The SFAB deals with DFO on behalf of sport fishers –
our issues and concerns. You can become involved in your local area if you
wish. The main sport fishers on the SFAB are longstanding, knowledgeable and
speak well for us. Below, is a summary of a few issues in the 23-page PDF.
For several reasons chinook are the key species under
discussion: under-production of several Fraser stocks, food for killer whales
and some for the three main stakeholders, sport fishers, commercial fishers and
aboriginals. The intention is to increase hatchery stocks. At present there is
no cash to expand infrastructure or open new hatcheries. On the other hand, the
epigenetic approach of developing a more robust hatchery stock does suggest
that the problem of hatchery fish being unable to spawn naturally, can be
resolved.
The discussion on freshwater habitat restoration has
not yet progressed in the issue list, but of course, is the root issue. Netpens
are being discussed, and as I suggested in an earlier post, it makes sense to start
a dozen netpens, each having 2 million fry, with a total of 24 million each
year, that would begin to address the killer whale feed issue – and we need to
do it as soon as possible to put adult chinook in the water. Another solution at
early discussion stage is marking chinook for release and thus fisheries, as is
done in WA.
Cost of marking fish is an issue, as well as
interaction of marked fish with the Coded Wire Tagging program. For example, CWT
fish are marked and we send in heads based on being from a marked fish, so if
there are more marked, but not with a CWT present, that means putting in heads
without tags, and the stats would go awry.
The issue with epigenetics is increasing the number of
returnees/spawners may lead to impacting wild chinook. The three main WCVI
hatcheries are the Nitinat, Robertson Creek and Conuma River. Wild stocks are
in great danger with the last total WCVI number that I recall is 6,000 fish.
Clayoquot Sound has only 501 in a half dozen rivers. Add to this that chinook
come back before our increasingly delayed fall rains occur, and thus, getting
into the rivers is dicey. And transporting fish in trucks with tanks to major
pools is costly.
Here are a few comments from the Integrated Fisheries
Management Plan discussion:
1. Alberni
sockeye in collapse.
2. Fraser
sockeye number is 13 million, but many stocks of concern, may lead to selective
fisheries.
3. Overall
a reduction of chinook will lead to measures to reduce catch by 25- to 35-%,
with all science not yet in.
4. Alaska
will reduce its catch 10% and you will have heard that recreation harvest has
been eliminated in northern BC’s large drainages as the DFO response.
5. Decline
in chinook numbers for Harrisons and summer 4-1s.
6. The
SFU paper on coast wide chinook declines suggests more catch reductions. This I
think is a problem with the DFO approach: it reduces fisheries down and down,
but doesn’t put the money into habitat restoration, seal culls, Salish Sea
loading for plankton production and eliminating the herring roe fishery, oh and
those fish farms that need to be put on land, for precautionary reasons.
Here is a quote on this issue, from
DFO: ‘DFO: Given current trends, DFO is not comfortable maintaining current
ERs.’ Rather than looking for other solutions. And another quote: ‘Removals
includes fishery impacts only; predation is part of marine survival.’ Which is
a way of saying we are looking only at reducing fisheries, not doing freshwater
habitat, not culling seals.
7. Jeremy
Maynard is from Campbell River and summed it up this way: ‘…this is the worst
situation in 23 years of SFAB participation, so the sector is in shock. DFO has
not provided the necessary information to provide advice on 2018 measures, plus
the short planning timeline add up to an appalling situation.’ I would add that
I felt 2017 was the worst year for all species in the 40 years I have lived in
BC. The discussion, by DFO, on this one simply moved on to catch reduction
strategies and did not address the concern directly.
8. Martin
Paish commented on making recommendations without knowing the science: ‘It’s
mind-boggling that we’re expected to provide advice by April 16 for measures
that won’t go into effect before June, with incomplete information. For
example, what is the point of a maximum size limit if it’s not applied to all
other fisheries?’ DFO’s response was that everyone was in the same boat: ‘DFO
needs the extra time to finalize the IFMP and Ottawa needs time to review, so
any further delays would affect June 1 implementation.’
This sounds reasonable, but DFO has
been criticized recently about its science work by the ENGO, Watershed Watch’s,
science person, Stan Proboszcz: https://fishfarmnews.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dfo-conflict-of-interest-and-scams.html.
9. DFO
intends to address interior steelhead numbers through rolling window closures.
It was pointed out that this would negatively impact the Brown’s Bay chum
fishery in early fall.
10. Keogh
River coho are being affected by seal predation.
