fish4all
Well-Known Member
The plan is to take 10423 tons out of the gulf at a scientific defensible harvest rate. A significant decrease from last season. The food/bait has all but been closed.
Last edited:
Herring roe fishery
- Thread starter fishingbc
- Start date
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
There are plenty of herring to catch in Bristol Bay, but there’s nowhere to sell them
https://www.ktoo.org/2019/12/16/the...-bristol-bay-but-theres-nowhere-to-sell-them/
https://www.ktoo.org/2019/12/16/the...-bristol-bay-but-theres-nowhere-to-sell-them/
fish4all
Well-Known Member
Completely different product and market then where the BC roe is sold. The fish and eggs from up there are too large to demand top dollar in the market place. We were getting $5000/ton while they were getting $500. Last year our gillnet herring averaged $2800/t vs their $75.
G
gone fishin
Guest
Last year with an extended season the quota for herring could not be reached due to the lack of suitable size herring!!!
What are we to expect this year??
The case against the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery
Under the shadow of Mount Arrowsmith, 10 commercial fishing boats bob in the turquoise water near shore, hoping for a change in the weather to get their nets in the water.
It’s March 12, four days since the roe herring fishery opened. Approximately 4,300 tons of herring have been caught by commercial fishing boats, so far a small percentage of the allowable 21,000 tons.
Ian McAllister’s boat, Habitat, drifts lazily on the unsettled water, anchored to a point nearby the mass of commercial fishing boats. McAllister, the executive director of Pacific Wild, had been out on the water since March 9, the first day the fishery opened, to take photos and video, and raise awareness about a fishery he doesn’t think should be open.
“This is the principal food supply of Chinook salmon, and we’ve got southern resident killer whales that are starving to death because they don’t have enough Chinook salmon,” said McAllister. “And yet, we are liquidating the very basis of their food supply.
“We really should be leaving this fish in the water, this fishery should not ever have been allowed to happen.”
Ian McAllister, executive director of Pacific Wild says herring are the basis of the marine food chain and has been advocating against the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
While a long-term argument against the fishery has been that herring are a principal food supply for other marine species, over time, the organization has also begun to notice other adverse effects, characteristic of a population that has been fished for too long.
While Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists say the herring stocks in this area are at “historic highs,” McAllister says the stocks that are present in the Strait of Georgia are becoming less predictable.
“We’ve systematically taken out 20 per cent … of the elder herring – the older herring that would lead the younger schools to spawning grounds and basically teach them how to be herring,” he said. “When you systematically take out all of the elders, you have herring acting very unpredictably.”
Four out of the five roe herring fisheries in coastal B.C. have been closed, and the Strait of Georgia fishery is the only one that remains. McAllister attributes the other closures to overfishing.
RELATED: Conservancy Hornby Island calls for government to shut down herring roe fishery
Quota system
Before the fishery opens each year, DFO scientists estimate the number of herring that will return – this year they forecasted 130,000 tons – but throughout the fishery, the numbers are updated as they collect physical samples. On the fourth day of the fishery, the updated estimate was 95,000 tons. Though this number is well below the estimate, it is likely to increase as more fish come into the area to spawn, said Vanessa Minke-Martin, a marine science and communications specialist with Pacific Wild.
Herring roe can be found washed up on shore from Comox to Parksville during their short spawning season. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
However, while in some years the forecasted number has been accurate, in others, DFO has overestimated the number of returning herring, resulting in fishing more than 20 per cent of the population.
“If you know that the models tend to overestimate, you should be cautious and aim to catch fewer fish, because then you’re less likely to catch more than 20 per cent of the population, which has happened in the past,” she said.
In six of the last 13 years, the industry has taken above the quota of 20 per cent. However, the years that the industry has not reached its quota could be indicative of a larger issue as well.
Minke-Martin says along with the behaviours of the fish, the structure of the population has also changed.
“Something that we’re concerned about is, are the fishing fleet not catching their quota because the fish are too small? Maybe there aren’t enough older fish which actually have the amount of roe that they want to get,” she said. “The reason that the fishers aren’t getting enough fish is because the actual structure of the population has changed through time because we’ve always taken the biggest fish every year.”
RELATED: Opponents want federal government to shut down roe herring fishery
Pressure on federal government
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns has been putting pressure on Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, calling for a moratorium on the Strait of Georgia herring roe fishery, but his most recent request in the House of Commons was denied in February.
Johns has family working in the fishing industry and is concerned about the livelihood of fishers, but he says the health of such a vital species must also be taken into account.
Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, has been advocating for a moratorium on the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery in the house of commons. Recently he was named the NDP’s fisheries critic. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
He says the DFO science used to predict the numbers of herring is the same science that led to the decline of the Atlantic cod populations on the East Coast.
“Our biggest concern and our question to the minister is, what happens if this fishery collapses?” he said. “The commercial fishing jobs that we have are vitally important. So it’s not easy to come out and call for a suspension of a fishery. As a born and raised Vancouver Islander, it’s part of our way of life and we have to do everything we can to support these fishers while we’re calling for a moratorium and support the local economy.”
He suggests extending employment insurance weeks for those who would be affected by a closure of the fishery, as well as making use of the funds being set aside for the protection of marine habitat and species by injecting the funding into fishing communities.
“The government has allocated money, they’ve made announcement after announcement of funding that they’ve dedicated to help support our fish stocks and bringing them back to abundancy, yet they’re still not giving those resources back to our community,” said Johns.
Local residents concerned
Rob Zielinski’s family has owned and operated Hornby Island Diving since the early ’70s.
Typically, Hornby and Denman Island are areas where a lot of spawning occurs and Zielinski has seen first-hand the changes in the marine ecosystem every year.
“For me, our life is under the water, it’s not above the water, and I see the effects of overfishing and decline,” he said. “The fish get smaller, the schools get more broken up, the tonnage varies all the time, but it never gets better, it steadily goes downhill and it’s reaching that point where something needs to be done about it. Its time has passed.”
He adds the waters around Hornby and Denman islands are known for excellent marine life, and it is still quite healthy, but the stocks only seem to decline, they don’t get better.
“There’s more human pressure – whether it be from sport fishing, commercial fishing – and I just want to make sure those resources are here for the future for the next generations.”
What are we to expect this year??
The case against the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery
Under the shadow of Mount Arrowsmith, 10 commercial fishing boats bob in the turquoise water near shore, hoping for a change in the weather to get their nets in the water.
It’s March 12, four days since the roe herring fishery opened. Approximately 4,300 tons of herring have been caught by commercial fishing boats, so far a small percentage of the allowable 21,000 tons.
Ian McAllister’s boat, Habitat, drifts lazily on the unsettled water, anchored to a point nearby the mass of commercial fishing boats. McAllister, the executive director of Pacific Wild, had been out on the water since March 9, the first day the fishery opened, to take photos and video, and raise awareness about a fishery he doesn’t think should be open.
“This is the principal food supply of Chinook salmon, and we’ve got southern resident killer whales that are starving to death because they don’t have enough Chinook salmon,” said McAllister. “And yet, we are liquidating the very basis of their food supply.
“We really should be leaving this fish in the water, this fishery should not ever have been allowed to happen.”
