Some interesting thoughts from Bob Hooton, on the closures.

[OldBlackDog]

Let's see if I can get this straight.

Premier Horgan is blaming DFO for mismanaging salmon (chinook) stocks and that is what has led us to the suite of conservation based regulations announced this week. Where was the Premier in previous weeks, months, years while Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead were being swept under the carpet by his own Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with DFO?

DFO Regional Director General Rebecca Reid is waving the chinook conservation flag in all our faces at the same time her own agency has done virtually nothing of significance to conserver the steelhead that are far worse off than any Fraser chinook stocks. Why no mention of the COSEWIC and SARA status of those steelhead Ms. Reid? Perhaps if southern resident orcas liked to dine on steelhead they'd at least stand a fighting chance?

Shutting down all the Fraser River recreational fisheries is a bitter pill, to be sure. It's also one that can make a difference. BUT, what about the other in-river fishery that is far more influential? Are we being told the multiple First Nations spread between Tsawwassen and any point you wish to name upstream from Hope are going to be eliminated until sometime in August? Can we see the evidence any such conservation measures will be monitored and enforced?

If the FN fisheries in the Fraser are constrained until late August, what happens afterward? Might I suggest the effort immediately thereafter will be intense. Guess what endangered stocks are going to be impacted? Those chum hatcheries taxpayers have financed from their construction in the late 1980s to the present support a previously non-existent but now lucrative FN fishery for chum roe. Does anyone believe DFO is going to put any effort into constraining, monitoring or enforcing any steelhead conservation measures when the FNs engage in non-selective fisheries to compensate for earlier restrictions?

Final point - the notion we can "fix" broken habitat and restore chinook production in the Fraser is terribly misleading. There is an abundance of premium quality habitat in major Fraser River tributaries (Harrison, Thompson, Chilcotin, Quesnel, McGregor, Stuart/Takla.........). The problem is it's grossly under-utilized because harvest of fish bound for those areas has not been managed properly.

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/…/horgan-disappointed-af…


VANCOUVERISLAND.CTVNEWS.CA

Horgan 'disappointed' after DFO announces new restrictions on B.C. chinook fishing
The federal government has announced commercial and recreational fishing restrictions in British Columbia as a way to conserve chinook salmon returning to the Fraser River this season.

 

[Powerset]

I still believe to my core that these closures are politically based. There are now 5 Premieres in 5 provinces, Alta Sask Man Ont NB that are slamming this Government and their climate plan. They’re suing over the carbon tax and balking at Liberal threats on equalization. Reading our Chinook decision it’s all wrapped in a big GREEN climate change bow. Warming oceans, habitat destruction, changing environmental conditions., on and on and on. Do you think this was a coincidence? No chance, this was done intentionally because it’s the Liberal message this year. It’s the fight they want to have. CLIMATE CHANGE. They’re choice of weapon, our Chinook and SRKW. Last thought...if this plan wasn’t about climate change and really about saving our salmon, why didn’t they announce the seal and sea lion cull ? There’s no plan that works without dealing with them. Keeping us onshore slows down the collapse of Chinook salmon, it doesn’t prevent it, not based on what I’ve read. So this closure is part of an election campaign, a campaign based on climate change and a fight with provincial leaders over carbon pricing. Make no mistake, this plan isn’t just about saving Chinook salmon it’s as much about politics and that should bother everyone

 

[captmike]

Let's see if I can get this straight.

Premier Horgan is blaming DFO for mismanaging salmon (chinook) stocks and that is what has led us to the suite of conservation based regulations announced this week. Where was the Premier in previous weeks, months, years while Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead were being swept under the carpet by his own Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with DFO?

DFO Regional Director General Rebecca Reid is waving the chinook conservation flag in all our faces at the same time her own agency has done virtually nothing of significance to conserver the steelhead that are far worse off than any Fraser chinook stocks. Why no mention of the COSEWIC and SARA status of those steelhead Ms. Reid? Perhaps if southern resident orcas liked to dine on steelhead they'd at least stand a fighting chance?

Shutting down all the Fraser River recreational fisheries is a bitter pill, to be sure. It's also one that can make a difference. BUT, what about the other in-river fishery that is far more influential? Are we being told the multiple First Nations spread between Tsawwassen and any point you wish to name upstream from Hope are going to be eliminated until sometime in August? Can we see the evidence any such conservation measures will be monitored and enforced?

If the FN fisheries in the Fraser are constrained until late August, what happens afterward? Might I suggest the effort immediately thereafter will be intense. Guess what endangered stocks are going to be impacted? Those chum hatcheries taxpayers have financed from their construction in the late 1980s to the present support a previously non-existent but now lucrative FN fishery for chum roe. Does anyone believe DFO is going to put any effort into constraining, monitoring or enforcing any steelhead conservation measures when the FNs engage in non-selective fisheries to compensate for earlier restrictions?

Final point - the notion we can "fix" broken habitat and restore chinook production in the Fraser is terribly misleading. There is an abundance of premium quality habitat in major Fraser River tributaries (Harrison, Thompson, Chilcotin, Quesnel, McGregor, Stuart/Takla.........). The problem is it's grossly under-utilized because harvest of fish bound for those areas has not been managed properly.

