Important Chinook Information - Feedback Required

[Chasin' Dreams]

Did they release what's on the new reg notices yet for April 1st? Wondering if anyone has the inside scoop yet as to what the concrete decisions made were?

 

[scott craven]

Did they release what's on the new reg notices yet for April 1st? Wondering if anyone has the inside scoop yet as to what the concrete decisions made were?

If they have made a decision it hasn't been posted yet.
I would guess we'll know by mid April.

 

[Derby]

if i was betting man.... first couple weeks of April 5th or 12th

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - General Information,
RECREATIONAL - Shellfish,
RECREATIONAL - Salmon,
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0277-Licensing Information - Recreational Fisheries - 2019-2020 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licences and Salmon Conservation Stamps available online Monday, March 25, 2019

LICENCE AVAILABILITY
2019 - 2020 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licences and Pacific Salmon Conservation
Stamps will be available for purchase online Monday, March 25, 2019 in the
National Recreational Licensing System (NRLS). You are encouraged to purchase
your licence(s) in advance of a planned fishing trip. Note that the 2019 -
2020 licences only become valid from April 1, 2019. Licences can be obtained
via any computer connected to the internet at
https://recfish-pechesportive.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/nrls-sndpp/index-eng.cfm , or by
using internet search key words " National Recreational Licensing System". In
order to print a licence on a personal computer, you will need a printer with
8.5 x 11 letter-sized paper, Adobe Reader, a compatible web browser, and a
valid credit or debit card accepted by Moneris.

BEST TIMES TO BUY
To minimize system delays, the best time to access NRLS is outside peak
periods. Peak times are: daily from 12:00PM to 3:00PM; every Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday; April 1st of each year; and during a major fishery opening such as
the Fraser River Sockeye opening. During peak times you may experience site
slowdown, timeout and other technical errors.

ALTERNATIVE PURCHASE OPTIONS
If there is an NRLS outage; if you have limited internet connectivity; or if
you are having trouble obtaining your licence online, you can also visit an
Independent Access Provider (IAP), a list of current service locations may be
found at
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/iap-fai-eng.html

NON-RESIDENT LICENCES
If you are a non-resident of Canada wishing to fish for Halibut in Areas 23,
121, or 123, you must acquire a licence through one of the IAP locations.

NON-REFUNDABLE
Refunds will not be issued for licences purchased online, so please ensure your
licence selection (including the fishing year) is correct before you complete
your transaction.

SPORT FISHING GUIDE
The British Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide (SFG) is available
online. For the most current information on recreational fisheries, and to
download a pdf copy of the SFG visit the online BC Sport Fishing Guide website
at:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html . Note that the pdf
version of the guide is condensed and includes static information that does not
change on a regular basis. In-season changes are not included in the pdf and
will instead be communicated through regular website updates and via the
Fishery Notice system.

CHANGES TO CONDITIONS OF LICENCE FOR 2019/2020

Crab: No person shall possess female Red Rock, King or Dungeness Crab. Crab
traps are required to have two unobstructed circular escape holes or rings,
measuring a minimum of 105 mm in diameter.

Clams: No person shall retain a Manila Clam or Littleneck Clam smaller than 35
mm, nor a Butter Clam smaller than 55 mm.

Halibut: No person shall catch and retain more than six (6) halibut in the
aggregate from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. Retained halibut shall be
immediately recorded on the licence. No person shall retain a halibut greater
than 126 cm head-on length. The possession limit is either of: one (1) halibut
measuring from 90 cm to 126 cm head-on length, OR two (2) halibut measuring
under 90 cm head-on length. Note: If you are in possession of one (1) halibut
90 cm head-on length or longer, you shall not possess any other halibut.

ROCKFISH: No person shall catch and retain in a day in Outside waters more than
three (3) rockfish, of which only one (1) may be a Quillback Rockfish, a China
Rockfish, or a Tiger Rockfish. No person shall catch and retain in Outside
waters the following species of rockfish: Bocaccio Rockfish (zero retention);
Yelloweye Rockfish (zero retention). Note: Outside waters are Management Areas
1 to 11, 21 to 27, 101 to 111, 121 to 127, 130, 142 and Subarea 12-14.
Salmon, Trout: No person shall use a barbed hook when fishing for salmon and
trout (includes steelhead).

Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reefs: Use of downriggers is prohibited in portions of
Subareas 28-2 and 28-4 in the Howe Sound glass sponge reef marine refuges, as
described at
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ceccsr-cerceef/closures-fermetures-eng.html .

For full details see your 2019/2020 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence for
recreational Conditions of Licence.

ROCKFISH DESCENDING DEVICES
The use of a descending device is highly recommended to assist in the
conservation and survivability of rockfish being returned to the water.
Rockfish brought to the surface suffer barotrauma, causing their swim bladders
to inflate and reducing the probability of their survival upon release. To
improve rockfish survival rates, use a descending device to quickly return
incidental catch to the water. Handle catch as little as possible, using wet
hands to preserve the protective slime coat. To avoid catching rockfish, move
to another fishing location.

HARD COPIES OF LICENCE
You are required, by regulation, to have a printed copy of your licence to
record catch in ink for Chinook Salmon, Halibut, and Lingcod in specified
areas. Your licence must be produced on request of a fishery officer,
conservation officer or fishery guardian, so ensure you have your licence with
you while fishing or transporting your catch, either in hard copy or readily
available on your mobile device.

RECREATIONAL FISHING SURVEY SELECTION
You may be randomly selected at time of licence purchase to participate in a
recreational fishing survey, details will be printed to your licence. Your
accurately recorded catch data assists us with conservation of our shared
marine resources for future generations of fishers. Use the FishingBC App or
space on your licence to record catch details for later submission to the
online recreational catch survey (iREC).

For assistance or questions regarding your NRLS account or TWSF Licence please
contact our toll-free line at 1-877-535-7307 from 08:00 am EST to 16:00 pm PST
Monday – Friday, excluding statutory holidays.


Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0277
Sent March 25, 2019 at 14:16
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

If you would like to unsubscribe, please submit your request at: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=manage_subscription

If you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail to: DFO.OpsCentreFisheryPacific-CentreOpsPechePacifique.MPO@canada.ca

 

[OldBlackDog]

On a Friday afternoon with no fanfare.

 

[scott craven]

On a Friday afternoon with no fanfare.

Yeah, and then expect everyone should know instantly.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

sadly I think the liberals have pushed the pendulum to far in the other direction. Will see what they are willing to do in an election year. It will be telling

The one thing I am worried about is the Liberals do seem to want to reduce the public fisheries in all aspects and its not clear if its for conservation reason or just to give away our Quota.

Not only that but they are putting in MPA's that are going to limit our access forever to many areas.

were loosing lots of opportunity and its under their watch.

To be fair, look at the status of stocks and fisheries this Liberal govt inherited from Harpers two minorities and his one destructive majority. You can’t cut and slash protections and the staff that do the on the ground/in the field day to day management and expect stocks to thrive.

Healthy stocks are the foundation of healthy fisheries, no matter how you slice it. I for one don’t want to be in a continual fight over scraps. Wouldn’t we all be in a better position if we had healthy watersheds, producing healthy stocks and be discussing access to surpluses? I’m sorry but there is no model where a government puts industry and economy ahead of a healthy and sustainable environment, at all costs, that sees fish stocks being maintained at a healthy level.

On our current trend it won’t matter if it’s the Greens, the People’s party, Cons, Bloq, Libs or NDP, if stocks continue to decline and eventually disappear there won’t be fishing. I’m sure many here remember fishing the iconic Thompson Steelhead. For many of us, there was no better sportfish anywhere. Thanks to greed (pick you poison, water mismgmt, watersheds logged 3-5x sustainable cut rate, bycatch in food stamp fisheries, etc, etc) it’s highly unlikely anyone will ever fish that iconic stock again. How many more stocks, and their fisheries, will be lost before the majority of us change our frame of reference?

