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.
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.