25 years ago we had:

[Discus]

June Hog are gone :-(

 

[Englishman]

I called the Victoria DFO office and they promptly sent over all the commercial catch data from 1951 to 1995. It is in millions of pounds for all salmon species and includes halibut and later on hereing, cod etc. I'll go through it all and post the pertinent info in a short form.

Up to 1995 only??! Why no data for the last 22 years, which might be even more enlightening.......

 

[profisher]

I don't think there was anywhere near the commercial openings in recent times so would be hard to compare to the more free for all days. It will take me a bit of time to go through the pages of annual data and put the annual poundage totals onto a single page. I will also provide the link to al the data for anyone who is interested in going through it all.

 

[profisher]

Well here is some of the data. It is taking some time as DFO changed their weight measurements at least times during the span I have on record....from hundreds of thousands of pounds to CWT to metric tonnes. So it is taking some time to standardize them all to pounds for continuity. Here is 1951 to 1970. 1970 to 1995 will come quicker as I have them writen down, just have to convert.

Commercial Catch In Pounds


Chinook (all) Coho Sockeye Steelhead

1951 11,657,200 32,210,600 29,815,500 408,200

1952 12,870,400 19,608,300 30,866,700 508,600

1953 14,071,700 21,104,900 35,337,100 463,200

1954 12,207,400 18,928,400 47,001,200 561,900

1955 11,306,600 21,534,500 16,543,000 242,200

1956 12,209,300 23,216,800 21,497,400 229,000

1957 11,170,700 20,611,200 15,719,500 163,700

1958 12,849,100 22,356,000 74,010,900 436,800

1959 12,214,200 17,823,400 18,017,000 125,200

1960 9,365,300 12,846,300 15,470,000 245,100

1961 8,198,900 22,507,000 26,595,500 204,200

1962 8,184,400 20,077,200 24,146,000 239,800

1963 9,141,900 23,071,500 11,852,400 145,100

1964 12,100,200 28,588,200 22,922,300 234,700

1965 11,355,700 33,157,000 16,203,000 1234,300

1966 9,729,051 35,030,400 25,633,300 306,400

1967 13,788,500 20,398,500 36,813,700 254,400

1968 13,611,200 29,994,100 41,206,500 220,800

1969 12,598,800 15,710,400 23,976,600 141,700

1970 12,982,600 25,497,800 24,789,500 125,000

 

[profisher]

Hmm, I did a lot of work to space all those numbers out in columns and when you paste to here it all goes for s$%t.

 

[chris73]

Wow, those numbers are staggering! No wonder we are where we are. Every safety factor that nature had built into these stock was taken out and the critical biomass then hammered to a mere bunch. Our fathers generation should be ashamed of their short-sightedness!

 

[california]

What stands out to me is the consistency of the catch. You would have thought with that kind of harvest that the numbers would fall. For example the Chinook take is pretty steady at a low of 8.2 Million lbs('61) to a high of 14 million ('53) but even in 1970 it was 13 million. This data spanned 4- 5 generations of chinook, and even with this level there was enough escapement and survival to harvest it again and again on all brood years. only steelhead really seems to be falling quickly. This was pre-SEP in Canada as well, only wild fish, no hatcheries in Canadian rivers. The heyday of the Columbia hatchery program was the 60s and 70s where early success of the hatcheries boosted runs before the hatchery productivity dropped substantially and never recovered, so the last half of these numbers reflect those "good times" . But that abundance probably contributed to over harvest of Canadian stocks. It certainly begs the question was a SEP and the massive building of hatcheries really necessary, in the late 70s, or was all that was needed was some reduction in harvest, especially in terminal fisheries on the large systems like the Fraser and Skeena. This seems to point that there wasn't a lack of fish, there was a lack of responsible management.

 

[ziggy]

25 years ago we had about 2 billion less people on this planet. If I'm reading the chart right we have gone from around 5.5 billion to 7.5 billion, pretty scary!

