Coho limits
- Thread starter RiverBoy
- Start date
P
Prairie Locked
Guest
Would be nice/interesting and consistent with some in season changes.
Observationally, my experience last summer was conservative 5:1 wild to hatch ratio we were in Kitty Coleman.
Observationally, my experience last summer was conservative 5:1 wild to hatch ratio we were in Kitty Coleman.
searun
Well-Known Member
Working on that right now. There is a decent case to be made because the Interior Fraser Coho abundance is expected to be really decent his season. Proposals going forward to work with DFO to find ways to expand on areas where wild coho can be retained. Some of the local SFAC's have pressed the Chinook and Coho Working Group of the SFAB to get this on he agenda. Yet another reason to get actively involved in your local SFAC!
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Yup-- what Searun said... Get involved.
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
My apologies. Just realized that I didn't clarify I was referring to the Campbell River area. I have recently heard that the retention limit in our area may be upped to three Coho per day, one of which may be unclipped.
bigbruce
Crew Member
As far as I know, none of the hatchery Coho get a pin inserted. The hatchery I volunteer at (Rosewall) clipped all 70,000 of the Coho we will be releasing in a couple of months and none of them were pinned.
searun
Well-Known Member
Yup. I think local SFAC groups are all on he same page. Looks promising given higher coho abundance that we can make a credible case to have opportunities for wild coho retention. Of course that will mean if we fish expanded coho retention opportunities that also means we will see a commercial troll fishery on chinook and coho off shore.
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
Yes we do all know, which is why my first post had parenthesis around the word "wild." It drives me mentally insane fishing my local waters (C.R.) and seeing dead coho floating all over the surface, considering they are merely unclipped. Scale loss and slime loss= dead coho. I'm pretty sure everyone on this forum really hopes the coho are here to stay; I wish more people would at least look for the missing fin before you net it.
Again, why would we accept that. Every wild species on this planet that has ever been COMMERCIALLY HUNTED has got into serious trouble because of the high degree of efficiency inherent in the financial motivation and methods used. Even the incidental commercial catch of Coho and Chinook in other species commercial fisheries and methods has been devastating over the last 100 years despite the spin put on releasing etc.
I understand Coho and Chinook have been prioritized as a sport sector species in part as a trade off re: commercial access to pinks, chums and sockeye. Further sport caught Chinook and Coho generate far more economic benefit per fish to our coastal communities.
In my experience it is the sport guys by far who have been fund raising and volunteering on stream habitat restoration projects and in hatcheries to increase the abundance and availability of these species and in particular Coho in our local west coast streams.
Despite this, it seems we do not insist on that prioritization being enforced and it is past time we do so.
DFO’s/Fed. Govt. informal policy of trying to keep all sectors happy and rolling over to money interests and related commercial lobbying with expense/tax deductible lobbying efforts, which the sport sector has not been in a position to match, needs to end.
This is not rocket science, Coho have increased in numbers significantly and can easily take a small increase in harvesting by inefficient sport fishing methods, which should be permitted. That does not mean they should be subject to increased high efficiency commercial fishing, period!
As a sector if we keep expecting and accepting getting screwed over and don’t fight to maintain healthy Coho population that will support a high coastal economic benefit sport fishery of Coho, it will continue to happen. The same goes for Chinook.
Sport Fishing is sustainable, particularly as it relates to current Coho populations with a slight increase in sport Coho harvesting. Using a small increase in sport fishing access to Coho to open the doors to increased highly efficient commercial method fisheries is not.
The paradigm needs to shift.
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Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Libbs
Member
The IFMPs used to have an Appendix showing how many fish of each species for each hatchery was to be released that year, and how many were to be clipped and/or CWTed (pinned). The numbers varied hatchery to hatchery, some being 0.
Last year I had 3 coho heads turn up pins. One was caught near Campbell River, had a Puntledge tag. Two came back as Quinsam fish...but they were caught in the river itself so was no surprise.
I think the form that I got in the mail said one in 4 chinook and one in 10 coho heads turned in had pins.
P
Prairie Locked
Guest
Interesting points I wasn't aware of, I hadn't heard unclipped coho are still typically hatch fish before. Anyone have estimates of what percentage of unclipped 'wild' are hatchery fish? I know that all of the clipped heads I submitted came back with no chip.
Not to sidetrack the thread, but would appreciate some of your experience. I primarily try to use catch and release principles the majority of the time as I enjoy the sport, but from a conservation perspective, is one net type better than others (like rubber or nylon vs string) to minimize scale and slime loss?
Alternatively, where possible bare handed handling? How destructive is that? - Do understand that no handling is best and least invasive.
Not to sidetrack the thread, but would appreciate some of your experience. I primarily try to use catch and release principles the majority of the time as I enjoy the sport, but from a conservation perspective, is one net type better than others (like rubber or nylon vs string) to minimize scale and slime loss?