Ian McAllister, executive director of Pacific Wild says herring are the basis of the marine food chain and has been advocating against the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
While a long-term argument against the fishery has been that herring are a principal food supply for other marine species, over time, the organization has also begun to notice other adverse effects, characteristic of a population that has been fished for too long.
While Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists say the herring stocks in this area are at “historic highs,” McAllister says the stocks that are present in the Strait of Georgia are becoming less predictable.
“We’ve systematically taken out 20 per cent … of the elder herring – the older herring that would lead the younger schools to spawning grounds and basically teach them how to be herring,” he said. “When you systematically take out all of the elders, you have herring acting very unpredictably.”
Four out of the five roe herring fisheries in coastal B.C. have been closed, and the Strait of Georgia fishery is the only one that remains. McAllister attributes the other closures to overfishing.
RELATED: Conservancy Hornby Island calls for government to shut down herring roe fishery
Quota system
Before the fishery opens each year, DFO scientists estimate the number of herring that will return – this year they forecasted 130,000 tons – but throughout the fishery, the numbers are updated as they collect physical samples. On the fourth day of the fishery, the updated estimate was 95,000 tons. Though this number is well below the estimate, it is likely to increase as more fish come into the area to spawn, said Vanessa Minke-Martin, a marine science and communications specialist with Pacific Wild.
Herring roe can be found washed up on shore from Comox to Parksville during their short spawning season. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
However, while in some years the forecasted number has been accurate, in others, DFO has overestimated the number of returning herring, resulting in fishing more than 20 per cent of the population.
“If you know that the models tend to overestimate, you should be cautious and aim to catch fewer fish, because then you’re less likely to catch more than 20 per cent of the population, which has happened in the past,” she said.
In six of the last 13 years, the industry has taken above the quota of 20 per cent. However, the years that the industry has not reached its quota could be indicative of a larger issue as well.
Minke-Martin says along with the behaviours of the fish, the structure of the population has also changed.
“Something that we’re concerned about is, are the fishing fleet not catching their quota because the fish are too small? Maybe there aren’t enough older fish which actually have the amount of roe that they want to get,” she said. “The reason that the fishers aren’t getting enough fish is because the actual structure of the population has changed through time because we’ve always taken the biggest fish every year.”
RELATED: Opponents want federal government to shut down roe herring fishery
Pressure on federal government
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns has been putting pressure on Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, calling for a moratorium on the Strait of Georgia herring roe fishery, but his most recent request in the House of Commons was denied in February.
Johns has family working in the fishing industry and is concerned about the livelihood of fishers, but he says the health of such a vital species must also be taken into account.
Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, has been advocating for a moratorium on the Strait of Georgia roe herring fishery in the house of commons. Recently he was named the NDP’s fisheries critic. Photo by Jolene Rudisuela
He says the DFO science used to predict the numbers of herring is the same science that led to the decline of the Atlantic cod populations on the East Coast.
“Our biggest concern and our question to the minister is, what happens if this fishery collapses?” he said. “The commercial fishing jobs that we have are vitally important. So it’s not easy to come out and call for a suspension of a fishery. As a born and raised Vancouver Islander, it’s part of our way of life and we have to do everything we can to support these fishers while we’re calling for a moratorium and support the local economy.”
He suggests extending employment insurance weeks for those who would be affected by a closure of the fishery, as well as making use of the funds being set aside for the protection of marine habitat and species by injecting the funding into fishing communities.
“The government has allocated money, they’ve made announcement after announcement of funding that they’ve dedicated to help support our fish stocks and bringing them back to abundancy, yet they’re still not giving those resources back to our community,” said Johns.
Local residents concerned
Rob Zielinski’s family has owned and operated Hornby Island Diving since the early ’70s.
Typically, Hornby and Denman Island are areas where a lot of spawning occurs and Zielinski has seen first-hand the changes in the marine ecosystem every year.
“For me, our life is under the water, it’s not above the water, and I see the effects of overfishing and decline,” he said. “The fish get smaller, the schools get more broken up, the tonnage varies all the time, but it never gets better, it steadily goes downhill and it’s reaching that point where something needs to be done about it. Its time has passed.”
He adds the waters around Hornby and Denman islands are known for excellent marine life, and it is still quite healthy, but the stocks only seem to decline, they don’t get better.
“There’s more human pressure – whether it be from sport fishing, commercial fishing – and I just want to make sure those resources are here for the future for the next generations.”
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
G
gone fishin
Guest
I assume you read the whole article??
Are you suggesting 4 of the 5 total closures and the critical status of the one area that remains open are a result of over fishing by the Sports Fishery?
Or what exactly are you suggesting by your post??
Are you suggesting 4 of the 5 total closures and the critical status of the one area that remains open are a result of over fishing by the Sports Fishery?
Or what exactly are you suggesting by your post??
Last edited by a moderator:
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Yes that comment on sport fishing just verified yet again what is really going on here. Those comments speak volumes.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Yes thank you that’s what I was trying to say I just get frustrated. What does sports fishing have to do with herring. Nothing but that person who made Thoes comments obviously wanted to link there agenda because their agenda is to close down both.
G
gone fishin
Guest
That's an interesting theory.
I could not find any evidence in the article that as you stated "Thoes comments obviously wanted to link there agenda because their agenda is to close down both."
My thought is one, the other or both might be closed down if the stocks become dangerously low.
We have seen major cut backs for the Sport Fishing industry and the Herring Harvest has been shut down in 4 out of the 5 areas in B.C.
I do not think the two are directly linked.
Sport Fishing does continue in the areas where the Herring Harvest has been shut down.
fish4all
Well-Known Member
The reason the the other areas of the coast are closed is do reconciliation not fish stocks. The stocks in those areas are healthy. If FN had any boats left that were participating in the fishery those areas would be open.
for example.
Strait of Georgia - 20% harvest rate = 11,960 short tons total TAC
Central Coast - 5.6% harvest rate = only enough quota for FSC and SOK, no roe fishery quota
Under the scientific defensible harvest rates there could be a significant harvest in the central coast but government won’t work with FN in those areas so they put more pressure in the Gulf.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Yes I agree.
Fish Camp
Well-Known Member
what buggin me?is that they stated a date for a herring fishery mid dec in FNnotices on gov website1.5 month before opening.the same time as people are preparing to love oneanother at christmas.and to buren us with difusing talk of a FF sunk across from hardy.these our our keystone spiecies that the enviroment(whales) need.and they want to take them from SOG(salish sea for some).they couldn't wait april 30 2019 after we baught sport licences for the year to tell us we could not fish and go mame, with 2 days notice on 2 differant accouts.trying to love them but i feel i am a man without a county.
searun
Well-Known Member
Here's the fishery recommendations directly from the IFMP draft per the MSE simulation runs and recommended harvest. Of note, SOG decreased significantly from 2019 per the model (-47%). Some groups are focusing their comments on the 20% harvest rate (HR), but fail to mention that the HR at 20% fluctuates year to year with the harvest set out within the models. People get all fired up over 20% HR, because some groups deliberately mis-use or misapprehend how the MSE modelling works to adjust to changing ecological conditions and stock abundance. 2019 the total expected use (excluding FSC) was 25,553 Tonnes, whereas for 2020 it is 11,960 Tonnes. That is a 47% reduction in actual catch by landed tonnes. I hope people will take the time to look a little deeper before formulating opinions on how this fishery is managed.
