Washington State Bans Whale Watching of SRKW

[SpringVelocity]

I dont see the ww being able to "blame" sportsfishers for the restrictions. They can see the writing on the wall with SRKW and are desperate to avoid closure areas. They can operate their businesses fine watching transients, NRKW, humpbacks and Grays. Securing access to those in all areas is their goal, or should be. I doubt they will get into calling for reductions in sport takes of chinook in retaliation.

Exactly.

 

[searun]

I dont see the ww being able to "blame" sportsfishers for the restrictions. They can see the writing on the wall with SRKW and are desperate to avoid closure areas. They can operate their businesses fine watching transients, NRKW, humpbacks and Grays. Securing access to those in all areas is their goal, or should be. I doubt they will get into calling for reductions in sport takes of chinook in retaliation.

100% agree, and that is the way their letter to the RDG read from my perspective. It was fairly apparent in our discussions with them a few weeks ago that they were caught off guard thinking the only restrictions that would be faced were those impacting the rec fishery. In fact they commented that they thought our effort to organize a media event was premature - "why are you guys lighting your hair on fire, nothing is going to happen?" It was business as usual for them until they started seeing the WA State recommendations. Their response was to hire a lobbyist in WA to try to get those recommendations changed - when that didn't work is when they shifted focus toward looking more closely to align to an Avoidance Zone approach.

Regardless of how the WW got there, it now appears we are all in the same sandbox and perhaps the focus from herein will be to explore science-based Avoidance Zone strategies that protect whales, while also allowing responsible access. I think that from a recreational perspective we want to see every marine based stakeholder have responsible access to safely share the water with whales - and that means taking the time to work with science to find workable alternatives. To that end, I now hope the WW and Rec community can start a renewed focus working closely with the science community to develop workable Avoidance Zone measures.

 

[profisher]

You guys don't get it. There will be another fight coming up and that is access to fish. Right now we can all travel through the closed areas at 100 mph if we can and want to. So we both agree to a 400M bubble and they do too...a bit of a big deal for them not so much for us. Now the next fight in the spring is can we fish, where, when and how many? Not a big deal at all for them but a huge one for us. What advice will they be giving DFO now? Don't expect them to be sympathetic to our needs.

 

[profisher]

Searun, If the WW's pen a letter to the Fisheries Minister recommending that all fishing groups should be releasing any Chinook salmon over 85cm year round and coast wide to provide more of the preferred food to the SRKW would you agree with them? Understanding that this would not shut us down and might effect only 5 % of of our last decade catches based on few larger fish being caught and would benefit these whales. I'm not for this but just curious how you would answer given you expect others to do their part to help the whales and to avoid more area closures.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Searun, If the WW's pen a letter to the Fisheries Minister recommending that all fishing groups should be releasing any Chinook salmon over 85cm year round and coast wide to provide more of the preferred food to the SRKW would you agree with them? Understanding that this would not shut us down and might effect only 5 % of of our last decade catches based on few larger fish being caught and would benefit these whales. I'm not for this but just curious how you would answer given you expect others to do their part to help the whales and to avoid more area closures.

I think many areas would rather have that then go down to 1 chinook daily....Also I think it would have decent support among sports fishermen....

But that's the problem with sports fishermen were all too eager to conserve and shoot ourselves in the foot.

With the 15% reduction in PST were faced with, Possible also having to create a corridor for some fraser stocks...A measure like that is probably pretty likely.

 

[fogged in]

I think many areas would rather have that then go down to 1 chinook daily....Also I think it would have decent support among sports fishermen....

What do you think the sport guys who travel west to places like Renfrew, Banfield and Nootka for two or three day trips will do if they can only retain one Chinook a day with a two day limit.

 

[wildmanyeah]

What do you think the sport guys who travel west to places like Renfrew, Banfield and Nootka for two or three day trips will do if they can only retain one Chinook a day with a two day limit.

mark down that they caught them in victoria

 

[SpringVelocity]

mark down that they caught them in victoria

How can you mark down zero?

