By now you may have had a chance to review our post from yesterday re: the proposed chinook management plans presented by the Sport Fish Advisory Board to DFO for consideration – if you haven’t check out the link here!
https://mcusercontent.com/…/April_9th_FINAL_SFAB_2020_2021_…
We urge you to consider writing a letter to DFO and elected officials to express the importance of access and opportunity for you! Not sure what to write? Check out some tips from our friends Pacific Angler on what you might want to consider including in your letter.
Points to mention:
•You support the proposed Chinook Retention Proposals, be specific about your area in your response.
•You expect science-based management decisions that respect all Canadian’s rights to access water and associated stocks of non-concern.
•You spend a lot of money on your boat, moorage, gas, supplies and you support the local economy in doing so.
•You should have the right to harvest chinook stocks that are healthy, especially if stocks of concern are not encountered.
•You expect DFO to vigorously pursue real solutions to save endangered chinook stocks
-increasing patrols to remove illegal gill nets in the
Fraser River
-emergency hatchery production
-restoration of habitat
-removal of select seals that are devastating out
migrating chinook smolts
•Canada only clips 10% of our chinook and you support the mass marking of all hatchery chinook and quickly.
•If we clipped all of our chinook the science shows the mark rate in our local waters in April, May, June would be in excess of 50% and you support a hatchery retention fishery (marked selective fishery) in these months instead of a blanket closure.
•Remind them you are a taxpayer and a voter, you are not going away, this issue is not going away, and you will vote accordingly in the next election.
Send your letter to Fisheries Minister Jordan and the DFO Pacific Salmon Team
Minister Jordan:
min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
DFO’s Pacific Salmon Team:
DFO.PacificSalmonRMT-EGRSaumonduPacifique.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Rebecca Reid, DFO Regional Director General:
rebecca.reid@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Andrew Thomson, DFO Regional Director:
andrew.thomson@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Terri Bonnet, DFO Area Director, Fraser & Interior:
terri.bonnet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dean Allan, Resource Management Program Co-ordinator:
dean.allan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Jeff Grout, DFO Regional Resource Manager:
jeff.grout@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Sport Fishing Institute of BC:
info@sportfishing.bc.ca
Also consider sending to Fisheries Critics:
NDP: Gord Johns:
gord.johns@parl.gc.ca
Conservative: Mel Arnold:
Mel.arnold@parl.gc.ca
DFO is accepting feedback on these proposals now. We need letters of support by Monday, April 20th at midnight.
Remember - It doesn’t have to be long, one paragraph will do. I know you wrote letters last year, and we need you to do it again. This consistent pressure is the only means to change. We can’t do it without your letters. Let’s get our public fishery back! It is only through public pressure that DFO will adopt these proposals and transition into mass marking of all hatchery produced chinook.