Recommendations for each area are as follows:
HG: Closed. No MSE tested management procedures could meet the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP, even in the absence of fishing. Stock biomass and growth have been low for almost 20 years. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 4,753 short tons (range: 1,824-13,392 tons) and to be below the LRP with an 80% probability in the absence of fishing. Development of a Rebuilding Plan is underway with a target date of December 2020, and to support this work this area will be closed for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 fishing season.
PRD: Closed. Three MSE-tested management procedures provide for a small catch (up to 628 tons), however is not enough to allow commercial catch (FSC expected use is 600 tons). In this area, stock biomass and growth has remained low but steady, fluctuating around the LRP since 2005. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 24,94m2 short tons (range: 12,239-50,373 tons) and to be below the LRP with a 30% probability in the absence of fishing.
CC: SOK opportunities only up to a maximum of 1,865 tons (5.6% harvest rate), subject to consultations. This catch level is within the range of quota levels calculated from the MSE process. This option provides for FSC and commercial SOK opportunities only, including the Heiltsuk’s rights-based fishery. This stock shows a steady increase in spawning biomass since a low in the late 2000’s, with a slight decrease in forecasted spawning biomass for 2020. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 32,816 short tons (range: 14,577-65,957 tons) and to be below the LRP with an 11% probability in the absence of fishing.
SOG: Food and Bait, Special Use, and Roe herring opportunities (20% harvest rate) to a maximum of 11,960 tons, subject to consultations. All tested MPs met the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP with a high probability under MSE simulations; the quota level is based on application of a MP that applies a 20% harvest rate. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 59,792 tons (range: 29,965-121,349 tons) and below the LRP with a 28% probability in the absence of fishing. SOK commercial fisheries do not occur in this area.
WCVI: Closed. No MSE-tested management procedures could meet the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP with a high probability. Low biomass and growth have persisted in most years since 2005, despite fishery closures during that time. The spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 24,171 short tons (range: 12,122-49,086 tons) and below the LRP with a 14% probability in the absence of fishing.
Minor Stock Areas: Commercial SOK fisheries will be provided at a 10% harvest rate, applied to the 2019 spawning biomass.
Area 27: 35 tons
Area 2W: 300 tons
Recommendations for each area are as follows:
HG: Closed. No MSE tested management procedures could meet the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP, even in the absence of fishing. Stock biomass and growth have been low for almost 20 years. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 4,753 short tons (range: 1,824-13,392 tons) and to be below the LRP with an 80% probability in the absence of fishing. Development of a Rebuilding Plan is underway with a target date of December 2020, and to support this work this area will be closed for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 fishing season.
PRD: Closed. Three MSE-tested management procedures provide for a small catch (up to 628 tons), however is not enough to allow commercial catch (FSC expected use is 600 tons). In this area, stock biomass and growth has remained low but steady, fluctuating around the LRP since 2005. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 24,94m2 short tons (range: 12,239-50,373 tons) and to be below the LRP with a 30% probability in the absence of fishing.
CC: SOK opportunities only up to a maximum of 1,865 tons (5.6% harvest rate), subject to consultations. This catch level is within the range of quota levels calculated from the MSE process. This option provides for FSC and commercial SOK opportunities only, including the Heiltsuk’s rights-based fishery. This stock shows a steady increase in spawning biomass since a low in the late 2000’s, with a slight decrease in forecasted spawning biomass for 2020. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 32,816 short tons (range: 14,577-65,957 tons) and to be below the LRP with an 11% probability in the absence of fishing.
SOG: Food and Bait, Special Use, and Roe herring opportunities (20% harvest rate) to a maximum of 11,960 tons, subject to consultations. All tested MPs met the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP with a high probability under MSE simulations; the quota level is based on application of a MP that applies a 20% harvest rate. Spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 59,792 tons (range: 29,965-121,349 tons) and below the LRP with a 28% probability in the absence of fishing. SOK commercial fisheries do not occur in this area.
WCVI: Closed. No MSE-tested management procedures could meet the conservation objective of avoiding the LRP with a high probability. Low biomass and growth have persisted in most years since 2005, despite fishery closures during that time. The spawning biomass in 2020 is forecast to be 24,171 short tons (range: 12,122-49,086 tons) and below the LRP with a 14% probability in the absence of fishing.
Minor Stock Areas: Commercial SOK fisheries will be provided at a 10% harvest rate, applied to the 2019 spawning biomass.
Area 27: 35 tons
Area 2W: 300 tons
fogged in
Well-Known Member
This is a step in the right direction however a couple of thoughts come to mind when I see posts from those participating, advising or connected to the Herring Harvest Industry.
Figures lie and liars figure
A day late and a dollar short
DFO have had an undisputed record of bad management supported by their science, figures and estimates.
What those on the water see is there is a sad lack of herring in the areas where there once was an abundance.
No lie!!
That’s how many see it and sorry if it offends some who feel the Herring Fishery is well managed and to the benefit of all.
Figures lie and liars figure
A day late and a dollar short
DFO have had an undisputed record of bad management supported by their science, figures and estimates.
What those on the water see is there is a sad lack of herring in the areas where there once was an abundance.
No lie!!
That’s how many see it and sorry if it offends some who feel the Herring Fishery is well managed and to the benefit of all.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Searun is not connected to herring fishery if that is what your implying publicly on here. Many others that posted aren't except for the commercial fisherman fish4all on here. Not everyone shares same view on this subject.
We should want DFO to manage all other sectors in same way we want to be managed with our recreational chinook fishery. With using proper facts/science, and not using southern killer whales in every sentence. Doesn't make sense anyways Northern killer whales aren't declining but expanding.
Thanks for posting the IMFP up Searun. Totally in agreement.
Last edited:
searun
Well-Known Member
I have never stepped foot on a commercial vessel - not that there is anything wrong with that. My personal interest is making sure we carefully manage all fisheries to ensure there is a sustainable harvest. Portrayal of the commercial sector and DFO as the enemy is also a sad waste of energy. I don't agree with every decision DFO makes, and every position of the commercial sector. However, careful well managed science-based fisheries harvest that are sustainable is a good thing for Canada IMO. To me that means crafting fisheries in a manner that avoids impacting weak stocks, while allowing careful harvest where abundance permits wise use.
The current MSE approach utilized for the herring fishery is a positive step forward. Its an evolutionary process, that is far from perfect for sure. One improvement that should be made is amending the Simulation Run to account for ecosystem requirements of herring as prey species for other animals within the ecosystem. Herring are one of the keystone species that supplies nutrient to the entire food chain - not taking those requirements into account impedes the Model's ability to provide the best harvest management advice.
We also have to take into full account the shifting importance of herring as prey for Chinook given the collapse of the Eulachon population which at one time was a critical prey source for Chinook and other salmon. In modern times herring have filled the prey gap for salmon that has been grossly overlooked. This has not been taken into account in managing the Herring fishery IMO, and greater care needs to be taken immediately to properly model the prey requirements of salmon - until that happens a more precautionary approach needs to be applied. I'm sure some folks in the commercial sector do not necessarily agree with me on this, but frankly I believe we need to do the right thing here to properly manage for sustainable harvest.
