Thank you for bringing this to the attention, of us recreational anglers.
Emerging Issues for SVI Chinook Regulations
- Thread starter SVIAC
- Start date
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
That is really what we are saying Rob. It's not a "US"vs FN issue. The entire situation in these fisheries can be avoided if Ottawa would start invest in coordination of enhancement projects, habitat improvement, and hatcheries. That should have been done years ago when this steep decline happened. As far as RCA which is another matter they don't even know if those are working. Again not enough staff and scientists to check these things out. Again a serious issue with funding from Ottawa. Will have to see how this plays out down here, but I think you wrong in your post. Many groups have been working on this issue.
T
The Jackel
Guest
ST we have something in common killed 1 halibut and 1 spring last year
scott craven
Well-Known Member
If restrictions must come into play to protect the fish, then all parties must conform.
It should not matter what your heritage is or what area you're fishing in.
If there is truly a need to add further restrictions, they should apply to commercial,recreational and FN fisheries.
penalizing one group is unfair and unconstitutional.
There should be one set of regulations for all "Canadians"
It should not matter what your heritage is or what area you're fishing in.
If there is truly a need to add further restrictions, they should apply to commercial,recreational and FN fisheries.
penalizing one group is unfair and unconstitutional.
There should be one set of regulations for all "Canadians"
Derby
Crew Member
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
I do look at whole picture Rob as many others do, and a lot of us are very informed of what is going on. How can anyone get a grasp into conservation with a government that refuses to put money into something? A government provincially and federally that doesn't protect our habitat for these fish to spawn? The list goes on? Would you not agree that if the government had reacted quicker in this situation we wouldn't be having this conversation? That the biggest issue not the FN rights etc. It is the fact fish aren't coming back, and DFO puts head in sand with studies year after year showing declines.
Why should those who are releasing the fish of concern and who are below a 2% catch rate be shuting down? Maybe the recovery of these stocks would be sped up and more successful if those taking 30-40% took much less. We should not be out maneuvered on this issue as we are doing our part and can defend ourselves to anyone.
UkeeDreamin
Well-Known Member
Anyone meeting with DFO from SFAB/C and/or SVIAC should be asking them if they are considering harvest restrictions, what are they doing to ensure those fish that pass successfully spawn, particularly in lieu of the quickly emerging drought conditions. Two to 6-weeks ahead on snow-pack melt and freshet in the Interior, where those weak stocks spawn and rear, and the April through June post-El Nino forecast continues to be hotter and drier than normal. Following Harpers cuts, DFO has fully disengaged from proactively managing such habitat issues as evidenced last year when DFO had no plan and only luck and weather prevented a drought and some dire consequences. Unlikely to be so lucky this year and efforts should already be underway to ensure water conservation to protect these stocks.
Legit question for DFO fisheries managers would be, why enact fishing restrictions if your Habitat group isn't going to protect the returning spawners or rearing fry?!!
Cheers!
Ukee
Legit question for DFO fisheries managers would be, why enact fishing restrictions if your Habitat group isn't going to protect the returning spawners or rearing fry?!!
Cheers!
Ukee
Ukee, sadly more and more fisheries decisions are based on political motives and not science. Unless this ends we are all wasting our time debating. Time for the gov to grow a pair and do what is right and what will solve the problems. i know what I personally think we should do but not sure our recreational sector leaders would be willing to take some risk.
Derby
Crew Member
Agree with this statement...time for the senior DFO personal to defend our right to a fair and equal access to the fisheries....Depending on what happens I'll be inclined to say that the **** will hit the fan..........
Cut Plug
Well-Known Member
Agreed, but someone should have told the Fraser River FN's who sent in the letters recommending that specifically the JdF recreational salmon fishery be closed May - July that. Pretty hard to build trusting and collaborative relationships when you're getting thrown under the bus by someone you're supposed to be "working" with. This is a real step in the wrong direction IMO. For one sector to ask for more fish, and then to recommend shutting down another sector in order to get them is pretty darn confrontational and insensitive IMO. There is no way DFO should reward this bad behavior. If they do, look out. This'll be just the first step.
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I don't know what's driving the fisheries decisions by the DFO but down here on the south side of the border, the biggest factor affecting our chinook fishery is the dismal abundance of coho. Chinook fishing up and down the WA coast and in the JDF strait and Puget sound is being limited to protect coho. Good chinook abundance cannot necessarily be used to justify fishing IF the predicted encounters with coho will kill a significant fraction of a dwindling stock of coho. Coho numbers were WAY down last year and the predicted abundance for this year is even lower. The few coho I caught last year were short and skinny too - a feature that was observed by many who caught coho.
