Southeast Alaska is shutting down their chinook fisheries...gulp

[gamechanger]

Not good news for chinook...



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Charles O. Swanton, Deputy Commissioner, (907) 465-4115
ADF&G Announces Non-retention of Chinook Salmon for Commercial and Recreational Fisheries Throughout Southeast Alaska

August 7, 2017, JUNEAU – Due to poor ocean survival conditions for Chinook (king) salmon, which are persisting in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, extreme management measures are necessary to restrict harvest in coast wide fisheries that are directed at stocks originating in Southeast Alaska, Northern British Columbia, the Fraser River, and the Washington Coast.


Inseason information from ADF&G, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and NOAA surveys off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and the Gulf of Alaska all indicate that poor production conditions are currently occurring and will persist through at least 2018. In particular, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia stocks are experiencing historically low production; many of the affected stocks will not meet escapement goals or management objectives in 2017.


The inseason data and stock specific information cannot be ignored when conservation of wild stocks is the foundation of the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy and the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Therefore, it is imperative that Alaska offer relief now for these stocks, with a focus on protecting future production.


Although it is a very difficult decision to make, retention of Chinook salmon will cease at 12:01am, Thursday, August 10, 2017, in the Southeast Alaska recreational and commercial fisheries and non-retention will continue through September. Information on the status of stocks is still being collected and will inform management decisions beyond the September time frame.


Related Division of Sport Fish News Release:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=Region.R1&Year=2017


Related Division of Commercial Fisheries News Release:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareasoutheast.salmon

 

[SpringVelocity]

Oh oh

 

[ILHG]

Oh boy....

To be honest I am surprised it has taken this long for something to happen. Haida Gwaii has been terrible this year. Never seen it so bad for salmon. While there was/is fish on the west side, it's not like it should be....


Has Canada ever followed suit with Alask before on this?

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

Won't be long now, good thing the freezer is full, time to focus efforts on getting ready for hunting...

 

[ryanb]

Good for them having the gumption to do what needs to be done . I'd be shocked if DFO follows suit though...

 

[Clint r]

^^^^Doubt it.^^^^There's still some left.

 

[Tsquared]

Don't give them too many kudos--a lot of their summer run Chinook fishery is pretty much done. The horse has already left the barn....
T2

 

[ericl]

Numbers show both SEAK & NBC commie trolls did poorly. They usually catch their quota in a week after opening in late June/early July & have by now (early Aug) only caught about 75% of quota. The quota is about half of what it was 2 years ago.

As far as I know this has never happened.

Kinda interesting as the low return predictions were available BEFORE the commie's opened but it took over a month of poor fishing for action to happen.

Word down here in Seattle is the sporties on ECVI are really hammering our endangered Puget Sound Chinook this year.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of action this year in BC & flabbergasted if there wasn't next year & years to come.

 

[wildmanyeah]

This is what happens when you have a big sockeye fishery, Think any chinook survive thoes gillnets nope!

Ours will be okay, ours has been recovering ever since our sockeye have been going downhill

 

[wildmanyeah]

Good for them having the gumption to do what needs to be done . I'd be shocked if DFO follows suit though...

The decision was made by PSC not by Alaska Fish and Game. PSC could do the same to our waters even if DFO wanted it open

 

[Busterbrown]

Does anyone know what how many pieces are in the Commercial troll quota ?? You would think that it would be the first segment closed if any action is taken by the DFO. Rec sector contributes significantly more $ to the economy

 

[Redfisher]

Way too many opinions without scientific support here folks. There are a lot of cards on the table in this game that have not been played yet.

 

[Seafever]

Word down here in Seattle is the sporties on ECVI are really hammering our endangered Puget Sound Chinook this year.

.

LOL....well I'm not one of 'em....haven't caught Jack Crap in four consecutive trips..

 

[aheny]

Does anyone know what how many pieces are in the Commercial troll quota ?? You would think that it would be the first segment closed if any action is taken by the DFO. Rec sector contributes significantly more $ to the economy

I seriously doubt that see it that way after the lobbyists are done with them

 

[ziggy]

Numbers show both SEAK & NBC commie trolls did poorly. They usually catch their quota in a week after opening in late June/early July & have by now (early Aug) only caught about 75% of quota. The quota is about half of what it was 2 years ago.

As far as I know this has never happened.

Kinda interesting as the low return predictions were available BEFORE the commie's opened but it took over a month of poor fishing for action to happen.

Word down here in Seattle is the sporties on ECVI are really hammering our endangered Puget Sound Chinook this year.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of action this year in BC & flabbergasted if there wasn't next year & years to come.

Wonder if the "word" is based on fact or merely scapegoating. It seems a lot of finger pointing happens when things go awry, everyone looking for a scapegoat. As for them being your fish, seems to me if your fish our feeding in our waters, competing with our stock for our baitfish, are they really just yours,or ours as well? Do we just feed them for you? I think that given the fish have no fences ,us, you (lower 48)and Alaska, who for whatever reason seems to be a separate entity from the rest of the U.S. need to work together. Final point, how many anglers "hammering "your fish in our waters are in fact your fellow Americans?

 

[Discus]

Trump got screwed up.

 

[Blackmax]

The Americans raped and pillaged Campbell River for decades. The Airstreamers canning and freezing all kinds of seafood. They continue to catch our salmon commercially in the US waters but want us to stop fishing out fish? If a a Canadian tried to tell them to stop they would put a cap in your butt.

 

[bigdogg1]

LOL....well I'm not one of 'em....haven't caught Jack Crap in four consecutive trips..

Same goes for me

 

[ziggy]

The Americans raped and pillaged Campbell River for decades. The Airstreamers canning and freezing all kinds of seafood. They continue to catch our salmon commercially in the US waters but want us to stop fishing out fish? If a a Canadian tried to tell them to stop they would put a cap in your butt.

I believe the proper term is "bust a cap in your butt" lol. Seriously though we can all point fingers at each other ,try and solve the problem together, or just justify our inaction be blaming the "other guys". Greed knows no borders nor is it present in just one segment of fishery.

 

[Busterbrown]

The Americans raped and pillaged Campbell River for decades. The Airstreamers canning and freezing all kinds of seafood. They continue to catch our salmon commercially in the US waters but want us to stop fishing out fish? If a a Canadian tried to tell them to stop they would put a cap in your butt.

The number of American visitors to coastal BC continues to grow every year. The chinook fishery is closed in Wash and Oregon therefor more pressure on the stocks travelling down the coast here. Whether they catch them here or in their own waters, they are still catching them