Here's a recent (2016) paper that documents the shift and importance of herring - ignored by science ecosystem modelling in the MSE thus far. Couple of relevant clips to illustrate:
Prey
This data set provides a unique record of fish prey in Pacific salmon, Pacific Herring, and Eulachon diets prior to recent declines in Eulachon populations (COSEWIC 2011) and the rebuilding of Pacific Herring stocks (DFO 2005). The role of Pacific Herring and Eulachon in the diets of predators was of particular interest because they were the most important prey in this study. Historical records showing the high prevalence of Eulachon in Pacific salmon diets are noteworthy because Eulachon are higher in lipids than are other common salmon prey (Anthony et al. 2000). The high consumption of Eulachon by the Pacific salmon in our data set—in contrast to their low importance in contemporary studies (Duffy et al. 2010; Beamish et al. 2012)—suggests that the loss of this energy‐rich food has caused shifts in the feeding ecology of Pacific salmon that may have implications for their growth and survival rates.
Hypotheses and Future Work
The diets of the Eulachon, Pacific Herring, and five species of Pacific salmon that we studied indicate that the historical food web in the Fraser River plume had strong interconnections. Such overlap could have had interesting implications for Pacific salmon growth and survival in light of the physical and biological changes that have occurred in the Strait of Georgia ecosystem since the 1960s. Increasing sea surface temperature in the strait, for example, has been associated with increased feeding rates among Pacific salmon (Daly and Brodeur 2015), potentially reflecting increased energy demands. But less availability of prey items high in energy content (such as euphausiids, copepods, and amphipods), coupled with a rise in gelatinous zooplankton (Davis et al. 1998; Li et al. 2013), compounds the pressures on Pacific salmon to meet their energy demands. A comparison of contemporary diets with those in the historical data could be useful for discerning how these changes have influenced fish foraging. Another major change in the Strait of Georgia that could have influenced the diets of these fish is the decline of the Fraser River population of Eulachon. Eulachon were the most abundant fish species caught in this study and the most abundant fish prey found in predator stomachs. The loss of such a high‐quality prey item could have had consequences for the trophic interactions of the remaining predator species. We postulate that the larger role of Pacific Herring in contemporary Pacific salmon diets is a response to the declines in Eulachon availability.
Historical Diets of Forage Fish and Juvenile Pacific Salmon in the Strait of Georgia, 1966–1968
Geoffrey J. Osgood
Laura A. Kennedy
Jessica J. Holden
Eric Hertz
Skip McKinnell
Francis Juanes
First published: 30 November 2016
https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2016.1223231
Citations: 4
Subject editor: Debra J. Murie, University of Florida, Gainesville
https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/19425120.2016.1223231
The current MSE approach utilized for the herring fishery is a positive step forward. Its an evolutionary process, that is far from perfect for sure. One improvement that should be made is amending the Simulation Run to account for ecosystem requirements of herring as prey species for other animals within the ecosystem. Herring are one of the keystone species that supplies nutrient to the entire food chain - not taking those requirements into account impedes the Model's ability to provide the best harvest management advice.
We also have to take into full account the shifting importance of herring as prey for Chinook given the collapse of the Eulachon population which at one time was a critical prey source for Chinook and other salmon. In modern times herring have filled the prey gap for salmon that has been grossly overlooked. This has not been taken into account in managing the Herring fishery IMO, and greater care needs to be taken immediately to properly model the prey requirements of salmon - until that happens a more precautionary approach needs to be applied. I'm sure some folks in the commercial sector do not necessarily agree with me on this, but frankly I believe we need to do the right thing here to properly manage for sustainable harvest.
Here's a recent (2016) paper that documents the shift and importance of herring - ignored by science ecosystem modelling in the MSE thus far. Couple of relevant clips to illustrate:
Prey
This data set provides a unique record of fish prey in Pacific salmon, Pacific Herring, and Eulachon diets prior to recent declines in Eulachon populations (COSEWIC 2011) and the rebuilding of Pacific Herring stocks (DFO 2005). The role of Pacific Herring and Eulachon in the diets of predators was of particular interest because they were the most important prey in this study. Historical records showing the high prevalence of Eulachon in Pacific salmon diets are noteworthy because Eulachon are higher in lipids than are other common salmon prey (Anthony et al. 2000). The high consumption of Eulachon by the Pacific salmon in our data set—in contrast to their low importance in contemporary studies (Duffy et al. 2010; Beamish et al. 2012)—suggests that the loss of this energy‐rich food has caused shifts in the feeding ecology of Pacific salmon that may have implications for their growth and survival rates.
Hypotheses and Future Work
The diets of the Eulachon, Pacific Herring, and five species of Pacific salmon that we studied indicate that the historical food web in the Fraser River plume had strong interconnections. Such overlap could have had interesting implications for Pacific salmon growth and survival in light of the physical and biological changes that have occurred in the Strait of Georgia ecosystem since the 1960s. Increasing sea surface temperature in the strait, for example, has been associated with increased feeding rates among Pacific salmon (Daly and Brodeur 2015), potentially reflecting increased energy demands. But less availability of prey items high in energy content (such as euphausiids, copepods, and amphipods), coupled with a rise in gelatinous zooplankton (Davis et al. 1998; Li et al. 2013), compounds the pressures on Pacific salmon to meet their energy demands. A comparison of contemporary diets with those in the historical data could be useful for discerning how these changes have influenced fish foraging. Another major change in the Strait of Georgia that could have influenced the diets of these fish is the decline of the Fraser River population of Eulachon. Eulachon were the most abundant fish species caught in this study and the most abundant fish prey found in predator stomachs. The loss of such a high‐quality prey item could have had consequences for the trophic interactions of the remaining predator species. We postulate that the larger role of Pacific Herring in contemporary Pacific salmon diets is a response to the declines in Eulachon availability.
Historical Diets of Forage Fish and Juvenile Pacific Salmon in the Strait of Georgia, 1966–1968
Geoffrey J. Osgood
Laura A. Kennedy
Jessica J. Holden
Eric Hertz
Skip McKinnell
Francis Juanes
First published: 30 November 2016
https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2016.1223231
Citations: 4
Subject editor: Debra J. Murie, University of Florida, Gainesville
https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/19425120.2016.1223231
2.4. Stock assessment
There is limited biological information available to guide management decisions regarding Fraser River Eulachon.
2.5. Precautionary approach
In general, the precautionary approach in fisheries management is about implementation of a cautious approach when scientific knowledge is uncertain, and not using the absence of adequate scientific information as a reason to postpone or fail to take action to avoid serious harm to fish stocks or their ecosystem. This approach is widely accepted as an essential part of sustainable fisheries management. Information on DFO’s precautionary approach and the decision-making framework is available.
Reference points and harvest control rules as outlined in the decision-making framework for the precautionary approach have not been formally developed and evaluated for this fishery. DFO is evaluating the available data and methods in order to move towards abundance-based methods for setting annual harvest levels. The decline of the species and limited or lack of recovery in river systems coast wide is an ongoing concern. Maintaining harvest at low levels should increase the probability of rebuilding Fraser River Eulachon stocks. The Department continues to take an approach to managing the fishery that emphasizes conservation and sustainable use.
