Here ya go it worked on my computer, could not do it on phone.
"Thought you guys might like this.
One of the better explanations of what’s happening and why.
DFO’s point of view.
Hi Bill,
Following up on our call on July 17, please find some written responses to the questions that you raised. I’ve also attached some background that we sent out on our management approach that you might find helpful.
1. How many Chinook were taken by FN in the 90 + Gill net openings on the upper Fraser?
· Licences that have been issued have NOT been for communal fisheries with wide community participation. Licences have provided for limited time and vessels with a small number chinook permitted to be harvested (in most cases it is 3 chinook per community for ceremonial use e.g. first fish; DFO also similar limited access for funerals).
· Opportunities to harvest small numbers of Chinook for ceremonial purposes is consistent with the overall management objective for fishery mortalities near 5% overall for these Fraser Chinook stocks.
· The DFO website provides information on catches in the upper and lower Fraser
i. Data is not completely current but latest reports on-line as of July 17 are 64 Chinook caught in the Lower Fraser and 63 Chinook in BC Interior.
ii. You can monitor the catch data for Fraser FSC fisheries at the following links:
1. BC Interior:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/UpperFraser/UMFHarvestReport-eng.htm
2. Lower Fraser:
https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/HTMLs/ChinookKeptCatch.html
2. Was there any DNA sampling done to ensure they were not from at risk stocks?
· DNA samples are not taken for catch, but the expectation is that most fish caught to date would be from Spring 42, Spring 52 and Summer 52 Chinook stocks of concern. As a result, DFO is managing any fishing opportunities to a very low overall mortality limit.
· Specifically, the management approach permits 5% mortality on each management unit (Spring 42, Spring 52 and Summer 52) to account for limited FN FSC fisheries, as well as, incidental catch and release mortality in the recreational fishery. Negligible impacts are expected in commercial troll fisheries as Chinook retention is delayed until August.
i. The approximate breakdown of fishery mortalities projected by harvest group is approximately 3.4% FN FSC, 0.9% recreational and 0.7% test fishery.
3. How many Chinook were taken during the July 16 ‘Chum’. Opening on the Fraser?
· DFO has not licenced any chum directed fishery opportunities to date. (Chum typically return to the Fraser in late September / October.)
· I believe this refers to an opening for a limited Food, Social and Ceremonial Chinook harvest opportunity provided to Musqueam First Nation (
https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/HTMLs/CeremonialOpeningTimes.html) that provides for a limited # participants and a small specified Chinook catch consistent with the management approach I outlined above. Catch will be updated on the DFO web-site.
4. Were all Chinook over 80 cm released?
· No, there is no size limit in the FN FSC fishery. Fish are caught by gill net and release mortality is high. Impacts are being accounted for as part of the overall 5% fishery mortalities.
5. Why are sport fishers not allowed to take a hatchery fish over 80 cm when we all know they don't go up the Fraser....particularly above Big Bar
· The Department has not authorized mark selective fisheries (MSF) in 2019 due to several concerns:
1. Conservation considerations:
a. Mark selective fisheries (MSF) increase fishing effort and release mortalities (approximately 20%) for unmarked, wild Chinook, including endangered Fraser River Chinook for which there are significant conservation concerns.
b. Canadian hatchery marked fish returning to the Fraser (including Nicola and Chilko) were required to help sustain some endangered Fraser Chinook populations where few wild fish were returning. For example, hatchery origin, marked Chinook made a high contribution to Nicola (Spring 42 stock) spawners in 2018 and helped to sustain the population given very weak wild Chinook returns. Hatchery origin Chinook also return to the Chilko (Summer 52 stock).
c. In times and areas where the encounter rates of marked Chinook in the fishery are not well above 20%, additional mortality of wild fish can be expected due to release mortality if anglers must handle more fish to keep a hatchery fish. The Department has recreational catch data including encounters of marked and unmarked Chinook by month and statistical area that is used to assess this.
2. Pacific Salmon Treaty Considerations:
a. Canada and the United States have agreed to reductions in fishery mortalities to support conservation of a number of Chinook populations in both countries. To assess the performance of these reductions for hatchery and wild Chinook, the countries plan to assess fishery mortalities using information from CWT data from hatchery marked chinook. Mark selective fisheries for hatchery fish result in more hatchery origin chinook containing CWTs that are turned in by anglers and other harvesters. As a result, this can result in an over-estimate of impacts on wild populations and requires additional information from stock assessment and catch monitoring programs to address this problem and provide appropriate fishery information for wild stocks. Examples include independent sampling of releases of wild and hatchery fish, additional Chinook head collection, detection and processing to recover CWTs and additional tagging / marking programs for wild Chinook.
· In the April 16, 2019 news release (
https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2019/04/government-of-canada-takes-action-to-address-fraser-river-chinook-decline.html), the Minister announced plans to engage with First Nations, the Province of BC and stakeholders to address a broad range of issues impacting Chinook stocks including the role of hatcheries to support rebuilding and the potential for mark selective fisheries. This work will be started this summer.
6. Has DFO changed priorities putting FN food and ceremonial fish above conservation? Sure looks that way.
· DFO is managing the fishery consistent with the Salmon Allocation Policy. Conservation of at risk Fraser Chinook is the primary objective in managing the resource. After conservation, the Department is also committed to respecting Constitutional and Treaty obligations to provide priority for First Nations harvest opportunities for Food, Social and Ceremonial and Treaty obligations. Consistent with the conservation objective to limit fishery mortalities to 5% for these Fraser Chinook, conservation measures will also constrain First Nations Chinook harvest opportunities while at risk Fraser Chinook or other stocks of concern (e.g. Early Stuart Sockeye) migrate through fishing areas. The Department is currently permitting very limited Fraser River FSC fishery opportunities to harvest small numbers of Chinook for ceremonial purposes which is consistent with the overall management objective for fishery mortalities near 5% for these stocks. The conservation objective of 5% fishery mortalities across all fisheries will also guide any fisheries that are considered.
I hope this is of assistance. Thanks for sending along the phone numbers as well.
Regards,
Jeff Grout
Regional Resource Manager – Salmon
Fisheries and Oceans Canada"