 

[searun]

You guys don't get it. There will be another fight coming up and that is access to fish. Right now we can all travel through the closed areas at 100 mph if we can and want to. So we both agree to a 400M bubble and they do too...a bit of a big deal for them not so much for us. Now the next fight in the spring is can we fish, where, when and how many? Not a big deal at all for them but a huge one for us. What advice will they be giving DFO now? Don't expect them to be sympathetic to our needs.

Oh we get it, I would suggest that the focus now has to be to work toward management measures that protect whales, while finding a way to allow responsible access to CH areas for marine operators.

You are correct in that there will be a new suite of measures aimed at addressing prey availability of Chinook stocks of importance to SRKW. That will mean that the Rec sector will be asked to restrict fisheries that intercept those specific fish. What we will rely upon in developing those strategies is the run timing data that comes from log books, dna sampling, cwt sampling etc. For those areas that did not historically provide data for a variety of short-sighted reasons, we will only be able to use what limited data is available.

So I would agree we will see restrictions. Those won't come from WW groups lobbying against us, they will come from an analysis of the data via the Technical Working Groups. Fraser stocks being the most significant risk factor for the Rec fishery in terms of restrictions, followed by Puget Sound Chinook. Couple that with the Pacific Salmon Treaty and a 12.5% reduction requirement, and that means there WILL be changes coming - status quo isn't an option. So don't go blaming that on an Avoidance Zone approach - its coming as a result of other reasons.

 

[profisher]

I believe you because DFO always does what their science tells them. They have never bent from pressure asserted by financially strong groups with a large populous following or by those with constitutional rights supporting them. With the exception of halibut which they allow us to catch our TAC the way we want the rest of the DFO agenda is mostly politically motivated. And we are never smart enough to win that battle. (not that it is right to have politics involved...but as that is how it works for now..we need to play the game better) We are being (politically) managed to zero. Fishing restrictions have not and will not fix the problems facing whales and Chinook. An I agree status quo won't do...but that is exactly what is happening...more of the same annual restrictions. Its insane...it will repeat again next year and the year after until we hit ZERO!

 

[Derby]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...-of-killer-whales-was-taken-from-puget-sound/

 

[searun]

Pretty sick to see how killer whales were treated, and also enlightening as to one of the reasons this population of SRKW are in so much trouble today. The removals have set in motion a demographic nightmare for this small group of whales.

 

[Derby]

I would like your comments.. but sadly its so true..we maybe not here today for that reason sadly.. a lot of animals removed

 

[profisher]

By someone from our sector. Not blaming because it was from ignorance at the time as to how few there were to begin with.

 

[Derby]

hahah always pointing fingers eh... in the end its not who carried out it..why was it even allowed......

 

[profisher]

It does say something about human nature in all of us...if its allowed we will do it. If DFO allowed fishing until the last fish was gone, we would be out there fishing. Species don't go extinct because humans voluntarily stop harvesting them. We have to be told to stop.

 

[Fishmyster]

IT STARTS WITH DFO. Then the people, all the people who participate in the act of fishing and harvesting MUST decide - what's more important the short term satisfaction & wealth of the monetized harvest or the long term goal of sustainable abundance directed through partnerships of beneficial means and development of obtainable strategies that put FISH FIRST. This includes nature and all the sea life. Man is the destroyer of all GOD's(Creator's) wealth. That is real and totally evolves from individual choice and level of greed.

In your opinion who is the greediest of all? The people who catch fish for food and pleasure, the people who take others fishing for a living or the people who continue to sell tackle and gear to these destructive fishermen for a living???

 

[Fishmyster]

please answer the questions.

 

[Whitebuck]

Rob, that is awesome that you made those choices. It would be great if the other commercial and FN groups followed your ideology for fish first!
Unfortunetly if DFO allows comm, FN food or economical or sports guys to catch the last salmon it will happen!
DFO mismanagement got us into this mess and they should be completely catching the blame for what is happening to our fisheries!

 

[Fishmyster]

Rob, I am changing careers to role with the future fisheries outlook. Although you aren't harvesting fish yourself do you plan on continuing to sell fishing equipment to all the greedy fishermen who you claim are over harvesting the oceans and rivers???