 

[profisher]

I will try and post the balance to 1995 tonight..yes steelhead numbers really drop and I think that continues in the next batch. I find it surprising that often Coho catches exceed or equal sockeye. Many will find the other data on herring, halibut, cod etc interesting but will just post the link so you can go over it yourself. In more recent years the data I'm providing is also broken down by gear type...I've just combined them for a overall season total.

 

[GLG]

Well here is some of the data. It is taking some time as DFO changed their weight measurements at least times during the span I have on record....from hundreds of thousands of pounds to CWT to metric tonnes. So it is taking some time to standardize them all to pounds for continuity. Here is 1951 to 1970. 1970 to 1995 will come quicker as I have them writen down, just have to convert.

Commercial Catch In Pounds


Chinook (all) Coho Sockeye Steelhead

1951 11,657,200 32,210,600 29,815,500 408,200

1952 12,870,400 19,608,300 30,866,700 508,600

1953 14,071,700 21,104,900 35,337,100 463,200

1954 12,207,400 18,928,400 47,001,200 561,900

1955 11,306,600 21,534,500 16,543,000 242,200

1956 12,209,300 23,216,800 21,497,400 229,000

1957 11,170,700 20,611,200 15,719,500 163,700

1958 12,849,100 22,356,000 74,010,900 436,800

1959 12,214,200 17,823,400 18,017,000 125,200

1960 9,365,300 12,846,300 15,470,000 245,100

1961 8,198,900 22,507,000 26,595,500 204,200

1962 8,184,400 20,077,200 24,146,000 239,800

1963 9,141,900 23,071,500 11,852,400 145,100

1964 12,100,200 28,588,200 22,922,300 234,700

1965 11,355,700 33,157,000 16,203,000 1234,300

1966 9,729,051 35,030,400 25,633,300 306,400

1967 13,788,500 20,398,500 36,813,700 254,400

1968 13,611,200 29,994,100 41,206,500 220,800

1969 12,598,800 15,710,400 23,976,600 141,700

1970 12,982,600 25,497,800 24,789,500 125,000

Your 1965 steelhead number looks wrong. Out by a million maybe?

 

[wildmanyeah]

Thanks Profisher because charts are cool too!

 

[wildmanyeah]

would be interesting to see how many pounds was caught in 2014? This is just sockeye for the Fraser River by fish. wonder what it is in pounds?

 

[Derby]

Did SEP have another meaning?... Seal enhancement program

 

[Ringo]

Did SEP have another meaning?... Seal enhancement program

Salmon Extinction Proliferation

 

[profisher]

Yes, the 1965 number for steelhead should be 234,300

 

[profisher]

Wild...you could just use 6 pounds as the average and multiply the fish numbers to give you something in the ballpark.

 

[profisher]

Here is from 1971 to 1995...notice how Steelhead continue to drop off and how sockeye numbers go through the roof (makes me think they took way to many too long and is why they disappeared) Chinook numbers go in decline in the last couple of years of stats too.
Commercial Catch in Pounds


Chinook (all) Coho Sockeye Steelhead

1971 16,307,500 26,859,800 37,564,600 176,800

1972 16,158,600 20,844,000 20,943,000 179,600

1973 14,755,000 22,470,000 47,303,000 124,000

1974 14,816,000 20,545,000 46,906,000 108,000

1975 14,189,000 15,633,000 12,423,000 107,000

1976 15,078,000 18,259,000 27,107,000 102,000

1977 14,879,000 19,579,000 38,170,000 130,000

1978 15,401,475 17,945,607 48,089,376 125,663

1979 13,421,727 20,154,227 31,629,683 103,617

1980 12,676,565 17,612,709 16,991,006 114,640

1981 11,447,930 14,745,601 46,187,110 177,913

1982 13,854,714 18,126,165 63,909,068 229,280

1983 10,655,647 20.224,963 31,301,856 125,663

1984 12,119,237 19,355,241 28,208,774 299,387

1985 10,664,849 17,572,365 68,481,009 440,924

1986 9,744,861 25,717,774 65,721,486 348,109

1987 10,025,950 16,219,830 32,439,881 163,583

1988 11,326,897 13,565,688 26,108,874 204,809

1989 10,414,845 16,983,511 74,240,579 70,107

1990 10,115,238 20,328,140 79,060,098 98,987

1991 9,975,465 19,253,608 54,069,408 56,438

1992 10,225,469 14,044,532 45,824,570 39,904

1993 9,299,749 8,301,497 92,241,080 16,755

1994 6,873,564 14,903,672 65,647,852 11,684

1995 2,929,940 9,321,353 23,076,419 8,157

 

