salmon returns

[Big Bob]

Does anyone know if there is a site that has all the salmon returns for the Island?
I am very concerned that D.F.O. has been opening rivers for a kill fishery when it appears that the returns were very poor. The Cowichan coho is a perfect example as it was my understanding that only a couple of thousand made it back and yet both the Cowichan river and Cowichan bay were opened for a kill fishery.

I am also concerned that the fish count method is not the same for every river. Some are done by D.F.O. staff, some by private companies and some by special interest groups.

 

[coho_killer]

keep in mind that the cow is a kill fishery for hatchery fish(coho) they let you keep what is it 1 or 2 hatchery fish (not sure never fished it in salmon season) hatchery fish are there for you to kill!!!!!!! Thats why rivers like that are put and take fisherys! What does the hatchery do with hatchery coho that return? they dont breed them thats for damb sure, they probably use them for fertalizer!

CK

 

[Blackleech]

The Cowie is definitely NOT a put and take river. The fact that there is retention on anything in this river is an attempt by the fisheries to make it seem like everything is OK. In reality the Cowie is in big trouble. Have you looked at the chinook returns? Been steelhead fishing lately? Drifting from Stolz to Vimy without touchng a steelhead in February? The Cowie is in big trouble! don't kid yourself.

 

[whitewater_cowboy]

The sad thing is that we've been this route before with the cod on the east coast. Instead of reacting like they've learned something, once again we wait until the resource is but extinct. Now the grand question is: With the habitat degradation in the headwater spawning grounds; the decimation of the herring feed stocks; the warming trend seen in the world's oceans and the continuation of salmon farming off the coast is there any hope of recovery for our coastal salmonids? Is the next generation going to be relegated to 'stories' of what once was, never to feel the thrill of a tyee surging away on a knuckle duster, a summer steelhead charging a skating dry only to turn away suddenly at the last second drowning the fly in a boil of water. It will break my heart the day I realize that the only way to experience this again will be to fall asleep and dream.

 

[Rum Buddies]

quote:
keep in mind that the cow is a kill fishery for hatchery fish

I'm pretty sure the opening was for all coho - clipped or not, which is f**ked.

Agreed BL - I've only done 2 drifts this year and it hasn't looked good - but then again there has been rain for for a long time.

 

[steeliehead]

Last I heard there were only 2500+- Coho on the Cowichan and 3-4000 for the Nitinat. Both which were open for wild or hatchery Coho. Nitinat being 2 and the Cowi 1. Not sure how they get those numbers and how accurate they are.

 

[Big Bob]

Fisheries notice F.N. 0895 which was posted on the 25th Nov. '08 stated that the Cowichan was opened for the daily take of one coho over 35 cm until the 31 Dec'08. There was NO mention of hatchery or marked fish hence it was open for WILD fish as well as hatchery.

When I first read it I was shocked that it was open for any type of coho fishery because all forums indicated that the return ranged from very poor to bloody awful. Hence my desire to find out what the returns had been .

Since my orginal post I have located return info on DFO's Pacific region website (mapster) for the Cowichan starting in 1953 to 2007 ('08 is yet to be posted)

Up until 1990, the last "big year", the Cowichan usually had returns into the multiples of tens of thousands with a peak of 75,000. Since then there have been some "fair" years but over all the tend has been steadily downward with only 3800 in '05, 2730 in '06 and 3200 in '07.

This 96% decrease has removed a HUGE amount of nutrient from the whole river which will have a very adverse impact on the future of ALL salmons, trouts and steelhead.

Unless D.F.O. stops their "genocidal" style of fisheries management you and I will witness the "shooting of the last buffalo" on the Cowichan.