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[wildmanyeah]

To be fair, look at the status of stocks and fisheries this Liberal govt inherited from Harpers two minorities and his one destructive majority. You can’t cut and slash protections and the staff that do the on the ground/in the field day to day management and expect stocks to thrive.

Healthy stocks are the foundation of healthy fisheries, no matter how you slice it. I for one don’t want to be in a continual fight over scraps. Wouldn’t we all be in a better position if we had healthy watersheds, producing healthy stocks and be discussing access to surpluses? I’m sorry but there is no model where a government puts industry and economy ahead of a healthy and sustainable environment, at all costs, that sees fish stocks being maintained at a healthy level.

On our current trend it won’t matter if it’s the Greens, the People’s party, Cons, Bloq, Libs or NDP, if stocks continue to decline and eventually disappear there won’t be fishing. I’m sure many here remember fishing the iconic Thompson Steelhead. For many of us, there was no better sportfish anywhere. Thanks to greed (pick you poison, water mismgmt, watersheds logged 3-5x sustainable cut rate, bycatch in food stamp fisheries, etc, etc) it’s highly unlikely anyone will ever fish that iconic stock again. How many more stocks, and their fisheries, will be lost before the majority of us change our frame of reference?

Cheers!

Ukee

I realise what you are saying Ukee and the Liberals are definitely the winner when it comes to habitat protect.

We are not talking tho about shutting down fishing to protect the stocks, were talking about shutting down to public fishery to pass fish though so First Nations can harvest more FSC fish its important to make that distinction. Once we loose it we wont get it back even if some of the concern stocks recover.

http://frafs.ca/sites/default/files2/IHPC Chinook Full Letter Feedback Package 1.pdf'

"The majority of Forum Tier 1 time was dedicated to Fraser Chinook management. First Nations Forum participants asserted that DFO’s salmon management measures continue to be at odds with the court’s decision in R. v Sparrow [1990], specifically by allowing commercial and recreational fishing activity when there is insufficient Chinook to meet conservation goals and First Nations’ rights-based fishery needs."

 

[searun]

I realise what you are saying Ukee and the Liberals are definitely the winner when it comes to habitat protect.

We are not talking tho about shutting down fishing to protect the stocks, were talking about shutting down to public fishery to pass fish though so First Nations can harvest more FSC fish its important to make that distinction. Once we loose it we wont get it back even if some of the concern stocks recover.

http://frafs.ca/sites/default/files2/IHPC Chinook Full Letter Feedback Package 1.pdf

I agree, there is no evidence that fishing restrictions actually work to recover runs of fish. The Cowichan is a prime example. One of the highest exploitation rates of most stocks on the coast, and yet with investments in habitat improvement and a modest hatchery program the river has become more productive and recovered from 1,000 to 25,000 fish. Fishing restrictions as a solution are simply laughable. What we need are bold investments in habitat and enhancement with some predator control mixed in.

 

[Bamfield Fishing]

Fishing restrictions as a solution are simply laughable. What we need are bold investments in habitat and enhancement with some predator control mixed in.

Real recovery like the Cowichan is too much work, it's easier to just restrict fisheries. Have a press release, and its done!

 

[ziggy]

I realise what you are saying Ukee and the Liberals are definitely the winner when it comes to habitat protect.

We are not talking tho about shutting down fishing to protect the stocks, were talking about shutting down to public fishery to pass fish though so First Nations can harvest more FSC fish its important to make that distinction. Once we loose it we wont get it back even if some of the concern stocks recover.

http://frafs.ca/sites/default/files2/IHPC Chinook Full Letter Feedback Package 1.pdf'

"The majority of Forum Tier 1 time was dedicated to Fraser Chinook management. First Nations Forum participants asserted that DFO’s salmon management measures continue to be at odds with the court’s decision in R. v Sparrow [1990], specifically by allowing commercial and recreational fishing activity when there is insufficient Chinook to meet conservation goals and First Nations’ rights-based fishery needs."

