Port alberni Inlet massacre

[Teal]

Steelhead Reported Catch by Group (Preliminary)


Please Note: First Nations refers to 7 Nations including Tseshaht, Hupacasath and, Maanulth Treaty Nations.


Fishing Season - June 30 to Oct 5, 2020


First Nations - 45 Steelhead kept

Tseshaht Hupacasath – 35 days fished

(29 days gillnetting and 6 drag seine days)


Area D gillnet – 24 Steelhead (released)

6 days fished

Area B Seine – 3 Steelhead pcs (released)

6 days fished


Total reported encounters – 72 Steelhead


Steelhead Escapement to Somass River - 897 pcs

 

[fish4all]

You know how when you leave Costco you need to show them your reciept. Why not have actual monitors on the FN and Commercial vessels to count by-catch and get an accurate number.

Right after you find a way to count the actual sports catch.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Right after you find a way to count the actual sports catch.

it’s pretty simple to have catch cards and submitt them and yo fund it though license sales.

dfo incompetence is what it is tho

 

[RBL]

So they had 128,000 Chinook return and 35,000 up the river. As long as they can keep that many fish returning it’s pretty hard to get upset. I thought the fishing was pretty good this year. There’s definitely been a lot worse. As longs as they can keep it at 100,000 + it’s going to be great fishery

 

[trophywife]

So they had 128,000 Chinook return and 35,000 up the river. As long as they can keep that many fish returning it’s pretty hard to get upset. I thought the fishing was pretty good this year. There’s definitely been a lot worse. As longs as they can keep it at 100,000 + it’s going to be great fishery

it wasnt a bad year. the bite turned off almost totally though after the long weekend chinook wise.. the timing of the commercial fishery in the inlet is what upsets most..

 

[PurgedTT]

What do they do with the surplus fish returning, do they still take the eggs/milt or is 21,000 cap based on amount the hatchery can handle or more on funding?

 

[searun]

The escapement goal is 21,000, but realistically its all about managing to get the hatchery their viable egg count with production goal of 6.5 million smolts as a release target. The actual number of adults required is more about ensuring there are sufficient large fecund females to supply the egg requirement. Any escapement beyond the hatchery production is a bonus, but in reality the wild or natural production is very low. If not for the hatchery, production of returning adults would be very small as compared to that experienced today. The historic pre-hatchery return was a fraction of what we see today. I tried doing some quick research to get a sense of the reported historic returns and found very few reliable sources. The numbers I saw never exceeded +/- 30,000 fish. I'm sure there are other folks more inclined to spend more energy researching the historic run trends and populations pre-dating enhancement efforts.

 

[onefish]

What do they do with the surplus fish returning, do they still take the eggs/milt or is 21,000 cap based on amount the hatchery can handle or more on funding?

When I did some volunteer work at the hatchery many years ago, the excess were loaded into totes. Not sure if they went to FN or somebody had the contract for them. I can tell you they were damn near black at this point. Not a very appetizing food product, maybe cat food or fertilizer or something like that.
Not sure if they still do the same thing. Maybe somebody has more recent first hand knowledge.

 

[terrin]

Right after you find a way to count the actual sports catch.

The monitors of FN and Commie I was suggesting was for bycatch ( i.e. steelhead). How many Steelhead do you actually think Sporties get as by-catch.

 

[TheDude]

The monitors of FN and Commie I was suggesting was for bycatch ( i.e. steelhead). How many Steelhead do you actually think Sporties get as by-catch.

I've gotten 2 this year. Many more if you count smolts. I wonder how many smolts get their heads nearly ripped off when they try to grab natural and artificial egg presentations from guys that use big gnarly 3/0 hooks. Def saw a fair share of dead moldy smolts washing up on the gravel bar at Somass Park this year... I would have to guess that they went for roe or a bead and got brained instantly.

 

[Derby]

I believe the question is related to the saltwater bye catch which over all is very little to none... as for the river different fishery all together

 

[TheDude]

I believe the question is related to the saltwater bye catch which over all is very little to none... as for the river different fishery all together

Ahh fair enough, theres been a lot of talk about salt and freshwater sporties in this thread and I tend to associate sport fishing with river fishing as I am a #noboat river bum. Do people even catch steelhead when sportfishing on the saltwater? (Im sure it happens but it must be RARE)

 

[Derby]

It does happen time to time but its a on the rare side I would say...