Commercial Herring Fishery??

[juandesooka]

From the Saltwater thread, seems there's a commercial fishing opening for herring in Georgia Strait: approximately 100,000 tons.

Every year I wonder about this ... herring are near the bottom of the food chain, feeding the salmon and halibut we all love to chase, and the other animals that chase salmon -- seals, sea lions, orcas. I don't know much about the herring biomass, but 100,000 tons seems like a lot of fish. Is there so much herring out there that this is just a drop in the bucket, or is this kicking the proverbial stool out from under the Georgia Strait ecosystem?

And is this fish really being used mostly for fertilizer and animal feed?

I know a story my dad likes to tell is a buddy of his who was a herring fisherman in the 70s, who achieved the mythical million dollar set ... one net set with $1million worth of herring in it. With all his herring fishing $$, this guy was a high roller, taking his entourage to vegas and drinks were always on him.

On a different but related note, I have also heard David Suzuki's lament that, as a kid, he used to catch halibut outside English Bay ... but they aren't there any more. And it's pretty clear the Georgia Strait salmon fishery is a shadow of what it once was.

Are these connected? Or is this just being alarmist? ("nothing to see here, move along")

Anyone have an informed opinion on this?

 

[Dave S]

 

[Dave S]

Bring back the herring numbers that our waters used to get, I am sure it would bring in more halibut, salmon, cod, and all sorts of birds. But again, DFO and politicians are choosing to "sell out" to the money tree. I find it shocking that a lot of test netting is performed by the same guys and boat that would be benefiting from an opening.

 

[Lipripper]

But again, DFO and politicians are choosing to "sell out" to the money tree. I find it shocking that a lot of test netting is performed by the same guys and boat that would be benefiting from an opening.

Boy.... did you just hit the nail on the head...

 

[Dave S]

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=139453&ID=all

According to the test nets, only 75,000 tons out there. And who knows how accurate these numbers are.

 

[tubber]

I thought they were going to take the herring as food fish last fall/winter rather than roe herring in the spring in the Gulf this year. Maybe the Japan market has rebounded since the tsunami.

 

[Lipripper]

I thought they were going to take the herring as food fish last fall/winter rather than roe herring in the spring in the Gulf this year. Maybe the Japan market has rebounded since the tsunami.

They must think that that was forgotten....

 

[Jencourt]

From what I understand ,and I could be wrong so please correct me if I am. They have been fishing herring in Georgia straight for months.
I seem to recall they had a 6000 ton food and bait fishery starting in November maybe. From what I recall they had transferred some from the roe fishery quota because the japan market had dropped badly.

I also remember hearing they had been working to develop new markets in Europe (Norway MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?????) for herring tomake up the shortfall from lack of demand from Asia. The question was asked at our last SFAC meeting .Why develop any new markets why not harvest less. Basic answer was that they will never catch the 6000tons for food and bait fishery and that they were pretty sure they would not be hitting the resident stocks. I will be interested if some one can post the total take from that opening and maybe what they took here in comox for the roe fishery. Be good to compare to what we were told to expect. I understand there is probably room for a s,mall fishery and well yes I buy herring to go Hali fishing. I just question the level at witch it is at and why we would look for new markets.

After all. "Find the bait find the fish". well hard to find the bait sometimes (In past years)since they kicked the crap out of it to sell Roe

 

[phishbonk]

After running in to some herring fisherman on the dock,i was told that the seiners took some of their fish over the winter to develope new markets cause the roe that they catch is of the small veriety,which the Japs don't want.they think from sonar that there is 130,000 tonn in the "salish Sea" or watever it is called now,and as far as i know both seines and guillnets have not caught their quotas."and hopfully don't for the springs sake"

 

[straightup]

The herring fishing is going hot and heavy off hammond bay today.About thirty boats and lots more heading that way.

 

[straightup]

 

[straightup]

learning to post pics

 

[straightup]

next

 

[finaddict]

While I do not condone the herring fishery in Georgia strait (yes GEORGIA STRAIT), let's not mistake the estimated total biomass and the TAC for this fishery which are much different. The estimated Total Biomass is estimated at 75,000. The TAC for this year is 11,000 tons and at present they have fished 8,000 of that. What I think is a mistake is removing nearly 15% of the biomass in any one year. Most sustainable fisheries are harvesting at about half that percentage of the biomass. Yes, Herring are capable of recovering much quicker due to their short spawning cycle, but isn't the higher % harvest the reason we got into this mess in the first place?

DFO please cut back on this fishery and allow the strait to heal a bit.

 

[Englishman]

I think it is an "ecosystem management 101" mistake to allow any fishery on herring which is so important to the entire food pyramid. It gnaws away, however incrementally, at the very foundation of the commercial and recreational fisheries which depend on this food fish. This "fishing down the food chain" is a mistake made all over the world and leads eventaully to serious fishery problems and/or collapse.
A good discussion and examples of this short-sightedness are given In Terry Glavin's book "Dead Reckoning; Confronting the Crisis in the Pacific Fisheries".

 

[scott craven]

Agree with you Englishman, eliminate the herring fishery and eventually
our salmon will come back.
it may take years, but I believe it will happen

 

[Jencourt]

Total Biomass is estimated at 75,000. The TAC for this year is 11,000 tons and at present they have fished 8,000 of that. What I think is a mistake is removing nearly 15% of the biomass in any one year. Most sustainable fisheries are harvesting at about half that percentage of the biomass.

DFO please cut back on this fishery and allow the strait to heal a bit.

I agree 100%.

Wonder if you could answer a question regarding the TAC. Dose that 11,000 tons include the 6,000 tons that they set aside for food and bait fishery(May have been 6000 that they transferred from the Roe quota I can not remember the exact number right now) that started in November. And do you happen to know how close they came to that part of the TAC before entering the roe fishery which seems to be going strong
regardless of a downturn in market demand?

I for one was disgusted wen I sat at the SFAC meeting and had to listen as they told us they were developing new European markets to take up the shortfall in demand from Asia. we were told at that time that they would never come close to meeting the TAC so don't worry about it. MMMMMMMMMM from what you have posted for numbers they are only 3000 away.

As the Halibut issue has taken my attention away from this I very likely may stand to be corrected on some of this and welcome any accurate information to help with the on going education.

 

[Gunsmith]

The herring are like the buffalo, get rid of them and the other problems that surround will go away.

 

[Dave S]

http://www.timescolonist.com/Fishers+float+herring+solution/6305831/story.html

The little group we started this winter just got some exposure from local newspaper. Hopefully anyone with a dock will keep an eye on their pilings and contact us if they notice eggs on the creosote. From what we here, this year has been really bad for herring in the gorge.

We are looking for some rope donations if anyone in Victoria area has some. Both leaded and regular. Lengths can be as short as 20'. I can pick up anytime.

 

[sammyslabber]

I saw a couple diving the Gorge last Sat below where they have a boom- maybe to trap any escaped oil from the house at the top of Adelaide ave?..I asked the lady diver what she was doing - she said I'm doing an oyster count but wasn't aware of the oil spill.
I recall hearing the Natives used Cedar Bows to collect the herring eggs? It's good to hear folks are studying the Gorge's Marine life and the enviorment they live in.