11. The
Nanaimo SFAB presented a motion that would increase the forwarding of catch
logs by guides/lodges in the area. Presently, returns of these documents have
declined. Nanaimo also presented a motion to reduce the commercial catch of
herring from 20% of biomass.
12. Port
Renfrew presented a motion, that passed, limiting the width from point to shank
in single barbless hooks to 15 mm. The purpose of which is to reduce snagging chinook
in the Nitinat in early fall.
13. A
motion was passed suggesting that DFO eliminate reductions in Cowichan chinook
given three years of good numbers. My most recent figure is 23,000 for 2017,
which is phenomenal, with high jack numbers suggesting that 2018 will also be a
good year, in an otherwise difficult chinook picture.
14. Halibut
fishing has been poor in Juan de Fuca so far this year. In the past year, zero
chinook returned to Goldstream and only 7 coho as broodstock.
15. In
Port Alberni it was recommended that the hatchery return to 12.5M smolts from
the current 6.5M. And that DFO select the largest fish for broodstock. Also,
that DFO take over funding the netpen in the Inlet, as it supports killer
whales and has had a positive effect on returns.
16. A
project to raise marked coho for a fishery in the Gold River area, should
return 10- to 20-thousand coho into Moutcha Bay, Conuma River this fall. Sounds
like a good place to fish in a pontoon boat this fall. A motion was passed for
4 a day and 8 in possession.
17. Regarding
transportation of someone else’s fish, as the law will be loosened, a motion
passed saying that a note with the angler’s signature should be sufficient to
avoid being charged, with so doing. In good humour, Gerry Kristianson had this to
offer: ‘In early June, I will be travelling to Victoria in possession of my
limit and that of my son, who can’t travel with me so I invite DFO to charge
me.’ Gee, I’d like to get a photo of this.
18. Despite the issue of marked fish intermingling
with CWT chinook with resultant statistical problems, a motion was passed:
‘Whereas Southern BC Chinook are scheduled to undergo a COSEWIC assessment in
the fall of 2019; and, Whereas DFO is looking to reduce exploitation rates on
some wild BC Chinook stocks; and, Whereas the use of a hatchery mark can be
used as a possible management tool, Therefore be it resolved that starting in
2019 all hatchery Chinook production in Southern BC be marked with an Adipose
Fin Clip(AFC).’
I think it is important to note
here that the COSEWIC assessment shows just how bad the rehabilitation of these
stocks has been by DFO, rather than habitat restoration, which is the solution,
not continued fisheries reduction, which lead in only one direction: down to
zero. Epigenetics of hatchery chinook shows an enlightened approach to genetic
issues.
19. A
motion was passed saying that the SFAB is not going to provide Fraser chinook
recommendations, until the science has been provided.
Here is the SFAB bottom line on Fraser chinook:
When developing Chinook management plans for 2018 the
following points should be considered:
1. The SCSFAB acknowledges the
current state of many Fraser Chinook populations but wants to know the overall plan to rebuild these stocks
beyond cuts to fisheries, particularly as the recent planning requirements
have superseded the SBC Chinook Strategic Planning Initiative. Component
strategies could include strategic
enhancement, predator control and water use issues.
2. That savings of Chinook in
outside fisheries through reduced fishing opportunity must be passed through to
the spawning grounds, not provide opportunities for greater harvest for other
users.
3. The salmon allocation policy
providing priority access for Chinook by the recreational fishery before
commercial harvest must be fully respected.
4. Limits for Chinook should
remain at 2 per day, 4 in possession away from home.
5. Identifiable hatchery origin
fish should be exempt from any new measures (e.g. reduced limits, time and area
or maximum size restrictions) intended to lower the exploitation rate on Fraser
Chinook stocks of concern.
6. Reductions in Chinook harvest
on stocks of concern made for other reasons (e.g. additional prey for SRKW)
must be accounted for in the management regime intended to lower the ER on
Fraser Chinook stocks of concern.
7. Allowance should be made for terminal
area exceptions where Fraser River Chinook stocks of concern are not
encountered. Examples are fisheries inside the surf line on WCVI and the
Campbell River river mouth special management zone.
8. The management plan designed to
meet the new ER objectives on Fraser Chinook stocks of concern must be
sensitive to time and area considerations for these migratory fish i.e.
additional restrictions must be made on a PFMA and monthly basis as they may
not be required or relevant at all times.
9. The department must explain the rationale for requesting
reductions when the exploitation rate already meets the requested parameters.
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