salmon head returns

[reelfast]

we have been having quite a discussion on this side of the line regarding the mark selective fishery for coho this past september. apparently there is some agreement between DFO and WDFW to 'protect' fraser r. returning stocks of coho by limiting the harvest in the strait to only adipose fin clipped fish. given that WDFW does not clip 100% of the smolts they release and the tribes continue to igore the 1997 federal court order to clip, this is sort of a circular firing squad at best. frankly, no one knows if those unclipped fish are those ESA listed fish or tribal hatchery fish.

from those of you who fish the strait and have participated in the salmon head study, what sort of feedback have you gotten from DFO regarding the origin of the heads you have returned?

 

[Cuba Libre]

Not coho-- but it gives you some idea how important US fish are to us.
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?18065-2011-Salmon-Head-Recovery-Program

 

[profisher]

I have results from 2 Chinook heads back so far. Taken at Otter point in July. One had no pin and the other was brood year 2008 from Shuswap.

 

[Doug]

Out of all the spring salmon heads we submitted this year only 5 had tags.

2012 (zone 20, Sooke)

3 fish from Clark Creek Hatchery. WA
1 fish Spring Creek NFH. WA
1 fish Shuswap R Mid. BC (in July)

2011 (zone 20, Sooke)

8 fish from WA
2 fish from the Cowichan BC
1 fish from the Shuswap BC


We caught numerous clipped fish during the same periods that the WA. tagged fish were being caught so it would suggest to me that the clipped fish without tags came from the same area as the tagged fish came from. After submitting heads for the last few years it is becoming obvious to me which fish from where are traveling in our waters at different times of the year and that most of the tagged fish I'm catching are from southern hatcheries.

 

[profisher]

Cowichan Chinook show up almost everywhere on the coast and that makes it a difficult river to manage with any spot type restrictions. If that stock tanks it could mean restrictions coast wide to protect them.

 

[tigerprawn]

Doug what age class were the Cowichan spring? We reared Cowichan fish at Nitinat and the returned them to the Cowichan River 4 plus years ago. It seem like the run number have been up since then.

 

[Bod]

Results so far of 283 heads returned this year, 1 Chinook (Bamfield) in June headed for Chilliwack River, 1 June Coho(Cape Beale) for the Puntledge River. July 1 Coho (Kirby Point) for Robertson creek, 1 Coho
Sail Rock) for Spius Creek. August 1 Chinook (Assits Island) for Omega Pacific Hatchery. The rest of the tagged fish were Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Thank you USA.

 

[trendsetter]

All my spring heads were from washington and oregon. A few no tags from whirl bay early summer. All coho from sooke and bamfield this season were no tags. Still waiting on a few from late season.

 

[Finished Business]

Results so far of 283 heads returned this year, 1 Chinook (Bamfield) in June headed for Chilliwack River, 1 June Coho(Cape Beale) for the Puntledge River. July 1 Coho (Kirby Point) for Robertson creek, 1 Coho
Sail Rock) for Spius Creek. August 1 Chinook (Assits Island) for Omega Pacific Hatchery. The rest of the tagged fish were Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Thank you USA.

Wow. That is incredible. Where lies the difference in Canadian and U.S. hatchery programs? More funding? more hatceries? Better management? Those numbers are staggering....

 

[lorneparker1]

More funding? more hatceries? Better management? Those numbers are staggering....

Yes

Lorne

 

[directmule]

We returned 5 heads................none had tags & if I remember right it was 3 springs & 2 coho all out of Nootka Sound but we did get a couple of tags back from them

 

[Doug]

The Cowichan fish were caught in Aug and were 4 year olds. 2011 was the only year I've ever caught fish from that hatchery.

 

[NautiGirl]

I strongly agree with Lorne. It is embarrassing. Even when it appears the Alaskan commercial harvesters jump on the salmon when we are closed to fishing to protect Canadian stocks, I hesitate to get in their face. Without the US hatchery program, we recreational fishermen would be S.O.L. on the south island. The last head return report I got said something like 50 to 90% of heads returned in BC came from US hatcheries, depending on the month.

 

[tigerprawn]

The problem is DFO has no budget for tagging and thinks there old data will work just fine. Did they factor in climate change in their models, I don't think so.

 

[Hindsight]

I never gave it any thought except strange I caught a Tagged Cowichan River Chinook in the Port Alberni Derby **** 20 plus years ago. I caught it right in front of the old Dock. It was dark and ready to go, just a thought...

 

[trendsetter]

Got my results back from DFO today for my fall Sooke hatchery returns.

Beechy Head - 09/13/2012 - Coho - Brood year: 2009 Skookum cr. hatchery, WA

Beechy Head - 10/17/2012 - Chinook - Brood year: 2009 Voights cr hatchery, WA

 

[scott craven]

"Without the US hatchery program, we recreational fishermen would be S.O.L. on the south island."

You're right , all the tag results we ever got back were Puget sound fish.
It would sure be nice to see our government channel some money into hatchery programs
to help the fishery along.

 

[adrianna3]

Every single fish ( about 10 chinook and 8 coho ) had no pin. Very disappointing.

Dave