3. Management issues
3.1. Limited biological information
At present, there is limited biological information available for Fraser River Eulachon. The original biological indicators described in the Hay et al. 2003 paper and the reference points used for the management of Fraser River Eulachon were developed over ten years ago and were based on a short time series. DFO is evaluating the available data and methods in order to move towards abundance-based methods for setting annual harvest levels. In addition, the RPA (Schweigert et al. 2012) identifies several gaps in our knowledge of eulachon biology and ecology, including limited information on ages, growth rates and mortality.
3.2. Food, social and ceremonial access
First Nations in the Lower Fraser Area have expressed the concern that their needs are not being met by their current level of access to eulachon for FSC purposes. A review of the current FSC harvest level and the development of an abundance-based approach to determine harvest levels for future years have been requested by First Nations.
3.3. Bycatch in other fisheries
Fraser River Eulachon are incidentally caught throughout BC in both shrimp trawl and groundfish trawl fisheries. The Department has been working with the shrimp trawl industry to minimize Eulachon bycatch. Management measures have been implemented in the West Coast Vancouver Island shrimp trawl fishery and the groundfish trawl fishery to monitor and mitigate impacts of incidental catch of Eulachon. For more details see the full plan.
Species at Risk Act (SARA)
With the implementation of SARA, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife Species Assessments (COSEWIC) has been established as an independent body of experts responsible for identifying and assessing wildlife species considered being at risk.
4. Objectives
The overall goal of fisheries management in the Pacific Region is the conservation of Canada’s fisheries resources to ensure sustainable resource utilization and generate economic prosperity, accomplished through close collaboration with resource users and stakeholders based on shared stewardship consistent with treaty and Aboriginal rights.
The objective of the current Eulachon fishery is to respond to conservation concerns with Fraser River Eulachon stocks and introduce measures to allow for stock rebuilding. Specific objectives are and performance measures detailed in the IFMP and associated appendices.
A coast-wide recovery target for eulachon is, at a minimum, to “promote the populations’ recovery such that it can qualify as special concern within the COSEWIC assessment criteria”, with an interim goal of observing “positive growth in eulachon spawning in river systems throughout” the designatable unit ranges, and a long term goal of seeing the populations reach historic levels (Schweigert et al. 2012).
For the Fraser River population, COSEWIC assessed this population as endangered based on an observed population decline of greater than 50% over three generations (approximately 10 years for eulachon). Recovery for Fraser River eulachon “should be reflected in an increase in this index to historical levels.” The first goal “would be a population increase that would exceed COSEWIC’s criteria for endangered status, and bring the assessment down to a species of special concern,” and “additional rebuilding would be required to bring the Fraser River [designatable unit] to a point where it was not at risk based on COSEWIC criteria.” In addition, “distribution targets for the population would include an expansion of sustained spawning ranging to the historical extent” (Schweigert et al. 2012).
To ensure conservation and protection of eulachon stocks and their habitat management DFO will take a precautionary approach using the best scientific advice available.
Subject to conservation needs, first priority is given to First Nations in the form of limited Food Social and Ceremonial (FSC) harvest opportunities.
Conduct an open and transparent consultation process for discussions of harvest management issues related to eulachon harvest.
Subject to conservation needs, first priority is accorded to First Nations for opportunities to harvest eulachon for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Feedback from consultations sessions is relied on to measure the performance of providing priority to First Nations for opportunities to catch fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Limited harvest opportunities will provide access to First Nations for FSC purposes while meeting conservations objectives. Maintaining harvest at low levels will increase the probability of rebuilding Fraser River Eulachon stocks. The Department will manage Fraser Eulachon fisheries conservatively in 2017.
5. Access and allocations
The Minister can, for reasons of conservation or for any other valid reasons, modify access, allocations and sharing arrangements outlined in this IFMP in accordance with the powers granted pursuant to the Fisheries Act.
Aboriginal harvest of eulachon for FSC purposes may occur where authorized by a communal licence. The Department will provide First Nations with priority access to the resource for FSC purposes. FSC quotas may be determined through bilateral discussions between First Nations and the Department.
Recreational harvest of eulachon is closed coast wide. The commercial fishery has been closed since 2004; however, 16 party-based ZU licence eligibilities remain. ------- and a bit more info here------Possible explanations for the decline of eulachon include habitat damage (pollution, dredging, logging, and hydrological changes), fisheries, increased predation and climate change. Habitat loss has occurred in most rivers, but the rapid decline in stocks does not seem to match gradual habitat changes. The eulachon fishery and bycatch in other fisheries may have an impact, but have been ongoing. Increased predation may be an issue, with increasing numbers of marine mammals and hake. Climate change is probably a significant factor, and the temperature in the Strait of Georgia has been increasing in recent years. DFO carries out a number of research projects to monitor eulachon, including an offshore abundance index and an egg and larvae survey that is used to estimate total biomass. The biomass estimates from the egg and larvae survey on the Fraser show that following the decline in 1994/95, the run size increased in 1996. Preliminary results indicate a sharp decline in spawning numbers in 1997, followed by slight increases in 1998 and 1999. It is difficult to see any specific habitat preferences in the data, as eulachon appear to spawn at all depths in the river. Spawning is concentrated in different areas of the river each year. Offshore assessments have been done since 1973, incidental to shrimp monitoring. The offshore index has gone up and down over the years, but saw a decline in approximately 1994. Some work has been done to assess the bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery. Bycatch was significantly higher in 1997 at approximately 86 tonnes for both gear types. This declined to approximately 35 tonnes in 1998, and efforts are being made by the shrimp fishing industry to further reduce bycatch. ------and more info here---------
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans knows from studies of the shrimp fleet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island that the eulachon by-catch is substantial.
There, despite the best efforts of the shrimp fleet to avoid them, an estimated 55 tonnes of eulachon will be killed in trawls this year. It's not clear how many are being caught in shrimp trawls elsewhere on the coast, but if the West Coast of Vancouver Island is an indication, it's a substantial number. And fish are desperately needed to rebuild spawning runs.
The Fraser River used to have a massive run of eulachon. So many fish returned that they weren't counted but rather were estimated by mass weight.
In 1996, the Fraser had a spawning run of 1,911 tonnes. As recently as 2002, there were 494 tonnes. That fell to 266 tonnes in 2003 - then came the coast-wide collapse. In 2004, only 33 tonnes returned to the Fraser. And last year, it was down to 14 tonnes.
The eulachon have enormous cultural and environmental importance and, all along the coast, they are barely hanging on.
There is limited biological information available to guide management decisions regarding Fraser River Eulachon.
2.5. Precautionary approach
In general, the precautionary approach in fisheries management is about implementation of a cautious approach when scientific knowledge is uncertain, and not using the absence of adequate scientific information as a reason to postpone or fail to take action to avoid serious harm to fish stocks or their ecosystem. This approach is widely accepted as an essential part of sustainable fisheries management. Information on DFO’s precautionary approach and the decision-making framework is available.