[profisher]

Here is the link for those of you who want to see more details and more species.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/comm/ann/index-eng.html

 

[Capilano]

Formatted for easier reading and added a total column

Year    Chinook      Coho       Sockeye     Steelhead      Totals
                       
1951    11657200    32210600    29815500    408200        74,091,500
                       
1952    12870400    19608300    30866700    508600        63,854,000
                         
1953    14071700    21104900    35337100    463200        70,976,900
                         
1954    12207400    18928400    47001200    561900        78,698,900
                         
1955    11306600    21534500    16543000    242200        49,626,300
                         
1956    12209300    23216800    21497400    229000        57,152,500
                         
1957    11170700    20611200    15719500    163700        47,665,100
                         
1958    12849100    22356000    74010900    436800       109,652,800
                         
1959    12214200    17823400    18017000    125200        48,179,800
                         
1960     9365300    12846300    15470000    245100        37,926,700
                         
1961     8198900    22507000    26595500    204200        57,505,600
                         
1962     8184400    20077200    24146000    239800        52,647,400
                         
1963     9141900    23071500    11852400    145100        44,210,900
                         
1964    12100200    28588200    22922300    234700        63,845,400
                         
1965    11355700    33157000    16203000   1234300        61,950,000
                         
1966     9729051    35030400    25633300    306400        70,699,151
                         
1967    13788500    20398500    36813700    254400        71,255,100
                         
1968    13611200    29994100    41206500    220800        85,032,600
                         
1969    12598800    15710400    23976600    141700        52,427,500
                         
1970    12982600    25497800    24789500    125000        63,394,900
                         
1971    16307500    26859800    37564600    176800        80,908,700
                         
1972    16158600    20844000    20943000    179600        58,125,200
                         
1973    14755000    22470000    47303000    124000        84,652,000
                         
1974    14816000    20545000    46906000    108000        82,375,000
                         
1975    14189000    15633000    12423000    107000        42,352,000
                         
1976    15078000    18259000    27107000    102000        60,546,000
                         
1977    14879000    19579000    38170000    130000        72,758,000
                         
1978    15401475    17945607    48089376    125663        81,562,121
                         
1979    13421727    20154227    31629683    103617        65,309,254
                         
1980    12676565    17612709    16991006    114640        47,394,920
                         
1981    11447930    14745601    46187110    177913        72,558,554
                         
1982    13854714    18126165    63909068    229280        96,119,227
                         
1983    10655647    20224963    31301856    125663        42,103,391
                         
1984    12119237    19355241    28208774    299387        59,982,639
                         
1985    10664849    17572365    68481009    440924        97,159,147
                         
1986     9744861    25717774    65721486    348109       101,532,230
                         
1987    10025950    16219830    32439881    163583        58,849,244
                         
1988    11326897    13565688    26108874    204809        51,206,268
                         
1989    10414845    16983511    74240579     70107       101,709,042
                         
1990    10115238    20328140    79060098     98987       109,602,463
                         
1991     9975465    19253608    54069408     56438        83,354,919
                         
1992    10225469    14044532    45824570     39904       70,134,475
                         
1993     9299749     8301497    92241080     16755       109,859,081
                         
1994     6873564    14903672    65647852     11684        87,436,772
                         
1995     2929940     9321353    23076419      8157        35,335,869

 

[Ocean Jade]

10

Thanks Profisher because charts are cool too!

View attachment 36137[/QUOTE


Hmmmm 1958, my grandpa worked on the fish traps off sooke then and I remember him telling a story of a big chinook hall back then off sooke.