 

[Blackleech]

I was a guide during the summer of 1995 at Craycroft Point which is essentially the narrowest point between the mainland and VI near Port Mcneil. The fishing was good until August when they had a 3 day opening for commercial fishermen in the straight. There were literally 200 boats from one side to the other and following the opening the chinook fishing was terrible for the rest of the month. This was in '95 when they had already curtailed much of the commercial fishing due to the plummeting stocks; in '90 it was full-scale - they would set up the "gauntlet" of CF boats on the migration routes for months on end. We can talk about logging, habitat loss, fish farming, and ocean warming all we want, but in the end the commercial fishermen ruined the Cowichan and all the other rivers on the East coast of VI.

 

[coho_killer]

quote:Originally posted by Blackleech

The Cowie is definitely NOT a put and take river. The fact that there is retention on anything in this river is an attempt by the fisheries to make it seem like everything is OK. In reality the Cowie is in big trouble. Have you looked at the chinook returns? Been steelhead fishing lately? Drifting from Stolz to Vimy without touchng a steelhead in February? The Cowie is in big trouble! don't kid yourself.

I wasn't talking springs i was talking coho it's to bad that your hatchery system is no where near what we have here on the mainland! we have a very stable coho fishery as well as springs,chum pinks and most of all steelhead! Poaching might be a factor and they should only allow hatchery clipped fish only when it comes to coho! To bad for the cow but hey i look forward to comming over to fish for big browns and rainbows! And yes any river with a hatchery on it IS for sure without a shadow of a doubt, is a put and take fishery river! Would love to hear what your thoughts are on why hatcheries are on rivers? to rebuild stocks?

CK

 

[Blackgum]

The trout fishing for "big rainbows" has been dissapointing the last few years. The lack of spawning steelhead and salmon means the trout aren't drawn out of the lake like before to feed except to spawn themselves. This river is in big trouble and its not just the lack of rain lately.

 

[Big Bob]

The Cowichan is a soft spot for me although I have not fished it for years.My first experience was on Cowichan Bay in the mid 50's when my father took me coho fishing in late September. At that time the bay was alive with jumpers and people buck tailing.

In the 60's I learned to trout fish and steelhead on the river. At that time my friend Tim and I, in his Austin A-40, would go into Lake Cowichan and drive along the back side of the river, past the upper trestle via Jo Ginder's road to some marvelous log jams and pools.After fishing we would grab a burger, chips and a coke at Ernie's for 55cents.

I understand that we can't go back to the "glory days" but I don't understand why we have to kill such a a potentually productive system by such incredibly bad management by both M.O.E. and D.F.O.

This coho kill fishery last November and December when the fish would have been on their redds coupled with very low returns is unfortunatley just too typical of the way this river has been managed.

I would urge all people who love the Cowichan to join a fishing club or conservation group and demand that M.O.E. and D.F.O to held accountable for what they have done and continue to do to this once world famous river.

 

[coho_killer]

quote:Originally posted by Big Bob

The Cowichan is a soft spot for me although I have not fished it for years.My first experience was on Cowichan Bay in the mid 50's when my father took me coho fishing in late September. At that time the bay was alive with jumpers and people buck tailing.

In the 60's I learned to trout fish and steelhead on the river. At that time my friend Tim and I, in his Austin A-40, would go into Lake Cowichan and drive along the back side of the river, past the upper trestle via Jo Ginder's road to some marvelous log jams and pools.After fishing we would grab a burger, chips and a coke at Ernie's for 55cents.

I understand that we can't go back to the "glory days" but I don't understand why we have to kill such a a potentually productive system by such incredibly bad management by both M.O.E. and D.F.O.

This coho kill fishery last November and December when the fish would have been on their redds coupled with very low returns is unfortunatley just too typical of the way this river has been managed.

I would urge all people who love the Cowichan to join a fishing club or conservation group and demand that M.O.E. and D.F.O to held accountable for what they have done and continue to do to this once world famous river.

Well Big Bob i must say that was a good read there! And i am in aggreance with what you are saying about joining a fishing club or conservation group it's a start! I wouldn't mind seeing a no kill salmon on this river for a few years say 4-5 and see if this may help some? who knows!

CK