I don’t think the Liberals have a great track record of habitat protection either to tell you the truth. From Pearson, to Trudeau Sr.,Chretien,Martin to Trudeau Jr. the Liberals have held power for the vast majority of the past century and during that time much of the destruction has taken place and overfishing. The habitat destruction and decline of salmon population has happened under largely successive Liberal Governments watches ,when you look back, so no free pass for them imo.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I don’t think the Liberals have a great track record of habitat protection either to tell you the truth. From Pearson, to Trudeau Sr.,Chretien,Martin to Trudeau Jr. the Liberals have held power for the vast majority of the past century and during that time much of the destruction has taken place and overfishing. The habitat destruction and decline of salmon population has happened under largely successive Liberal Governments watches ,when you look back, so no free pass for them imo.

Yes I agree, The Liberals are responsible for shaping all of canada being the main government throughout history. I was mainly referring to the harper government that fired all the bio's and ripped apart the legislation that protected salmon. Its true a new conservative government might keep the liberal WSP and habitat protections etc...

Altho I think we should also be careful about talking about a complete collapse of salmon stocks. The high ocean productivity of the 1990's was not normal. Looking at lots of stocks many were below where they are today in the 1980's. Seems to me we could be going into a time not so different where in the 1980's where coho stocks do well but chinook stocks do not so good. Lots of good reports about coho.

Did we over fish stocks in the 1990's to 2000's??? are we in a salmon crisis? have salmon never been at such low levels before??

 

[Fishmyster]

Yes I agree, The Liberals are responsible for shaping all of canada being the main government throughout history. I was mainly referring to the harper government that fired all the bio's and ripped apart the legislation that protected salmon. Its true a new conservative government might keep the liberal WSP and habitat protections etc...

Altho I think we should also be careful about talking about a complete collapse of salmon stocks. The high ocean productivity of the 1990's was not normal. Looking at lots of stocks many were below where they are today in the 1980's. Seems to me we could be going into a time not so different where in the 1980's where coho stocks do well but chinook stocks do not so good. Lots of good reports about coho.

Did we over fish stocks in the 1990's to 2000's??? are we in a salmon crisis? have salmon never been at such low levels before??

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Excellent points wildmanyeah.

Although it is assumed we are in a crisis there is some very positive environmental signs of a high productive era firing up!! Nobody seems to consider the water source that falls from the sky to be of any influence to stream productivity but it does provide an excellent explanation for the changes in productivity for anyone who cares to acknowledge that science. Just checked the rain pH today and it is still averaging 6 or better, today was 6.3. Things are looking good! Ecology that has been wiped out of most streams is returning and there is a scientific reason for it. No need to have a panic and blame everyone and everything, We also don't need to blame of credit any political parties for something that happens naturally.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

May be before some folks memories but the Mulroney Conservative govt was fairly green and fish habitat friendly. I actually worked under the Mulroney DFO “Green Plan” way back in the early 90’s. I always try to emphasize the Harper Conservatives, not Conservatives in general, as that governments disregard for the environment in favour of any and all industry and economics was unprecedented. If folks recall all former Fisheries Ministers, Liberal and Conservatives, stood up against Harpers destructive cuts and legislative overhaul.

The worry with fisheries and fish stocks right now is that the historic resiliency inherent in all natural systems has been disappearing due to decades of cumulative effects. While in the past lots of pristine freshwater habitat and cycles of high ocean productivity could offset aggressive fishing, or scaling back fishing could overcome low productivity trends in the ocean, etc. Now, far more watersheds have been logged, paved, channelized, burnt, polluted, water diverted, etc, etc that for the first time there simply isn’t the freshwater productive capacity there once was. 1000’s of Kms of fish streams in this Province are simply gone, or anadromous fish can no longer access them due to this Provinces love affair with the culvert. Literally 10’s of thousands more Kms of fish streams productivity are extremely compromised at the watershed scale and recovery will not be a quick process assuming there’s even the will to recover them. Out in the Oceans there’s so much Ocean ranching, whose smolts are pumped out earlier and larger than the wild fish, that groceries are scarcer and scarcer even on productive ocean cycles. On top of it all, climate change has disrupted the predictable, long-term cycles we used to see - like the pacific decadal oscillation or the more commonly known El Niño/la Nina cycles. We now see extreme shifts year to year from cold to hot ocean current cycles, warm ocean blobs, extreme floods, drought and forest fires in the same year, etc, etc.

