DFO is still allowing Coho to be slaughtered

[Stosh]

I get what you are saying, but you have to admit there is correlation between the highway going in and those numbers. Look at what at the years. Your fighting a lot of issues seven fold in that creek. It really sucks.

Feel for you guys, but I think your main culprit is predators and the fact that the creek is around heavy residential sprawl.

Coho catch and release mortality is pretty low in grand scheme of things, and shouldn't cause a decline like your seeing. Something else going on.

The new hwy interchange was done near Colquitz creek which is Having similar problem. Craigflower was not affected by the hwy construction.

 

[SpringVelocity]

The new hwy interchange was done near Colquitz creek which is Having similar problem. Craigflower was not affected by the hwy construction.

It is still portage inlet. The new bridge project (downtown + craigflower) plus several soil remediation effort along the corridor happened same time frame. It is tough for these fish running through these areas. @chris73 might have more insight from CVRD side.

I just don't buy it's because of recreational fishery. You are right a two and done woudl be great but won't happen with IFS restrictions in place.

 

[Corey_lax]

Just wait until 2024 and 2025 when there is no hatchery coho returns because DFO didn’t mark any coho in 2020 and 2021 because covid social distancing could not be achieved in the marking process.

That’s right DFO didn’t mark fish for 2 years because of covid.

??? I was clipping fish in 2021 and DFO was present.

 

[Stosh]

It is still portage inlet. The new bridge project (downtown + craigflower) plus several soil remediation effort along the corridor happened same time frame. It is tough for these fish running through these areas. @chris73 might have more insight from CVRD side.

I just don't buy it's because of recreational fishery. You are right a two and done woudl be great but won't happen with IFS restrictions in place.

I don’t think its Just because of the rec fishery. And you are right about Portage inlet being part of the problem. Poor fish just have way too many obstacles in the path. Hwy runoff including tire compounds (6PPD) and salt Etc.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

??? I was clipping fish in 2021 and DFO was present.

Did you catch covid?

Seriously, some community groups marked fish but DFO did not.

 

[Corey_lax]

Did you catch covid?

Seriously, some community groups marked fish but DFO did not.

Weird. There was two guys from DFO for the two times I clipped during Covid.

 

[SpringFever552]

No they are not. Not even close.

X2

 

[SpringFever552]

what hatchery do they not mark their coho at? do you have a name and contact?

Pm sent

 

[chris73]

None of the hatcheries on the island I know of clip all coho. DFO just bought 2 clipping machines and they will hopefully be used on the island too. That may enable the big ones like Robertson and Conuma to get near 100%. Not possible to clip millions by hand.

 

[wildmanyeah]

None of the hatcheries on the island I know of clip all coho. DFO just bought 2 clipping machines and they will hopefully be used on the island too. That may enable the big ones like Robertson and Conuma to get near 100%. Not possible to clip millions by hand.

I just phoned roberts creek they raised last year 205k and marked them all.

far from a million unmarked claimed

10333 B Central Lake Rd
Port Alberni BC V9Y 8Z2

Telephone: 250-724-6521
Fax: 250-724-6603
Hatchery manager: Steven Emmonds
Email: Steven.Emmonds@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[OldBlackDog]

I just phoned roberts creek they raised last year 205k and marked them all.

far from a million unmarked claimed

10333 B Central Lake Rd
Port Alberni BC V9Y 8Z2

Telephone: 250-724-6521
Fax: 250-724-6603
Hatchery manager: Steven Emmonds
Email: Steven.Emmonds@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Lots more oN the island to call.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Lots more oN the island to call.

I would but they will probably just lie to me about how they mark all their coho.

 

[searun]

All the federal ones and most of the private ones.
Show me a hatchery that marks all its stock, even 1/2 of its stock.

Time for some fact checking - think you will find some things that will change your opinion.

 

[searun]

I know guys that wont even target coho because the mark rate in there area is like 1-10 or even like 1-30.

So they just stay home or target chinook. While I agree with you, you would also have to consider that a regulation like this could cause a huge increase in pressure in some areas. Where guys would just go out to target wild coho.

Basically what you saying is mark selective fishery's don't work. Your saying they kill to many fish from catch and release, That's also what the opponents to a mark selective chinook fishery say.

kinda ironic don't you think seeing how mark selective fishey is what being push for in your area. Maybe you can go to your SFAC tonight and voice your opposition to mark selective fisheries.