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/…/horgan-disappointed-af…


VANCOUVERISLAND.CTVNEWS.CA

Horgan 'disappointed' after DFO announces new restrictions on B.C. chinook fishing
The federal government has announced commercial and recreational fishing restrictions in British Columbia as a way to conserve chinook salmon returning to the Fraser River this season.

What gets me about these closures is the obvious unfairness between the N and S coasts. wouldn't a reduction during the catch of Fraser chinook to 1/day for the entire coast make more sense. Areas 1,3,4,5 had restrictions last season and now status quo?
commerceial trollers are non retention till Aug 20, in area1 but the rest of the N coast is 2/day? Sounds like big govt lobbying on the part of rec salmon lodges in the N!!

 

[fish4all]

I still believe to my core that these closures are politically based. There are now 5 Premieres in 5 provinces, Alta Sask Man Ont NB that are slamming this Government and their climate plan. They’re suing over the carbon tax and balking at Liberal threats on equalization. Reading our Chinook decision it’s all wrapped in a big GREEN climate change bow. Warming oceans, habitat destruction, changing environmental conditions., on and on and on. Do you think this was a coincidence? No chance, this was done intentionally because it’s the Liberal message this year. It’s the fight they want to have. CLIMATE CHANGE. They’re choice of weapon, our Chinook and SRKW. Last thought...if this plan wasn’t about climate change and really about saving our salmon, why didn’t they announce the seal and sea lion cull ? There’s no plan that works without dealing with them. Keeping us onshore slows down the collapse of Chinook salmon, it doesn’t prevent it, not based on what I’ve read. So this closure is part of an election campaign, a campaign based on climate change and a fight with provincial leaders over carbon pricing. Make no mistake, this plan isn’t just about saving Chinook salmon it’s as much about politics and that should bother everyone

Well said. This is a political decision targeting the votes of the city dwellers. Rural BC means little to politicians.

 

[tubber]

I still believe to my core that these closures are politically based. There are now 5 Premieres in 5 provinces, Alta Sask Man Ont NB that are slamming this Government and their climate plan. They’re suing over the carbon tax and balking at Liberal threats on equalization. Reading our Chinook decision it’s all wrapped in a big GREEN climate change bow. Warming oceans, habitat destruction, changing environmental conditions., on and on and on. Do you think this was a coincidence? No chance, this was done intentionally because it’s the Liberal message this year. It’s the fight they want to have. CLIMATE CHANGE. They’re choice of weapon, our Chinook and SRKW. Last thought...if this plan wasn’t about climate change and really about saving our salmon, why didn’t they announce the seal and sea lion cull ? There’s no plan that works without dealing with them. Keeping us onshore slows down the collapse of Chinook salmon, it doesn’t prevent it, not based on what I’ve read. So this closure is part of an election campaign, a campaign based on climate change and a fight with provincial leaders over carbon pricing. Make no mistake, this plan isn’t just about saving Chinook salmon it’s as much about politics and that should bother everyone

Yesterday I would have given you a like and agreed.
Today, after reading many links, it's clearer that the whole announcement is all about reconciliation.
Fraser Chinook closures on rec and commercial fishers are not election issues for most voters (except us).
Reconciliation is Trudeau's legacy. Reconciliation would never win a politician an election, but will certainly lose one, yet he forges on.
SRKW/green agenda is subterfuge to advance his legacy, while trying to cling to votes. He knows he's fu<ked.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

What gets me about these closures is the obvious unfairness between the N and S coasts. wouldn't a reduction during the catch of Fraser chinook to 1/day for the entire coast make more sense. Areas 1,3,4,5 had restrictions last season and now status quo?
commerceial trollers are non retention till Aug 20, in area1 but the rest of the N coast is 2/day? Sounds like big govt lobbying on the part of rec salmon lodges in the N!!

My understanding is north measures haven’t announced yet and it will be 1/2 till mid July again then 2/4. That’s what I read on a proposal.

 

[Port Eliza Fishing]

My understanding is north measures haven’t announced yet and it will be 1/2 till mid July again then 2/4. That’s what I read on a proposal.

I believe the press release from the minister mentioned additional measures on the North Coast were still to come. Skeena runs which are impacted by North Coast recreational fisheries more than Fraser stocks are also in poor shape, and the NRKW critical habitat designation for the North end of Graham island has not gone away, so I do not think North coast lodges are out of danger just yet.

 

[searun]

Yesterday I would have given you a like and agreed.
Today, after reading many links, it's clearer that the whole announcement is all about reconciliation.
Fraser Chinook closures on rec and commercial fishers are not election issues for most voters (except us).
Reconciliation is Trudeau's legacy. Reconciliation would never win a politician an election, but will certainly lose one, yet he forges on.
SRKW/green agenda is subterfuge to advance his legacy, while trying to cling to votes. He knows he's fu<ked.

I would add that they have mis-read the Western connection to our resource sectors...this will be an issue the Conservatives leverage. People should contacting their riding candidates to ask where they stand on protecting the public fishery, investing in real solutions (not silly low hanging fruit of fishing closures)...real solutions like strong investment in habitat improvement, hatchery production, predator control....3 very real solutions. If we return to abundance everyone wins, including our beloved SKRW. When will the ENGO's learn from our history...what happened when we decided to ignore the root causes of steelhead decline and adopted a wild steelhead policy....they became extirpated in many rivers like the Gold. Fishing closures and restrictions don't recover populations of iconic salmon.