Reference points and harvest control rules as outlined in the decision-making framework for the precautionary approach have not been formally developed and evaluated for this fishery. DFO is evaluating the available data and methods in order to move towards abundance-based methods for setting annual harvest levels. The decline of the species and limited or lack of recovery in river systems coast wide is an ongoing concern. Maintaining harvest at low levels should increase the probability of rebuilding Fraser River Eulachon stocks. The Department continues to take an approach to managing the fishery that emphasizes conservation and sustainable use.
3. Management issues
3.1. Limited biological information
At present, there is limited biological information available for Fraser River Eulachon. The original biological indicators described in the Hay et al. 2003 paper and the reference points used for the management of Fraser River Eulachon were developed over ten years ago and were based on a short time series. DFO is evaluating the available data and methods in order to move towards abundance-based methods for setting annual harvest levels. In addition, the RPA (Schweigert et al. 2012) identifies several gaps in our knowledge of eulachon biology and ecology, including limited information on ages, growth rates and mortality.
3.2. Food, social and ceremonial access
First Nations in the Lower Fraser Area have expressed the concern that their needs are not being met by their current level of access to eulachon for FSC purposes. A review of the current FSC harvest level and the development of an abundance-based approach to determine harvest levels for future years have been requested by First Nations.
3.3. Bycatch in other fisheries
Fraser River Eulachon are incidentally caught throughout BC in both shrimp trawl and groundfish trawl fisheries. The Department has been working with the shrimp trawl industry to minimize Eulachon bycatch. Management measures have been implemented in the West Coast Vancouver Island shrimp trawl fishery and the groundfish trawl fishery to monitor and mitigate impacts of incidental catch of Eulachon. For more details see the full plan.
Species at Risk Act (SARA)
With the implementation of SARA, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife Species Assessments (COSEWIC) has been established as an independent body of experts responsible for identifying and assessing wildlife species considered being at risk.
4. Objectives
The overall goal of fisheries management in the Pacific Region is the conservation of Canada’s fisheries resources to ensure sustainable resource utilization and generate economic prosperity, accomplished through close collaboration with resource users and stakeholders based on shared stewardship consistent with treaty and Aboriginal rights.
The objective of the current Eulachon fishery is to respond to conservation concerns with Fraser River Eulachon stocks and introduce measures to allow for stock rebuilding. Specific objectives are and performance measures detailed in the IFMP and associated appendices.
A coast-wide recovery target for eulachon is, at a minimum, to “promote the populations’ recovery such that it can qualify as special concern within the COSEWIC assessment criteria”, with an interim goal of observing “positive growth in eulachon spawning in river systems throughout” the designatable unit ranges, and a long term goal of seeing the populations reach historic levels (Schweigert et al. 2012).
For the Fraser River population, COSEWIC assessed this population as endangered based on an observed population decline of greater than 50% over three generations (approximately 10 years for eulachon). Recovery for Fraser River eulachon “should be reflected in an increase in this index to historical levels.” The first goal “would be a population increase that would exceed COSEWIC’s criteria for endangered status, and bring the assessment down to a species of special concern,” and “additional rebuilding would be required to bring the Fraser River [designatable unit] to a point where it was not at risk based on COSEWIC criteria.” In addition, “distribution targets for the population would include an expansion of sustained spawning ranging to the historical extent” (Schweigert et al. 2012).
To ensure conservation and protection of eulachon stocks and their habitat management DFO will take a precautionary approach using the best scientific advice available.
Subject to conservation needs, first priority is given to First Nations in the form of limited Food Social and Ceremonial (FSC) harvest opportunities.
Conduct an open and transparent consultation process for discussions of harvest management issues related to eulachon harvest.
Subject to conservation needs, first priority is accorded to First Nations for opportunities to harvest eulachon for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Feedback from consultations sessions is relied on to measure the performance of providing priority to First Nations for opportunities to catch fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Limited harvest opportunities will provide access to First Nations for FSC purposes while meeting conservations objectives. Maintaining harvest at low levels will increase the probability of rebuilding Fraser River Eulachon stocks. The Department will manage Fraser Eulachon fisheries conservatively in 2017.
5. Access and allocations
The Minister can, for reasons of conservation or for any other valid reasons, modify access, allocations and sharing arrangements outlined in this IFMP in accordance with the powers granted pursuant to the Fisheries Act.
Aboriginal harvest of eulachon for FSC purposes may occur where authorized by a communal licence. The Department will provide First Nations with priority access to the resource for FSC purposes. FSC quotas may be determined through bilateral discussions between First Nations and the Department.
Recreational harvest of eulachon is closed coast wide. The commercial fishery has been closed since 2004; however, 16 party-based ZU licence eligibilities remain. ------- and a bit more info here------Possible explanations for the decline of eulachon include habitat damage (pollution, dredging, logging, and hydrological changes), fisheries, increased predation and climate change. Habitat loss has occurred in most rivers, but the rapid decline in stocks does not seem to match gradual habitat changes. The eulachon fishery and bycatch in other fisheries may have an impact, but have been ongoing. Increased predation may be an issue, with increasing numbers of marine mammals and hake. Climate change is probably a significant factor, and the temperature in the Strait of Georgia has been increasing in recent years. DFO carries out a number of research projects to monitor eulachon, including an offshore abundance index and an egg and larvae survey that is used to estimate total biomass. The biomass estimates from the egg and larvae survey on the Fraser show that following the decline in 1994/95, the run size increased in 1996. Preliminary results indicate a sharp decline in spawning numbers in 1997, followed by slight increases in 1998 and 1999. It is difficult to see any specific habitat preferences in the data, as eulachon appear to spawn at all depths in the river. Spawning is concentrated in different areas of the river each year. Offshore assessments have been done since 1973, incidental to shrimp monitoring. The offshore index has gone up and down over the years, but saw a decline in approximately 1994. Some work has been done to assess the bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery. Bycatch was significantly higher in 1997 at approximately 86 tonnes for both gear types. This declined to approximately 35 tonnes in 1998, and efforts are being made by the shrimp fishing industry to further reduce bycatch. ------and more info here---------
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans knows from studies of the shrimp fleet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island that the eulachon by-catch is substantial.
There, despite the best efforts of the shrimp fleet to avoid them, an estimated 55 tonnes of eulachon will be killed in trawls this year. It's not clear how many are being caught in shrimp trawls elsewhere on the coast, but if the West Coast of Vancouver Island is an indication, it's a substantial number. And fish are desperately needed to rebuild spawning runs.
The Fraser River used to have a massive run of eulachon. So many fish returned that they weren't counted but rather were estimated by mass weight.
In 1996, the Fraser had a spawning run of 1,911 tonnes. As recently as 2002, there were 494 tonnes. That fell to 266 tonnes in 2003 - then came the coast-wide collapse. In 2004, only 33 tonnes returned to the Fraser. And last year, it was down to 14 tonnes.
The eulachon have enormous cultural and environmental importance and, all along the coast, they are barely hanging on.
---- a bit more------
Decline of the eulachon: Are candlefish getting snuffed out?
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Mar 24 2006
Fears are rising for the health of the Fraser River as a the number of a small, oily fish that once swam upstream in abundance at this time of year dwindles toward extinction.
