Upset about the Chinook Closures? What to do next?

[wildmanyeah]

"“Last year, I had literally no fish at all,” he says, citing short supply and high prices.

In the past, his stepbrother and nephew have given him fish to smoke through the winter. Last year, two friends sold him fish at a lower price.

“Because they’re such good friends, they took a loss on their sales,” he said. “They knew how much I relied on it and needed it… They are literally life savers.”"

So despite Lower fraser First nations harvesting 400,000 sockeye for FSC he did not receive any for his smokehouse? because they ended up on the market because
prices were high? is that what he is saying? Where did the 30 thousand chinook, 40 thousand coho and 75 thousand chum end up? Perhaps he's better off having a conversation with his chief then DFO.

 

[Whitebuck]

Only 24 springs netted by almost mid June...LOFL
Sounds about as accurate as a DFO forecast.

 

[walleyes]

Uhhh it’s just not worth it anymore.

This site has sure been depressing lately, understandably so but still.

 

[chevy guy]

Hasn't the Supreme court of Canada already ruled on this a few years ago?
The sad fact is basically every native has the right to fish and hunt anywhere anyplace anytime with no rules. Now they are also allowed to sell. Every native is now a commercial fisherman.
Sorry for the negativity but I see NO hope for our salmon.

 

[Aces]

Hasn't the Supreme court of Canada already ruled on this a few years ago?
The sad fact is basically every native has the right to fish and hunt anywhere anyplace anytime with no rules. Now they are also allowed to sell. Every native is now a commercial fisherman.
Sorry for the negativity but I see NO hope for our salmon.

Yes, the horses are already out of the barn

 

[wildmanyeah]

Perhaps the Sports industry need to take similar action as it seems to be the only way to get the answers of why some DFO decisions are made. What is obvious as DFO secretly makes deals in season with First Nations and then proceed to spin it differently to the public.


Independent Gillnet Fishermen’s Defence Association
June 2019 Newsletter

Because of your support we were able to proceed with legal action questioning the DFO on why they closed and refused to re-open the Area E commercial gillnet fishery for Sockeye after August 22 in 2018.
We took the DFO to court in March. This was only discovery and not a trial but we were able to present our evidence and were able to cross examine DFO. Mike Forrest and Kit Taggard took the stand on our behalf. Our counsel, Chris Harvey, was able to cross examine Jenifer Nener, DFO Director of Salmon Management.
The Discovery exposed what was really going on inside DFO around the time we were shut down. We found out that the E. O. (First Nations Economic Opportunity) agreements were not completed until August 20. Thus, the rush on DFO to get them into the water despite already ongoing native fisheries. EO fisheries have the same priorities as ours and any other commercial fishery. In the end the EO fishery exceeded its allocation.
DFO knew preseason it was is going to be difficult for Area E to achieve its allocation with the September out of the water date. DFO associates Area E with Area 29 in river fishing only and doesn’t consider other areas of the Gulf including Areas 16 & 17 as part of our traditional fishing area. There was no in season consultation with our Area E Harvest Committee on how to harvest our allocation of late Sockeye and any Area D transferred uncaught allocation. It appears that the fix was in from the beginning for Area B seine to grab our fish.
With the help of Chris Harvey, we have drafted and are presenting DFO with a list of recommendations to resolve our dispute, that includes the following:
1. The EO Fishery has matured into a full-scale commercial fishery with the same priority as all other commercial fisheries. The rules and regulations for catching power, safety and bycatch needs to be same.
2. To ensure that Area E achieve its allocation DFO needs to:
• Front end load Area E as allocation overages of summer run stocks are offset with an allocation shortfall of late stocks
• Consider allowing Area E Gulf fisheries, including traditional areas including Area 16 & 17.

Thank you to all who supported us in our efforts to make DFO accountable in their management of the Area E sockeye fishery last year. While we don’t have any further court action planned at this time, it is the intent of the Board of Directors I.G.F.D.A. to continue on being a watch dog to ensure the DFO doesn’t continue to screw the commercial gillnet fleet .

 

[Ringo]

DFO has clearly defined their position to stocks management and we’ Unlikely going to see a full opening of 1 Chinook/ day on August 1st.
We have 2 weeks to organize ourselves and show to the public that:
1- DFO’s decisions are politically driven and have no backing of science and proven conservation methods
2 FN is now setting the Salmon management policies for other sectors while they have no legal authority or scientific qualifications for that
3- Rec and com sectors are caught in the middle of this political bargaining game between the feds and FNs when the Chinook salmon stocks are in good shape and there’s no conservation concern with retaining hatchery fish - Slot limit doesn’t play any role if conservation is a concern

Back room negotiations with these puppets have only resulted in more restrictions.
SFI and the board should take the lead to set some protest and organize media campaigns. We should all support their lead.

Don’t count on these clowns not being re-elected in October. Unfortunately Ontario and Quebec define our faith and they simply don’t care about the Pacific Salmon.
If we want a change in this nonsense, we should define and take our own fight. DFO has completely lost it from what I can see.

 

[cohochinook]

DFO has clearly defined their position to stocks management and we’ Unlikely going to see a full opening of 1 Chinook/ day on August 1st.
We have 2 weeks to organize ourselves and show to the public that:
1- DFO’s decisions are politically driven and have no backing of science and proven conservation methods
2 FN is now setting the Salmon management policies for other sectors while they have no legal authority or scientific qualifications for that
3- Rec and com sectors are caught in the middle of this political bargaining game between the feds and FNs when the Chinook salmon stocks are in good shape and there’s no conservation concern with retaining hatchery fish - Slot limit doesn’t play any role if conservation is a concern

Back room negotiations with these puppets have only resulted in more restrictions.
SFI and the board should take the lead to set some protest and organize media campaigns. We should all support their lead.

Don’t count on these clowns not being re-elected in October. Unfortunately Ontario and Quebec define our faith and they simply don’t care about the Pacific Salmon.
If we want a change in this nonsense, we should define and take our own fight. DFO has completely lost it from what I can see.

That pretty much sums it up. Well said and we need to get going! Go to Protest in Victoria, write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper. Call your MP or MLA.

 

[cohochinook]

This is how the extended fishing restrictions are being portrayed in the main stream media:

https://vancouversun.com/news/local...threatened-by-fraser-river-rock-slide-experts

"Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said his group fully supports a call from the Fraser Salmon Management Council to immediately stop all recreational and commercial Fraser River salmon fisheries."

Get out to the Protest on Monday in Victoria!