This is “not” a “new” issue! The Fraser Chinook runs have been declining/decreasing and under study for years, especially the “early” runs!
This “SHOULD NOT” be about the “allocation” of a stock that is on the verge of and about to become extinct – the “early” runs! The “numbers” that keep being thrown around… actually mean “NOTHING”! Let’s assume the entire fishery is shut down and as a result only one (1) head was turned-in, caught in area 20? The numbers would then look like this:
1. Fraser First Nations - .0%
2. Nicola Mouth Sport – .0%
3. Georgia Strait - .0%
4. USA - .0%
5. Fraser River Sport - .0%
6. Juan de Fuca area 19/20 – 100.%
7. NBC Troll - .0%
8. Albion Test Fishery - .0%
Now area 20 just caught 100%? Hmmm, so what do those numbers really mean?
Take this into consideration:
“Migration characteristics of these stocks do not coincide with periods of heavy fishing activity throughout most of their migratory route. These stocks are usually not affected by adverse weather conditions (high water, high water temperature) but have been found to display low productivity. Review of recent data suggests that the First Nation fishery in the lower Fraser River exerts the highest harvest rate on these early timed Chinook stocks. “ (Bailey et al. CSAS 2001/134)
“Fraser River chinook migrating along northern (Johnstone Strait) and southern (Juan de Fuca Strait) approach routes to the Fraser River are harvested in a number of fisheries. These fish are taken as by-catch in sockeye net fisheries (seine and gillnet) in Johnstone Strait, Juan de Fuca Strait, Fraser River and Alaska. In addition, there are directed fisheries for chinook by WCVI, North Coast and Alaska troll fisheries.
The principal U.S. fisheries harvesting Fraser River chinook are the net fisheries in Juan de Fuca Strait, the San Juan Islands area, and off Point Roberts. The Fraser chinook catch taken in Southeast Alaska is unknown but thought to be smaller.
Chinook are also harvested in Aboriginal food fisheries and recreational fisheries throughout the Fraser watershed.
Once sockeye enter the Fraser River, management actions are driven by considerations for those stocks and chinook are taken as by-catch. Conservation concerns for steelhead and coho salmon have resulted in net fisheries being curtailed from early September to mid October in recent years.
Stock ID information indicates that those fish entering the river from February to July 15 are bound for tributary systems in the lower Thompson basin, the middle and upper Fraser basins, as well as the Birkenhead River in the Harrison River system. These stocks are understood to have a low productivity and individual stocks range in size from 100 to > 10,000 spawners.
Pre-season consultations with Lower Fraser First Nations resulted in an agreed to fishing regime that was designed to reduce the impacts on the earliest timed chinook stocks. This was accomplished by reductions in fishing times from those set the previous year for Lower Fraser First Nations.”
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/2006FrasRvrChkInformDocument.pdf
Concerning DFO’s comments about the “Fraser chinook catch taken in Southeast Alaska is unknown but thought to be smaller”. I guess they didn’t have internet access in 2006 as the following was published:
http://www.genetics.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/publish/posters/chinook_migration_03.pdf
Lower Fraser River, Fraser River Thompson River , Mid and Upper Fraser – was very much part of the SEAK reduction?
First Nation catch records of Chinook from 2004 through 2009 are as follows:
Dec 27, 2009 = 28,202 – Jun 28 = 6,562
Dec 28, 2008 = 21,283 – Jun 29 = 6.265
Dec 16, 2007 = 17,216 – Jun 24 = 3210
Dec 31, 2006 = 18,003 – Jun 25 = 6,951
Dec 04, 2005 = 22,843 –Jun 25 = 7,275
Dec 12, 2004 = 34,535 – Jun 27 = 15,525
Those numbers in “JUNE” are very much “early” return Chinook - Numbers can be manipulated anyway you want, but “If” this was truly about “CONSERVATION” – shut it down to “ALL”! But, don't get caught in the "polical" "allocation" of a stock to extinction!
Guess I am starting “shi!t”, again?