Historically (since a court ruling in 1974) , the allowable impact on each species was split 50:50 between WA tribes and non-tribal interests. For different fishing areas, the tribes and the state negotiate the permitted fishing and then send the negotiated arrangement to the fed for concurrence. No coho will be allowed to be kept in WA at all this year EXCEPT for a small number caught near and in the entrance to the Columbia River. That's right - ZERO, NADA. Also, because our fish and wildlife couldn't reach an agreement with our local tribes on how to divide up the allowable impacts on coho in the strait and Puget Sound, we may not have ANY fisheries in WA in those areas. At this point, the tribes and state are independently negotiating with the relevant US federal agency for tribal and recreation permits in those area.
So my question is - are some of the projected changes to the BC chinook fisheries being driven by reducing impacts on coho? If not, why not? It appears that coho are in serious trouble.
Historically (since a court ruling in 1974) , the allowable impact on each species was split 50:50 between WA tribes and non-tribal interests. For different fishing areas, the tribes and the state negotiate the permitted fishing and then send the negotiated arrangement to the fed for concurrence. No coho will be allowed to be kept in WA at all this year EXCEPT for a small number caught near and in the entrance to the Columbia River. That's right - ZERO, NADA. Also, because our fish and wildlife couldn't reach an agreement with our local tribes on how to divide up the allowable impacts on coho in the strait and Puget Sound, we may not have ANY fisheries in WA in those areas. At this point, the tribes and state are independently negotiating with the relevant US federal agency for tribal and recreation permits in those area.
So my question is - are some of the projected changes to the BC chinook fisheries being driven by reducing impacts on coho? If not, why not? It appears that coho are in serious trouble.
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
A big reason for Coho decline (apart from poor ocean survival rates and all the complex variables involved there) is habitat destruction. Many Coho spawn in creeks and small rivers that have been destroyed by urban development. This has been a big issue on the east coast of Vancouver Island where Coho were historically abundant - now they are just a fraction of what they used to be.
If we want to bring Coho numbers back up we need more $ and resources to rehabilitate Coho spawning streams to bolster their numbers. In Canada the Prov. and Fed Govts. are not interested and it has been left up to a few volunteer groups and stream keepers to do this vital work.
Another very important related issue is the overfishing of herring. It is no coincidence that many large herring spawns used to happen at the same time as when salmon fry where coming out of their natal streams and rivers. The herring spawn provided a huge and vital biomass that fed these young smolts. Sadly DFO has caved into pressure from commercial interests to over harvest herring and the huge annual herring spawns that used to be seen up and down the entire coast are few and far between now. No food for the smolts, equals few fish. This very issue has discouraged my stream keeper father in law of over 2o years to want to give up. This need to change and soon if we what to see Coho and other salmon stocks survive and increase over time!
If we want to bring Coho numbers back up we need more $ and resources to rehabilitate Coho spawning streams to bolster their numbers. In Canada the Prov. and Fed Govts. are not interested and it has been left up to a few volunteer groups and stream keepers to do this vital work.
Another very important related issue is the overfishing of herring. It is no coincidence that many large herring spawns used to happen at the same time as when salmon fry where coming out of their natal streams and rivers. The herring spawn provided a huge and vital biomass that fed these young smolts. Sadly DFO has caved into pressure from commercial interests to over harvest herring and the huge annual herring spawns that used to be seen up and down the entire coast are few and far between now. No food for the smolts, equals few fish. This very issue has discouraged my stream keeper father in law of over 2o years to want to give up. This need to change and soon if we what to see Coho and other salmon stocks survive and increase over time!
searun
Well-Known Member
Roger that, Cutplug's post is bang on. Hard to have a relationship and work together when you supposed partner files for divorce before you can exchange marriage vows. IMO tossing the rec community under the bus in an apparent move to take a "me first" approach isn't what I would call taking the high road and trying to live well within your community. Its more indicative of a community segment that intends to force their "rights" upon the surrounding community at any cost to future working relationships. This is rather unfortunate and a major step back into the dark ages of warring tribes fighting over local resources.
On another topic...Herring is an important food source, so not disagreeing with your post....however, of more significance is crab larvae. According to recent research, crab larvae makes up a major portion of the diet of juvenile coho and chinook when they first migrate out to sea. The high crab prices and intensified commercial fishing isn't going to help matters. Low available food sources can't be helping marine survival.
On another topic...Herring is an important food source, so not disagreeing with your post....however, of more significance is crab larvae. According to recent research, crab larvae makes up a major portion of the diet of juvenile coho and chinook when they first migrate out to sea. The high crab prices and intensified commercial fishing isn't going to help matters. Low available food sources can't be helping marine survival.
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
CHEK TV News Piece on Possible SVI Salmon Closure - Good video with Martin Paish
Here is the link to the video:
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/html5/htm...ayer_1462330163&entry_id=0_89lqxa0s&flashvars[streamerType]=auto#
Sport anglers worried about possible fishing closure
Posted By: Dean Stoltzon: May 03, 2016In: News
DFO considering salmon fishing closure in Juan de Fuca Strait.
The Sport Fishing Institute of BC says the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is considering a May to July closure of all salmon fishing in the Juan de Fuca Strait.
