Silver Streak
Member
DFO's allocation policy which recognizes priority access to chinook by recreational anglers
over commercial fisheries for the species is not being adhered to. Recent minutes of a
Mid Fraser/Thompson Okanagan Sport Fishing Advisory Committee meeting held March 10
note that native commercial in-river fisheries for chinook have been approved. The minutes
state "Business plans were reviewed by Aboriginal External Review Team and internally by
DFO and are approved." The minutes continue "This year the likely opportunities are with
4(1) chinook and Okanagan sockeye." It would appear they are talking chinook harvest
numbers exceeding 4000 as the minutes state "The group needs about 4k chinook to make
a profit using the current fishing methods."
Since March 1, recreational anglers in Juan de Fuca have been under restrictions which
require the release of all unclipped (wild) chinook over 67 cm. After June 15 and possibly
well into August, we are being threatened with additional restrictions which could be even
more severe. Because of the nature of the Juan de Fuca mixed stock fishery, these same
chinook being targeted by a native commercial fishery in the mid-Fraser are travelling through
the Strait throughout the spring and summer and being released by anglers because of the
restrictions we are under. In effect, we are being asked to save chinook so that natives may
catch them in a commercial in-river fishery. This is not right.
Check out the letter to the editor in the Sunday April 15 edition of the Victoria Times-Colonist
on this same subject.
over commercial fisheries for the species is not being adhered to. Recent minutes of a
Mid Fraser/Thompson Okanagan Sport Fishing Advisory Committee meeting held March 10
note that native commercial in-river fisheries for chinook have been approved. The minutes
state "Business plans were reviewed by Aboriginal External Review Team and internally by
DFO and are approved." The minutes continue "This year the likely opportunities are with
4(1) chinook and Okanagan sockeye." It would appear they are talking chinook harvest
numbers exceeding 4000 as the minutes state "The group needs about 4k chinook to make
a profit using the current fishing methods."
Since March 1, recreational anglers in Juan de Fuca have been under restrictions which
require the release of all unclipped (wild) chinook over 67 cm. After June 15 and possibly
well into August, we are being threatened with additional restrictions which could be even
more severe. Because of the nature of the Juan de Fuca mixed stock fishery, these same
chinook being targeted by a native commercial fishery in the mid-Fraser are travelling through
the Strait throughout the spring and summer and being released by anglers because of the
restrictions we are under. In effect, we are being asked to save chinook so that natives may
catch them in a commercial in-river fishery. This is not right.
Check out the letter to the editor in the Sunday April 15 edition of the Victoria Times-Colonist
on this same subject.