...They now have the right to commercially fish the sockeye run in Port Alberni for the first time. We will see what that means for the future of that fishery.
Not to detract from your point, but...
The greatest threat to the Alberni sockeye run comes not from the local FN's. Rather it comes directly from those who are
supposed to be "
managing" them. Case in point this season:
The Dino arbitrarily decides there are "
too many sockeye" approaching the system. Their response: unleash the bag fleet to the tune of 20 plus seiners and over 150 gillnetters for a period of
THREE WEEKS! This at a time in the season when areas are being shut down to protect returning Henderson sockeye, and early returning springs. Yup, close down areas to sportfishing to "
protect" the "
threatened stocks", then
HAMMER THE BEJESUZ out of the entire area with the bag fleet!
No on-board observers, so
The Dino relies on the individual skips for catch numbers. Not only were
MASSIVE volumes of sockeye removed, but Henderson sox, the early springs and pretty much most of the summer run steelhead were vacuumed up as well.
So, IMHO, it is pretty much fact that the greatest single weapon working against our local sockeye run is the very ministry that is mandated with managing them.
I do hear you though regarding an eventual split of harvest between FN's and everyone else. Given the way that is currently orchestrated, I cannot possibly believe that can in any way be good for the fish, nor us as anglers. Shudder to think that may be the way
The Dino ends up going...
Nog