TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
Whole in the water,
There is no community projects that can be undertaken to change a herring roe fishery's damage. If you want to create more herring for the commercials to catch, go ahead. There won't be any more for the whales.
Profisher, I was not aware of the migration to Oregon / Washington, but I expect that their low resident salmon numbers are for the same reason as our low resident salmon numbers. However, the reality of resident salmon not being present in the spring and summer months, as well as the late winter months, is all for the same reason, no herring.
We can enhance survival numbers by putting fish spawn through the hatchery and resulting in smolts being released in 20 times the egg hatch success in the wild, but who cares if the fish just go to Alaska? Then, the Alaskan fishers have their way with them anyway.
Lets start by rebuilding the biomass these fish need when the exit the rivers as smolts, and maybe more will stay resident for the whales to feed on.
Drewski
I'm sure that is not the only reason for changes in the local stocks remaining resident. Changing temperatures and salinity/pH in the waters in the strait might be another reason. Obviously far less herring stocks is a huge factor, but I don't think it is the only one.