don't have it a my finger tips at the moment however tomorrow at the protest take a look at the handout as there is a pie graph that is published in it. While it doesn't specifically show areas singled out specifically, the graph shows percentages of stocks caught in Georgia Strait South and is based on Creel/Avid Anglers data in 2018. It is mind boggling to see this graph. Exploitation on Fraser stocks of concern is virtually non-existent. Please wait to see hand outs tomorrow. A little later on when I have more time I can access specific area DNA results that would include SoG north. A very busy week indeed right now. Exploitation on those stocks will be extremely low there as well but as I understand it there is less data coming in from n northern part of SoG.
 
Peahead said:
This question can be answered due to DNA sampling data provided by Creel Surveys and a joint program with DFO and recreational anglers called Avid Angler Program. DFO has that data and it is available. I don't have it a my finger tips at the moment however tomorrow at the protest take a look at the handout as there is a pie graph that is published in it. While it doesn't specifically show areas singled out specifically, the graph shows percentages of stocks caught in Georgia Strait South and is based on Creel/Avid Anglers data in 2018. It is mind boggling to see this graph. Exploitation on Fraser stocks of concern is virtually non-existent. Please wait to see hand outs tomorrow. A little later on when I have more time I can access specific area DNA results that would include SoG north. A very busy week indeed right now. Exploitation on those stocks will be extremely low there as well but as I understand it there is less data coming in from n northern part of SoG.
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Hey Greg,

If you don't mind when things slow down can you perhaps scan the handout and post for those that can't make it?
 
big rock said:
Great thread and thx for the hard work
CohoChinook.

Can you inform me where the early Fraser runs are being intercepted besides the net fishery in river. My local area is 13/14 I'm just wondering what impact if any area 13/14 is having on early Fraser chinook.

Thx Scott
Click to expand...

The catch rates for sportfishing from DNA data shows that the catch is less than 1% of our total chinook catch in 2018 for inside waters area 13 to 19,28 and 29.
 
Last edited:
wildmanyeah said:
If I yell out 5 words what should they be
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Here's a few from slogans we looked at that you could yell!:

  • Fraser Chinook Need Real Action. Not Politics!
  • Stop the Political Action on Chinook!
  • Rec Fishers Don't Catch Endangered Fraser Chinook!
  • Rebuild Fraser Chinook Stocks the Right Way!
  • Follow the Science. Not Politics!
  • Stop the Political Bargaining with Chinook!
  • Stop Your Political Pandering with Chinook!
  • Sustainable Recovery, Sustainable Opportunity!
 
Here is a brochure on the protest and I have a media release that I can share if you PM me. We have reached out to several major media, but if anyone has contacts that can help with getting more media, then please do?
 

Attachments

  • Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson Protest Brochure optimized.pdf
    616.9 KB · Views: 85
If I was around I’d be there boys helping out.

Good on you guys and I hope it gets positive attention.
 
Pretty rattled can’t make er boys. Had appointments for my back booked weeks ago and can’t change em to any other date before season. Otherwise I’d jump on ferry and be there in a second.

Be loud and make sure everyone knows we aren’t backing down
 
SerengetiGuide said:
Pretty rattled can’t make er boys. Had appointments for my back booked weeks ago and can’t change em to any other date before season. Otherwise I’d jump on ferry and be there in a second.

Be loud and make sure everyone knows we aren’t backing down
Click to expand...

Health comes first. Many thanks for trying!
 
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