The move would be in response to a request by First Nations along the Fraser River that are expecting a lower than usual return of sockeye salmon.
They are hoping for a reallocation of Fraser River chinook but sport anglers say the decision would be a departure from a 2012 salmon management strategy based on actual abundance of fish.
“The requests are that the recreational fishery be closed down for salmon fishing in May, June and July. The Department in response to that has floated a proposal that basically suggests that regardless of the abundance of chinook that return to the Fraser River as a result of test fisheries that the recreational and commercial fisheries be held to zone one level of abundance” said Martin Paish in an interview with CHEK News.
Zone one regulations put extreme limitations on what can be caught and where.
Sport anglers are proposing less stringent rules under zone two, which is still part of the 2012 DFO salmon management strategy.
“What the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is proposing isn’t really based on conservation at all. It’s based on a reallocation of fish from the recreational fishery to another group in order to deal with a perceived legal risk” added Paish.
The DFO says a decision is likely within the next two weeks.
Here is the link to the video:
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/html5/htm...ayer_1462330163&entry_id=0_89lqxa0s&flashvars[streamerType]=auto#
Sport anglers worried about possible fishing closure
Posted By: Dean Stoltzon: May 03, 2016In: News
DFO considering salmon fishing closure in Juan de Fuca Strait.
The Sport Fishing Institute of BC says the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is considering a May to July closure of all salmon fishing in the Juan de Fuca Strait.
The move would be in response to a request by First Nations along the Fraser River that are expecting a lower than usual return of sockeye salmon.
They are hoping for a reallocation of Fraser River chinook but sport anglers say the decision would be a departure from a 2012 salmon management strategy based on actual abundance of fish.
“The requests are that the recreational fishery be closed down for salmon fishing in May, June and July. The Department in response to that has floated a proposal that basically suggests that regardless of the abundance of chinook that return to the Fraser River as a result of test fisheries that the recreational and commercial fisheries be held to zone one level of abundance” said Martin Paish in an interview with CHEK News.
Zone one regulations put extreme limitations on what can be caught and where.
Sport anglers are proposing less stringent rules under zone two, which is still part of the 2012 DFO salmon management strategy.
“What the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is proposing isn’t really based on conservation at all. It’s based on a reallocation of fish from the recreational fishery to another group in order to deal with a perceived legal risk” added Paish.
The DFO says a decision is likely within the next two weeks.
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Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Here is a write up on the CFAX radio broadcast today with Owen Bird from SFI-BC and Chris Bos phoned in from SFAB and SVIAC. We all need to seriously support the groups like this that are working hard on our behalf to protect our rec. fishing rights and access.
Here is a link to the interview with Frank Stanford today (May 3). Scroll down to the Frank Stanford section, go to the 33.56 minute section in the podcast to hear it.
http://www.cfax1070.com/Podcasts
Sports anglers very worried about the early summer season
May 03, 2016 11:00 from Frank Stanford
The south coast sport fishing industry is calling on the government to maintain the salmon management strategy that has been in place since 2012.
The Sport Fishing Institute says DFO is considering a reallocation of Fraser River chinook salmon to the First Nations fishery, which is expecting a lower than usual return of sockeye salmon this year.
The Institute's Executive Director Owen Bird says sports anglers have already made significant sacrifices in the name of conservation, and it is only fair that catch limits should be based on the actual abundance of fish...
"But it also seems also fair in those cases...in this case...to say...look, everybody's got to do their part, and so there are restrictions that apply to all and everybody makes some sacrifice"
The Institute is concerned that DFO may decide to close the recreational chinook fishery in Juan de Fuca Strait entirely, for the months of May, June and July.'
Here is a link to the interview with Frank Stanford today (May 3). Scroll down to the Frank Stanford section, go to the 33.56 minute section in the podcast to hear it.
http://www.cfax1070.com/Podcasts
Sports anglers very worried about the early summer season
May 03, 2016 11:00 from Frank Stanford
The south coast sport fishing industry is calling on the government to maintain the salmon management strategy that has been in place since 2012.
The Sport Fishing Institute says DFO is considering a reallocation of Fraser River chinook salmon to the First Nations fishery, which is expecting a lower than usual return of sockeye salmon this year.
The Institute's Executive Director Owen Bird says sports anglers have already made significant sacrifices in the name of conservation, and it is only fair that catch limits should be based on the actual abundance of fish...
"But it also seems also fair in those cases...in this case...to say...look, everybody's got to do their part, and so there are restrictions that apply to all and everybody makes some sacrifice"
The Institute is concerned that DFO may decide to close the recreational chinook fishery in Juan de Fuca Strait entirely, for the months of May, June and July.'
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SpringVelocity
Crew Member
All I can say is the thought of this to our local guides and tourism as well as all the places we support are going to be in serious trouble if this goes down. Not to mention events like the JDF and the Consultants Invitational which generate a lot to salmon enhancement funds will be impacted greatly. I can't believe the greed going on. Very sad.
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