To clip or not to clip
- Thread starter Klob
- Start date
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
I heard that DFO does not want any Canadian hatchery chinook clipped as then these fish can be confused as US chinooks. Dumb idea IMO.
spring fever
Well-Known Member
Yeah might show how much our hatchery system has been degraded!!
juandesooka
Active Member
How it was explained to me ... I too have heard that DFO does not want hatchery fish clipped, but not for USA confusion. The reason is money and staff.
All wire tagged fish are clipped and they want that information back. The only way to get the wire tags back is to allow fin clipped fish to be retained by anglers. So that's why we have hatchery retention ... not because DFO cares about a recreational fishing opportunity, but so that we can do their field work.
If the hatcheries are clipping non-tagged fish, that means the wire tagged ones might only be 1 in 10 or 20 or 50. That increases the amount of staff time in checking for tags as well as the logistics of getting all those heads to the lab. So, my understanding is that DFO limits the # or % of hatchery fish that can be clipped.
However, they allow some, because if they don't create enough of a possibility of rec anglers getting a fish they can keep, no one will fish, and they won't get their tags back! Seems logical.
In contrast, on the USA side, they clip them all and are supportive of using hatcheries to create recreational fishing opportunities. All those clipped fish means keeping hatchery retention open, even though very few are likely Canadian born ... thank you USA!
we don't clip all of our hatchery fish, because Mr. Stephen Harper doesn't want them clipped as well as clipping the funding to fish hatcheries. If we have fish returning to hatcheries and rivers then people will want to fish them and then they will be concerned about pollution and habitat degradation. If they are concerned about that then they won't want those big beautiful pipelines running all over the country so we can donate our resources to the global community.
Maybe not a complete truth, but methinks they would be happy if less fishy / environmentalists were so interested in our beautiful bc.
Maybe not a complete truth, but methinks they would be happy if less fishy / environmentalists were so interested in our beautiful bc.
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
Funny, I had been told a little of both by (Mel maybe?)....the whole not clipping thing does relate to the fact that (not confusion), if they weren't clipped, then they could much more easily just write off a non-tagged clip as a US fish. Just easier management for them and it effects our negotiations with US. Same time, I have been told in the past that DFO has no problem with clipping in Canada as long as the 'intentions' are given to DFO well in advance....THAT contradicts the first point, so beats me.
I could totally see the logic in not letting us clip so its easier for them to just rule it a US fish, but if that was the case, wouldn't be much incentive for any volunteer to raise the ho's if they don't get the opportunity to take them home a few years later!
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
WUT?????? where did you get the idea that DFO doesnt want volunteers to clip fish????
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
as I said, believe that was from a conversation with Mel at the hatchery a couple years back. Perhaps with time the translation was lost from that discussion, but the jest of it was that for DFO, its a problem if they are clipped in Canada because then they have no way of telling what is American and what is Canadian. Could be along the lines of 'we know they need to get clipped and we get thats the point of hatchery', but if they are clipped and added to the sort pile, we can no longer do an accurate job of distinguishing between US and Canada. Double edged sword and well, I do understand that logic.
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
and that's what I meant but my original confusion comment above...
blackvelvet
Member
Up till about the late 90's the only U.S. hatchery fish that were clipped were ones with a wire code implant (same as BC).
What forced the change was a long time congressman from Washington who was also a sport fishing advocate. Norm Dicks (recently retired).
Starting in the 70's several Puget sound rivers had declining wild Chinook stocks which led to complete closure for summer adult Chinook inside Puget sound and many coastal communities. Thru the 90's and early 00's hatchery production was upscaled, mainly for the benefit of non recreational sector. Norm got legislation passed to force all Washington hatcheries to clip their fish(public tax dollars paid for the hatcheries). This was the beginning of what eventually led to a re-opening of summer Chinook retention inside Puget sound(started 2007 hatchery only). A short season, but a long time coming in waters closed for so many years.
Many of Washingtons small coastal towns that were once booming when salmon were plentuiful, Were feeling the pinch. This increased opportunity has had a huge positive impact on those small towns that depend on recreational fishers to keep their economy afloat.....That is why Washington hatcheries clip their fish. Recreational opportunity while at the same time protecting the depleted stocks of wild Chinook runs......Seems our politicians mighta finally figured out that recreational fishers are willing to spend ton of money pursuing their passion.....Once a politician hears the word "money", you pretty much have their attention.
What forced the change was a long time congressman from Washington who was also a sport fishing advocate. Norm Dicks (recently retired).
Starting in the 70's several Puget sound rivers had declining wild Chinook stocks which led to complete closure for summer adult Chinook inside Puget sound and many coastal communities. Thru the 90's and early 00's hatchery production was upscaled, mainly for the benefit of non recreational sector. Norm got legislation passed to force all Washington hatcheries to clip their fish(public tax dollars paid for the hatcheries). This was the beginning of what eventually led to a re-opening of summer Chinook retention inside Puget sound(started 2007 hatchery only). A short season, but a long time coming in waters closed for so many years.
Many of Washingtons small coastal towns that were once booming when salmon were plentuiful, Were feeling the pinch. This increased opportunity has had a huge positive impact on those small towns that depend on recreational fishers to keep their economy afloat.....That is why Washington hatcheries clip their fish. Recreational opportunity while at the same time protecting the depleted stocks of wild Chinook runs......Seems our politicians mighta finally figured out that recreational fishers are willing to spend ton of money pursuing their passion.....Once a politician hears the word "money", you pretty much have their attention.
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