We have a relatively tiny population in Canada but, rather than a self-sustaining economy, we have an economy of growth that supplies the 7-billion plus strong world population with our natural resources. Resource extraction to sustain 35-50 million Canadians and our trucks, boats, etc could easily be sustainable while maintaining healthy fish and wildlife populations. The same resource extraction at a scale to sustain 7-billion, projected to be 9+-billion by 2050, I just don’t see how we can think that’s sustainable. Canada is a huge, resource rich country but it’s still finite and it doesn’t take rocket surgeons to understand that an economic model that requires continual growth can’t work forever in a finite world. At some point, perhaps not by current living generations, but eventually a different choice will have to be made.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[searun]

I think people are over-simplifying the solution by calling for closing recreational fishing - and they are trying to create a crisis narrative to fit their organizational interests. Firstly, as stated by others the problems facing Chinook are many and complicated. There is no single silver bullet solution or problem. If I had to point to a pathway forward it would be the Cowichan model. The rebound for Cowichan is no mistake. The local stewardship group invested considerable effort and capital towards addressing serious habitat issues, while also ensuring there was recruitment (hatchery). This recovery was despite an exploitation rate of 58% on these Chinook as they spend a lot of their life in waters where there is recreational fishing effort. Fishing restrictions alone have not been proven to be effective in objectively recovering Chinook populations.

If I was Fisheries Minister for a day, I would invest in habitat improvement, selective enhancement, and predator control that is science-based to address out-migrant smolt predation event hot spots. But, sadly it will never happen as the ENGO answer is that fishing restrictions and closing our fishery are the only answer, and as we all have come to learn this government listens to the ENGO friends and their take on science-based decisions as they have unprecedented access to influencing policy decisions in Ottawa.

 

[Jwolfe]

If you forgot this is what the liberals wanted to cut ,not Harper and the conservatives

 

[wildmanyeah]

Not sure why I keep seeing people all over social media seem to think we are not going to get restrictions because its past April 1.

Kinda disgusted by the amount of miss information out there, These restrictions are going to come in and some people are going to be shocked.

I honestly dont get it

 

[donnie d]

Not sure why I keep seeing people all over social media seem to think we are not going to get restrictions because its past April 1.

Kinda disgusted by the amount of miss information out there, These restrictions are going to come in and some people are going to be shocked.

I honestly dont get it

Government is really not great at setting expectations.

If this was really about conservation you’d think the new regs would be in place for the spring run fish.

 

[Irishwolf]

I noticed an update for the FishingBC app yesterday morning. Slot had been removed for area 19. DFO web page showed the same thing. I got mildly excited thinking these were our new regs. Turns out it was a mistake on DFOs part. They accidentally removed the slot when updating the regs. Both the app and the web site are corrected now to show the slot.

So I can see how peeps think we can fish this summer. DFO/Gov really should have made this decision weeks ago.

 

[Rain City]

Not sure why I keep seeing people all over social media seem to think we are not going to get restrictions because its past April 1.

Kinda disgusted by the amount of miss information out there, These restrictions are going to come in and some people are going to be shocked.

I honestly dont get it

There are new regs posted on the fishing bc app I've heard

 

[Rain City]

I noticed an update for the FishingBC app yesterday morning. Slot had been removed for area 19. DFO web page showed the same thing. I got mildly excited thinking these were our new regs. Turns out it was a mistake on DFOs part. They accidentally removed the slot when updating the regs. Both the app and the web site are corrected now to show the slot.

So I can see how peeps think we can fish this summer. DFO/Gov really should have made this decision weeks ago.

Nevermind maybe it was just that.