wild steelhead coalition

[onefish]

Steelhead populations are at historic lows throughout the northwest yet the guiding community it still pounding away until the very last fish is gone. Pathetic.
Gillnets and guides, things that could be changed quickly for the benefit of the few remaining fish. All the rest of the issues are either slow to change ( habitat issues, water quality, seals, logging, hatchery programs, predators, water licenses etc ) or totally out of the ability of the feds/province to change (ocean conditions, high seas gillnetting, climate change etc).

 

[Whitebuck]

Searun,

Traditionally as quill said it would peak around thanksgiving. However the run timing would be be all over the map as there is(was) 10 different stocks above Hells gate. The earliest I have personally seen an IFS in the lower Fraser was a 27-28lb buck my buddy got barfishing at Peg July 24 almost 20 years ago. As Dave said more would get caught starting in August. I know of two friends from Hope that would barfish for them up until it got too cold in the beginning of December and they would get fish. They were above the Coquihalla so they werent intecepting early winter stock. A few years before it closed we ended up getting a sea lice blue doe in Lytton the first week of December. So fresh fish would still come into Fraser until December for sure.

Also some other interesting facts...there were two seasons that seals made it all the way to the "hotel run" in Spences Bridge. Who knows how many steelhead they they killed in town before someone took care of them.

Two easy fixes that we can take care of is seals and nets. The only chance our Fraser stocks have moving forward is taking care of the issues that we can mitigate.

As for the 27 day rolling closure....yes it does stop some interception. But when you still have archaic test fisheries as well as other net fisheries fish are still going to be intercepted. I would imagine next years sockeye run will be the last nail in the coffin of these world re-knowned fish.

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2017COM-eng.pdf

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2016COM-eng.pdf

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2018COM-eng.pdf

I cant seem to find any links for commercial numbers within the Fraser during those time periods. If someone could put up those numbers it would be great.


Truly sad what DFO has allowed to happen over the last few decades.

 

[searun]

Steelhead populations are at historic lows throughout the northwest yet the guiding community it still pounding away until the very last fish is gone. Pathetic.
Gillnets and guides, things that could be changed quickly for the benefit of the few remaining fish. All the rest of the issues are either slow to change ( habitat issues, water quality, seals, logging, hatchery programs, predators, water licenses etc ) or totally out of the ability of the feds/province to change (ocean conditions, high seas gillnetting, climate change etc).

That's kind of silly, guides? How about their client!!! The guide is only helping facilitate taking the "client" fishing. The "pounding" is taking place with or without the "guide" so how exactly is it that guides are the core problem?

Quite frankly if we are going to pull out all the "stops" its a bit too late in the game to implement long-term impacts/solutions to achieve the sort of immediate recovery necessary given the extremely low recruitment....and I would place angling impacts in that grouping...its never been proven that fishing related mortality is a causal factor in steelhead declines.

 

[searun]

Searun,

Traditionally as quill said it would peak around thanksgiving. However the run timing would be be all over the map as there is(was) 10 different stocks above Hells gate. The earliest I have personally seen an IFS in the lower Fraser was a 27-28lb buck my buddy got barfishing at Peg July 24 almost 20 years ago. As Dave said more would get caught starting in August. I know of two friends from Hope that would barfish for them up until it got too cold in the beginning of December and they would get fish. They were above the Coquihalla so they werent intecepting early winter stock. A few years before it closed we ended up getting a sea lice blue doe in Lytton the first week of December. So fresh fish would still come into Fraser until December for sure.

Also some other interesting facts...there were two seasons that seals made it all the way to the "hotel run" in Spences Bridge. Who knows how many steelhead they they killed in town before someone took care of them.

Two easy fixes that we can take care of is seals and nets. The only chance our Fraser stocks have moving forward is taking care of the issues that we can mitigate.

As for the 27 day rolling closure....yes it does stop some interception. But when you still have archaic test fisheries as well as other net fisheries fish are still going to be intercepted. I would imagine next years sockeye run will be the last nail in the coffin of these world re-knowned fish.

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2017COM-eng.pdf

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2016COM-eng.pdf

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/docs/abor-autoc/LFOpenings/2018COM-eng.pdf

I cant seem to find any links for commercial numbers within the Fraser during those time periods. If someone could put up those numbers it would be great.


Truly sad what DFO has allowed to happen over the last few decades.

Agreed, timing of the fishery closures in the main migratory corridor (Fraser main stem) needs to be far better coordinated to avoid the core steelhead migration. I haven't seen Rob Bison's migration timing data in a while, but seems to me the peak migration through the lower Fraser was mostly in September. Think DFO and Province need to coordinate when FSC fisheries can take place. I take no issues with FSC opportunities so long as they are timed and planned to avoid IFS steelhead. Very glad to see FN's pursuing FSC opportunities outside of Main Stem Fraser, concentrating effort in tributaries with stronger returns. That's one way to shift fisheries to generate win/win solutions.

 

[onefish]

That's kind of silly, guides? How about their client!!! The guide is only helping facilitate taking the "client" fishing. The "pounding" is taking place with or without the "guide" so how exactly is it that guides are the core problem?

Quite frankly if we are going to pull out all the "stops" its a bit too late in the game to implement long-term impacts/solutions to achieve the sort of immediate recovery necessary given the extremely low recruitment....and I would place angling impacts in that grouping...its never been proven that fishing related mortality is a causal factor in steelhead declines.

How about their clients!!!!!!!!!!!! No, how about the damn fish for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[OldBlackDog]

There are 28 Chinook stocks in the Southern area.
Of this, 12 Are endangered. 7 are threatened. 5 are data deficient. 2 are special concern.

There are 2 stocks that are not at risk.

Dont worry, DFO is going to fix this.

 

[OldBlackDog]

In 1998 David Anderson closed Coho fishing to save the Thompson Coho.

So, give or take 23 years.

No one is fishing for these fish and the closures are still on.

DFO has not resolved this at all.

How long do you think it will take to fix the 26 Chinook runs?

 

[searun]

How about their clients!!!!!!!!!!!! No, how about the damn fish for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are being silly...missed my point entirely. We need to pull out all the stops and take action that will make the most difference. Lighting hair on fire about guides, and missing the point of removing all fishery related mortality was my point....but lets be real about the very minimal contribution that would amount to.

 

[Whitebuck]

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/PDFs/CommunalOpeningTimes.pdf

Here are more openings for the lower Fraser just to make sure there is no chance of any numbers of chum or steelhead returning.

One also has to question the openings in the Fraser canyon. There is almost zero chum stocks above the Coquihalla. Springs moving up past hope in November? Not a chance. The only two stocks that would be intercepted this time of year up there would be endangered IFC and steelhead with the fishwheel.

 

[onefish]

The reality is, FN are going to fish, with, or without, DFO timelines and rubber stamp of approval.

 

[searun]

Seems to me that for the most part we all care deeply about trying to do the right things to secure a future for SH. Picking at one another, and various stakeholders such as FN's isn't however going to build the collective will to take action. Working with various stakeholders rather than taking shots at them is more likely to be successful. IMO our approach has been divisive, and while it makes us feel vindicated in taking whatever moral high ground, it's accomplishing nothing. Same in-fighting which will lead to the same end result. More to be gained by finding positive ways we can all engage, find the common ground and help one another to do something good for SH. So, I support some form of coalition constructed on the principle of collaboration.