Oyster River Enhancement, new funding

[gallows]

I note that the Oyster River Enhancement have just received a large grant in funding. I wonder if they will now decide to clip their Coho. They always used to say that they couldn't afford to do it. So come on, tell us whether you are going to start clipping now, or just still going to produce fish for the commercials, but local anglers can't keep a single one!!

 

[Cuba Libre]

X 2!!! .................

 

[Rockfish]

Other hatcheries such as the Sooke Jack Brooks Hatchery use volunteers, (mostly recreational anglers and guides) to clip their coho. Why can’t they do the same?

 

[Dogbreath]

Other hatcheries such as the Sooke Jack Brooks Hatchery use volunteers, (mostly recreational anglers and guides) to clip their coho. Why can’t they do the same?

Why not phone them and ask?

 

[Cuba Libre]

It comes down to a couple of long time members of the ORES that dont want to see ANYONE kill one of their babies. The rest of the members just dont seem to have the balls to question them. There ARE groups that are willing to help clip ORES coho and chinook, but they have been told to go away. ( and they have, shaking their heads)

I keep hearing that there is a conservation concern and that is why they dont want to mark fish-- That, unfortunately, is a pile.... the Oyster coho stocks were rebuilt to historic levels years ago.

 

[gallows]

Brian is right, I have volunteered to help clip coho for them and they just don't want to know.

 

[Rockfish]

Interesting - I have always been under the impression that from a conservation point of view it is considered desirable to clip and catch the vast majority of hatchery salmon at sea so that they don’t return to the river and compete with the completely wild salmon for resources such as spawning gravel space. Perhaps this is not correct?

 

[Steelhead S2]

I've run into that attitude from a few different hatchery people on a few different streams. All fishermen (or former fishermen) who just get a little sensitive about their babies (you nailed it there CL). I'm a softy about some things too, but I'd sure like to catch more marked coho!

 

[gallows]

Any hatchery that doesn't clip its coho is just producing fish for commercial fishermen only. Recreational anglers are not allowed to keep a single one. How stupid is that?

 

[Last Chance]

If clipping fish doesn't work, then why the hell are 9 out of 10 fish I catch all winter/spring clipped? And in Renfrew WCVI, I'd say at least thirty percent of them are. Nope nope nope, we don't clip in Canada, rather then produce fish for us to use, we ensure the export market for framed shots of bears eating fish from rivers are well satisfied.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Just to clarify, this opposition to marking detracts from an otherwise excellent volunteer project. I could not even count the number of hours have been donated by the volunteers over the years since 1989. The results are impressive, Oyster River pink, coho, and chinook stocks are up to historic levels. They have offset some of the habitat loss caused by logging , urbanization and water extraction. Any of you that fish cutties on the beach will know that even thought the ORES does not raise cutthroat, there has been a healthy population that utilizes the watershed improvements.

The latest accomplishment of securing the land they have the channels and hatchery on as parkland is indeed a worthy achievement.

But not marking the coho , when there are numerous reasons to do so, really is a shame.

 

[lorneparker1]

I agree that they have a well oiled machine, one of the best on the island oid even say. However, they will get 0 of my time till they start clipping

 

[Fish Assassin]

I heard on the radio that the funding is going to be used for new signage. What a joke.

 

[Dave H]

Oyster River salmonid levels at "historic highs"?

Curious about that statement for sure.

Elaboration please.


Take care.

 

[Steelhead S2]

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum...mon-hatchery-practice-could-be-harming-salmon

 

[Cuba Libre]

Sure Dave. While my statement is arguable, it is reflective of historical research myself and others did at the initiation of the Oyster project. The BC 16s (DFO spawning reports dating back into the 40s and 30s, personal logs of Fisheries inspectors such as Jack Beadnell that were available in the Comox DFO office and other anecdotal information. Not perfect , but it gave guys like Lew Carswell some idea of practical spawning targets. ( For those that are not aware, the original push for an Oyster River salmon program came from Lew Carswell, a provincial fisheries tech who correctly saw that a pink program would be better than sliced bread for passive enhancement of cutthroat ( and possibly steelhead too)