The eulachon, a smelt-like fish so high in oil content you can dry it, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle, has been added to a federal list to assess for possible endangered species status.
“For the last 15 years, they’ve been dropping right off,” says Jimmy Adams, a Katzie First Nation band member who has been fishing for nearly 50 years.
Adams said he didn’t even try to catch eulachon last year and two years ago he got just a few hundred pounds – barely enough for band elders to smoke and keep an ancient tradition alive.
A federal fisheries survey of last year’s eulachon spawn found the estimated number of eggs and larvae deposited in the Fraser hit a new all-time low – just a tenth of what biologists had set as an alarm point for fishing closures. The report recommends there be no commercial fishery again this year.
That’s small comfort to aboriginal people who have seen the population of a fish critically important to their culture severely depleted.
Ernie Crey, the Sto:lo Tribal Council’s senior policy advisor, says close to a century ago, his people would send a lookout to the top of Chilliwack Mountain to see downstream in early spring. “They described two long silver bands on either side of the Fraser River stretching out for miles downstream,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds of millions of fish.”
Back then, the eulachon, alternately “oolichan” or “hooligan,” were also called swewi or “saviour fish” by the Sto:lo.
“In a year of hardship we always knew the eulachon would show up in the spring by the millions to feed us,” Crey explained, noting the fish helped natives survive until salmon arrived later in the year.
Aboriginal people across coastal B.C. tell similar stories.
Besides eating eulachon fresh, dried or smoked, many would render the fish down for their oil. The resulting grease, used as a butter-like condiment, was an important commodity – it’s why aboriginal trade routes were called “grease trails.”
And it’s not just people who depend on the “candlefish.”
Big eulachon runs on healthy north coast river systems are chased upriver by hordes of seagulls, eagles, seals and sea lions.
Up until about 10 years ago, Crey said, that kind of evidence could still be seen in the Fraser near Coquitlam.
“There used to be huge colonies of sea lions and seals sunning themselves on the log booms there,” he said. “The reason they were there is they were following the eulachon up the river. You rarely see that any more.”
The Fraser placed third on the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.’s just-released annual endangered rivers list. Urbanization, industrial pollution, sewage, agricultural impacts and logging in the headwaters are ongoing threats, it said. The river has been in the list’s top five 13 out of the last 14 years.
Pollution, habitat loss, logging and changing ocean conditions due to global warming are among the likely reasons for the decline, according to DFO.
Shrimp trawl boats would accidentally catch large numbers of eulachon as an unintended by-catch.
“They would jettison them overboard literally by the tonne,” Crey said.
Everything from river dredging to the bark scrapings from log booms to the increased industrialization and urbanization of the region has played a role, he said. “You have to be utterly blind not to see the changes that are occurring along the river.”
Crey sees the declining eulachon as akin to a canary in the coal mine, signalling the river’s overall health is in danger.
“In my mind this represents the triumph of industrial values over environmental values,” he said.
Politicians at all levels talk about the river’s importance to the region’s economy, he said, but do little to safeguard its ecology.
“Some folks think making a buck is more important than saving a species of fish,” Crey said. “To these types, saving eulachon is about as important as saving a cloud of mosquitoes.”
http://www.tricitynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=74&cat=23&id=614489&more=
Logged
To bring this back on topic I read but cannot find right now that there was (because now there are so few eulachons) a significant bycatch in the herring fishery of eulachons so it is no wonder that overfishing the Herring have also contibuted to the low numbers of Eulachons. I found it interesting to read how the Seals and Sea Lions would go upriver and gorge durring the spawn, as opposed to now just waiting for sporty to hook a salmon for their lunch because they want to eat. It is such a friggin mess that there is probably no wat to fix it but I did notice there i9s a lot of spin onto climate change being a factor but its just a cop out of the true causes. I thing Crey's last comment pretty well sums it up.
Decline of the eulachon: Are candlefish getting snuffed out?
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Mar 24 2006
Fears are rising for the health of the Fraser River as a the number of a small, oily fish that once swam upstream in abundance at this time of year dwindles toward extinction.
The eulachon, a smelt-like fish so high in oil content you can dry it, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle, has been added to a federal list to assess for possible endangered species status.
“For the last 15 years, they’ve been dropping right off,” says Jimmy Adams, a Katzie First Nation band member who has been fishing for nearly 50 years.
Adams said he didn’t even try to catch eulachon last year and two years ago he got just a few hundred pounds – barely enough for band elders to smoke and keep an ancient tradition alive.
A federal fisheries survey of last year’s eulachon spawn found the estimated number of eggs and larvae deposited in the Fraser hit a new all-time low – just a tenth of what biologists had set as an alarm point for fishing closures. The report recommends there be no commercial fishery again this year.
That’s small comfort to aboriginal people who have seen the population of a fish critically important to their culture severely depleted.
Ernie Crey, the Sto:lo Tribal Council’s senior policy advisor, says close to a century ago, his people would send a lookout to the top of Chilliwack Mountain to see downstream in early spring. “They described two long silver bands on either side of the Fraser River stretching out for miles downstream,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds of millions of fish.”
Back then, the eulachon, alternately “oolichan” or “hooligan,” were also called swewi or “saviour fish” by the Sto:lo.
“In a year of hardship we always knew the eulachon would show up in the spring by the millions to feed us,” Crey explained, noting the fish helped natives survive until salmon arrived later in the year.
Aboriginal people across coastal B.C. tell similar stories.
Besides eating eulachon fresh, dried or smoked, many would render the fish down for their oil. The resulting grease, used as a butter-like condiment, was an important commodity – it’s why aboriginal trade routes were called “grease trails.”
And it’s not just people who depend on the “candlefish.”
Big eulachon runs on healthy north coast river systems are chased upriver by hordes of seagulls, eagles, seals and sea lions.
Up until about 10 years ago, Crey said, that kind of evidence could still be seen in the Fraser near Coquitlam.
“There used to be huge colonies of sea lions and seals sunning themselves on the log booms there,” he said. “The reason they were there is they were following the eulachon up the river. You rarely see that any more.”
The Fraser placed third on the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.’s just-released annual endangered rivers list. Urbanization, industrial pollution, sewage, agricultural impacts and logging in the headwaters are ongoing threats, it said. The river has been in the list’s top five 13 out of the last 14 years.
Pollution, habitat loss, logging and changing ocean conditions due to global warming are among the likely reasons for the decline, according to DFO.
Shrimp trawl boats would accidentally catch large numbers of eulachon as an unintended by-catch.
“They would jettison them overboard literally by the tonne,” Crey said.
Everything from river dredging to the bark scrapings from log booms to the increased industrialization and urbanization of the region has played a role, he said. “You have to be utterly blind not to see the changes that are occurring along the river.”
Crey sees the declining eulachon as akin to a canary in the coal mine, signalling the river’s overall health is in danger.
“In my mind this represents the triumph of industrial values over environmental values,” he said.
Politicians at all levels talk about the river’s importance to the region’s economy, he said, but do little to safeguard its ecology.