Alternatively, where possible bare handed handling? How destructive is that? - Do understand that no handling is best and least invasive.
trophywife
Crew Member
never barehand a released fish with dry hand , at best do not touch them at all.. yes there is a release type net...i would never use one IMHO..
best way is to use a heavy leader, i use 30 for spoons, 40-50 for hootchies.. with the upstream hand lift the leader enough to slide your gaff down to the hook. raise the gaff whilst engaged in the belly of the hook, whilst lowering your forward(upstream) hand, fishy pops right off!!! practice using both hands as the downsteam hand should always have the gaff in it.
go to big bank and release 50-60 unclipped cohos and rat springs daily for a summer. you will be proficient quickly.
best way is to use a heavy leader, i use 30 for spoons, 40-50 for hootchies.. with the upstream hand lift the leader enough to slide your gaff down to the hook. raise the gaff whilst engaged in the belly of the hook, whilst lowering your forward(upstream) hand, fishy pops right off!!! practice using both hands as the downsteam hand should always have the gaff in it.
go to big bank and release 50-60 unclipped cohos and rat springs daily for a summer. you will be proficient quickly.
searun
Well-Known Member
Hey Rockfish there are a number of background issues you should know. First, recreational fishermen do have the capacity to harvest a significant number of fish. We live in a glass house to some extent on that issue. Lots of catch data back in the pre 1990 period prior to coho disappearing in Gulf of Georgia pointing to recreational harvest. So our hands are not clean either!
Second, the coho policy has a long and complicated history attached. Management decisions were predicated on an abundance index tied to closure of both the commercial and rec fishery for wild coho. Similarly, if you open one then both must open based on those prior decisions. I'm over simplifying it here. It would take pages of text to get into it.
This is going to be further complicated by recent court decision giving FN a green light to have access to commercial troll fisheries. So potentially you can expect to see further erosion of the recreational access to both coho and chinook to make way for additional expanded commercial FN fisheries.
I don't think anyone involved in the SFAB process is "rolling over" on these issues....it's just there is a lot of political history churning around in the background making this a challenge.
Second, the coho policy has a long and complicated history attached. Management decisions were predicated on an abundance index tied to closure of both the commercial and rec fishery for wild coho. Similarly, if you open one then both must open based on those prior decisions. I'm over simplifying it here. It would take pages of text to get into it.
This is going to be further complicated by recent court decision giving FN a green light to have access to commercial troll fisheries. So potentially you can expect to see further erosion of the recreational access to both coho and chinook to make way for additional expanded commercial FN fisheries.
I don't think anyone involved in the SFAB process is "rolling over" on these issues....it's just there is a lot of political history churning around in the background making this a challenge.
miglenda
Member
A possible reason..
Hi, I also do a lot of river fishing, and in doing so, I have naturally been to quite a few hatcheries...The problem as usual is $$$.
The Feds insist on raising gazillions of chum for their export of their row...The rest of the carcass, as you know, is either just dog food or just dumped.
*For example only... I have fished for decades in the late spring for Springs, and for Coho in early September in Bella Coola - Bella Coola has a big hatchery and all that they raise are Chum. (I have not been there for 3 years due to health reasons, so that possibly could have changed, but I somehow doubt it)
'The Bella Coola Salmon Sportsmen Club some decades ago negotiated a deal with the Fed for the use of 1 hatchery pool. (free)
They themselves completely look after the pool on their own, which includes feeding them...They did it so that they would have a good local sport fishing Coho run... If you want to fish good sized Northern Coho try Bella Colla in the middle of September... If you enjoy looking at a gazillion Chum fry
then just drop into the Hatchery
Due to the massive river systems in the valley, including the numerous streams around Bella Coola, all of the different species of salmon runs have an abundance of great spawning grounds.
That's my 2 cents on why there has not been more of an abundance of Coho for decades for what it is worth.
Hi, I also do a lot of river fishing, and in doing so, I have naturally been to quite a few hatcheries...The problem as usual is $$$.
The Feds insist on raising gazillions of chum for their export of their row...The rest of the carcass, as you know, is either just dog food or just dumped.
*For example only... I have fished for decades in the late spring for Springs, and for Coho in early September in Bella Coola - Bella Coola has a big hatchery and all that they raise are Chum. (I have not been there for 3 years due to health reasons, so that possibly could have changed, but I somehow doubt it)
'The Bella Coola Salmon Sportsmen Club some decades ago negotiated a deal with the Fed for the use of 1 hatchery pool. (free)
They themselves completely look after the pool on their own, which includes feeding them...They did it so that they would have a good local sport fishing Coho run... If you want to fish good sized Northern Coho try Bella Colla in the middle of September... If you enjoy looking at a gazillion Chum fry
then just drop into the Hatchery Due to the massive river systems in the valley, including the numerous streams around Bella Coola, all of the different species of salmon runs have an abundance of great spawning grounds.
That's my 2 cents on why there has not been more of an abundance of Coho for decades for what it is worth.
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