Make Noise if it’s not to late… by Bob Hooton.

[OldBlackDog]

Make Noise………If it Isn’t Already Too Late

Watershed Watch has offered up a timely and powerful statement on our Department of Fisheries and Oceans mismanagement of the lower Fraser River chum stocks in recent weeks. In addition to w…

steelheadvoices.com

 

[SpringVelocity]

That is interesting how the East VI was grouped into statement. Mmmm.

 

[OldBlackDog]

If anyone thinks those endangered Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead reflect the chum scenario, think again. It’s an order of magnitude worse for steelhead. The latest estimates of escapement for those two stocks are 82 and 38 fish respectively. Those numbers are 17% and 11% respectively of the already ridiculously low upper limit of their “extreme conservation concern” zones. Imagine, two very large and far more productive watersheds than all those chum watersheds combined and we’re talking a combined total of 120 steelhead sprinkled over both. And the nets are still fishing in the lower Fraser!

 

[Whitebuck]

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/PDFs/CommunalOpeningTimes.pdf

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/PDFs/CommunalOpeningTimes_Previous.pdf

 

[searun]

I think you are dreaming if we are suggesting DFO will close down all FSC fishing, particularly gill nets. Goes against this government's reconciliation agenda - so IMO its never happening unless FN's communities themselves see this as a problem and voluntarily join the effort because they believe it is the right thing to do. That is a long, long up hill trek IMO.

Not impossible, and a bright light is the recent efforts to help establish FSC and Economic Opportunity fisheries in Fraser Tributaries in an effort to find positive alternatives to fisheries in the main stem Fraser.

 

[onefish]

Steelhead are simply a nusiance for DFO. Once they are officially extinct, DFO can continue to "manage" the demise of salmon runs without the annoying, irrational whining steelheaders bring to the table.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I think you are dreaming if we are suggesting DFO will close down all FSC fishing, particularly gill nets. Goes against this government's reconciliation agenda - so IMO its never happening unless FN's communities themselves see this as a problem and voluntarily join the effort because they believe it is the right thing to do. That is a long, long up hill trek IMO.

Not impossible, and a bright light is the recent efforts to help establish FSC and Economic Opportunity fisheries in Fraser Tributaries in an effort to find positive alternatives to fisheries in the main stem Fraser.

They pretty much such down all FSC sockeye fishing and arguable some sockeye runs are doing way better than this years chum return.

Not to mention as Bob rightly points out we don't have much information on the wild portion of chum returning. I agree with what you are saying FSC is going nowhere and is more likely to morph into a five nations sale fishery then one that gets closed down.

Also calling this fishery FSC is a bit of a joke we all know, they are not putting zombi chum in there freezers and the by catch/roe is going straight to the market.




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