“Some folks think making a buck is more important than saving a species of fish,” Crey said. “To these types, saving eulachon is about as important as saving a cloud of mosquitoes.”
http://www.tricitynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=74&cat=23&id=614489&more=
To bring this back on topic I read but cannot find right now that there was (because now there are so few eulachons) a significant bycatch in the herring fishery of eulachons so it is no wonder that overfishing the Herring have also contibuted to the low numbers of Eulachons. I found it interesting to read how the Seals and Sea Lions would go upriver and gorge durring the spawn, as opposed to now just waiting for sporty to hook a salmon for their lunch because they want to eat. It is such a friggin mess that there is probably no wat to fix it but I did notice there i9s a lot of spin onto climate change being a factor but its just a cop out of the true causes. I thing Crey's last comment pretty well sums it up.
fish4all
Well-Known Member
---- a bit more------
Decline of the eulachon: Are candlefish getting snuffed out?
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Mar 24 2006
Fears are rising for the health of the Fraser River as a the number of a small, oily fish that once swam upstream in abundance at this time of year dwindles toward extinction.
The eulachon, a smelt-like fish so high in oil content you can dry it, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle, has been added to a federal list to assess for possible endangered species status.
“For the last 15 years, they’ve been dropping right off,” says Jimmy Adams, a Katzie First Nation band member who has been fishing for nearly 50 years.
Adams said he didn’t even try to catch eulachon last year and two years ago he got just a few hundred pounds – barely enough for band elders to smoke and keep an ancient tradition alive.
A federal fisheries survey of last year’s eulachon spawn found the estimated number of eggs and larvae deposited in the Fraser hit a new all-time low – just a tenth of what biologists had set as an alarm point for fishing closures. The report recommends there be no commercial fishery again this year.
That’s small comfort to aboriginal people who have seen the population of a fish critically important to their culture severely depleted.
Ernie Crey, the Sto:lo Tribal Council’s senior policy advisor, says close to a century ago, his people would send a lookout to the top of Chilliwack Mountain to see downstream in early spring. “They described two long silver bands on either side of the Fraser River stretching out for miles downstream,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds of millions of fish.”
Back then, the eulachon, alternately “oolichan” or “hooligan,” were also called swewi or “saviour fish” by the Sto:lo.
“In a year of hardship we always knew the eulachon would show up in the spring by the millions to feed us,” Crey explained, noting the fish helped natives survive until salmon arrived later in the year.
Aboriginal people across coastal B.C. tell similar stories.
Besides eating eulachon fresh, dried or smoked, many would render the fish down for their oil. The resulting grease, used as a butter-like condiment, was an important commodity – it’s why aboriginal trade routes were called “grease trails.”
And it’s not just people who depend on the “candlefish.”
Big eulachon runs on healthy north coast river systems are chased upriver by hordes of seagulls, eagles, seals and sea lions.
Up until about 10 years ago, Crey said, that kind of evidence could still be seen in the Fraser near Coquitlam.
“There used to be huge colonies of sea lions and seals sunning themselves on the log booms there,” he said. “The reason they were there is they were following the eulachon up the river. You rarely see that any more.”
The Fraser placed third on the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.’s just-released annual endangered rivers list. Urbanization, industrial pollution, sewage, agricultural impacts and logging in the headwaters are ongoing threats, it said. The river has been in the list’s top five 13 out of the last 14 years.
Pollution, habitat loss, logging and changing ocean conditions due to global warming are among the likely reasons for the decline, according to DFO.
Shrimp trawl boats would accidentally catch large numbers of eulachon as an unintended by-catch.
“They would jettison them overboard literally by the tonne,” Crey said.
Everything from river dredging to the bark scrapings from log booms to the increased industrialization and urbanization of the region has played a role, he said. “You have to be utterly blind not to see the changes that are occurring along the river.”
Crey sees the declining eulachon as akin to a canary in the coal mine, signalling the river’s overall health is in danger.
“In my mind this represents the triumph of industrial values over environmental values,” he said.
Politicians at all levels talk about the river’s importance to the region’s economy, he said, but do little to safeguard its ecology.
“Some folks think making a buck is more important than saving a species of fish,” Crey said. “To these types, saving eulachon is about as important as saving a cloud of mosquitoes.”
http://www.tricitynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=74&cat=23&id=614489&more=
Logged
To bring this back on topic I read but cannot find right now that there was (because now there are so few eulachons) a significant bycatch in the herring fishery of eulachons so it is no wonder that overfishing the Herring have also contibuted to the low numbers of Eulachons. I found it interesting to read how the Seals and Sea Lions would go upriver and gorge durring the spawn, as opposed to now just waiting for sporty to hook a salmon for their lunch because they want to eat. It is such a friggin mess that there is probably no wat to fix it but I did notice there i9s a lot of spin onto climate change being a factor but its just a cop out of the true causes. I thing Crey's last comment pretty well sums it up.
Firstly according to science herring has not been overfished. Second I look forward to seeing the information that eulachons were a significant bycatch in the herring fishery. I have heard in the shrimp trawl fishery it has been a factor but personally (not to say it never happened) I have not seen or witnessed a significant bycatch of anything in the herring fishery during the last 34 years I have participated.
fogged in
Well-Known Member
“Firstly according to science herring have not been overfished”
"not been overfished" ...based on what and whose standards?
Can you explain why Herring once in abundance in areas I am totally familiar with like Active Pass, Saanich Inlet, the Gorge in Victoria Harbour AND
MANY other places are now in such a huge decline?
Herring were plentiful for years and years in these areas and many others and were key in the feeding patterns of Chinook in particular.
We used to rake herring off Oak Bay and use them for bait. Do you know anyone anywhere who still has a Herring Rake and uses it?
The only area in B.C. open for the Commercial Herring Harvest has been in serious decline and quota was not reached even with an extended opening last year.
I believe this years herring quote will be the smallest ever for the overall B.C. Herring fishery!
I suspect next year it will not improve!
If the "Science" was accurate, it would allow for a stable fishery with not big drops like the one being faced this season.
The examples of DFO mismanagement in Canada are mind boggling.
The next big DFO management disaster could well be allowing the Commercial Krill fishery to continue.
I believe Krill is pretty much at the base of the food chain for all life in our ocean.
But not to worry ….DFO allow it because their “science” says it’s ok????
"not been overfished" ...based on what and whose standards?
Can you explain why Herring once in abundance in areas I am totally familiar with like Active Pass, Saanich Inlet, the Gorge in Victoria Harbour AND
MANY other places are now in such a huge decline?
Herring were plentiful for years and years in these areas and many others and were key in the feeding patterns of Chinook in particular.
We used to rake herring off Oak Bay and use them for bait. Do you know anyone anywhere who still has a Herring Rake and uses it?
The only area in B.C. open for the Commercial Herring Harvest has been in serious decline and quota was not reached even with an extended opening last year.
I believe this years herring quote will be the smallest ever for the overall B.C. Herring fishery!
I suspect next year it will not improve!
If the "Science" was accurate, it would allow for a stable fishery with not big drops like the one being faced this season.
The examples of DFO mismanagement in Canada are mind boggling.
The next big DFO management disaster could well be allowing the Commercial Krill fishery to continue.
I believe Krill is pretty much at the base of the food chain for all life in our ocean.
But not to worry ….DFO allow it because their “science” says it’s ok????
Similar threads