What I would prefer is a more science-informed decision making framework when it comes to shaping our approaches to managing MSF fisheries, including coho. Coho and Chinook are entirely different critters. Do we actually know the FRIM rates of both using modern fishing techniques?

Perhaps the current approach to managing coho is actually outdated and resulting in more overall mortalities than the current hatchery retention? Perhaps most fishers where there are retention fishery opportunities would tend to get their legal retention limit, and then move along to do other things or go home? Maybe there is actually merit in a coho fishery that allows for retention of 2 wild or hatchery? I would like to know the answer, and not base that on an opinion that may not bear out if investigated scientifically.

 

[OldBlackDog]

Time for some fact checking - think you will find some things that will change your opinion.

So, show me the number of coho marked on the Campbell, Puntledge and Big Q over the last 10 years.
show me the number of coho marked in the volunteers hatcheries on the island.

 

[OldBlackDog]

What I would prefer is a more science-informed decision making framework when it comes to shaping our approaches to managing MSF fisheries, including coho. Coho and Chinook are entirely different critters. Do we actually know the FRIM rates of both using modern fishing techniques?

Perhaps the current approach to managing coho is actually outdated and resulting in more overall mortalities than the current hatchery retention? Perhaps most fishers where there are retention fishery opportunities would tend to get their legal retention limit, and then move along to do other things or go home? Maybe there is actually merit in a coho fishery that allows for retention of 2 wild or hatchery? I would like to know the answer, and not base that on an opinion that may not bear out if investigated scientifically.

Then ask DFO for the numbers.they are the only scientific source they allow.

 

[wildmanyeah]

What I would prefer is a more science-informed decision making framework when it comes to shaping our approaches to managing MSF fisheries, including coho. Coho and Chinook are entirely different critters. Do we actually know the FRIM rates of both using modern fishing techniques?

Perhaps the current approach to managing coho is actually outdated and resulting in more overall mortalities than the current hatchery retention? Perhaps most fishers where there are retention fishery opportunities would tend to get their legal retention limit, and then move along to do other things or go home? Maybe there is actually merit in a coho fishery that allows for retention of 2 wild or hatchery? I would like to know the answer, and not base that on an opinion that may not bear out if investigated scientifically.

like i said in my original post i agree it makes a lot of sense not to weed though wilds to find a hatchery fish in those areas it makes a lot of sense.

Inevitable though I think we would end up full circle because of first nation allocation issues a wild rec ocean fishery would probably cause, Then demands that we DNA test every coho ect ect ect because you would not want a directed fishery on wild Thompson Coho while keeping a closure window for them in river.

I also agree that chinook and Coho are different animals, we don't raise nearly as many Coho in hatchery's as we do chinook. There are areas where if they marked all the chinook catching a wild chinook would be a unicorn.

I just think overall its a much easier message to push for mark selective fishery's in Coho and chinook in the "sport fish". Then try to sell mix messages to all the user groups and public.

 

[ship happens]

I just asked my bud in ukee, at what percentage of the Chinook and coho they clip and he said, all of them. I was surprised

 

[onefish]

Will DFO only learn when it’s too late? Catching and releasing Coho isn’t working. Change the rules now. Just keep the first 2 Coho you catch.
I‘m one of many volunteer streamkeepers trying help Coho survive that are becoming very frustrated with the lack of understanding from DFO. This year we have only counted 45 Coho and one Chum In Craigflower Creek. In an average year we would have over 250 and been able to take brood stock. 7 years ago we counted over 1700.
Because of an ongoing issue with otters (second year in a row), low water and poor returns, we have shut down our trap and opened the fence gates to allow any Coho entering the creek to have a better chance of surviving.
Otters are protected what about Coho?
Salmon have enough problems trying to return to spawn. Catching and releasing to find a clipped fish is just killing way too many fish.
Stosh

Decreased coho numbers in one watershed is not enough to declare that catch and release is wiping out coho.

 

[CRGreg]

The new hwy interchange was done near Colquitz creek which is Having similar problem. Craigflower was not affected by the hwy construction.

Just drove through the area this weekend. I grew up on the Gorge and those creeks and am the second generation that fished them, Something my children and grandchildren will likely never experience. Close to 80 years history of association.
Neither the Craigflower(deadmans) Creek nor Colquitz Creek watersheds bear any resemblance to their original configuration. Highway construction and Urban Development have destroyed both watersheds. Its a wonder there are still fish in either.

CR Greg