DFO Buried Scientists Concerns Regarding Steelhead

[Riverbc]

https://theprovince.com/news/local-n...box=1551074881


Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) suppressed elements of a scientific assessment that could have led to stronger protections for a steelhead population on the brink of extinction, according to a letter written by B.C. Deputy Minister of the Environment Mark Zacharias.
DFO unilaterally changed the conclusions to “support status-quo commercial salmon harvesting” in a report based on a stock assessment of the Interior Fraser steelhead, reads the letter sent to federal Deputy Minister of the Environment Stephen Lucas.

[walks with deer]

disgusting and not suprising.
at what point does commercial harvest need to be slowed.

[IronNoggin]

If anyone ever doubted this ministries' collusion, and downright corruption...

Ticked,
Nog

[bottles]

Absolutely ridiculous!!

[NO IDEAS]

so so mad to see that these bozo are " the leaders"

[MichelD]

A commercial guy posted this on Facebook:


I just don't understand how commercial fishing can be found to blame for the continued decline of interior steelhead stocks. In a four year period we fish for sockeye; one year for about 8 days and another year for 0 to 3 days. And the fishery in Johnstone Straits is also limited to this little time. We fish 2 days each year for chums in late October (long after the interior steelhead have migrated past).

Please notice that this leaves an enormous window for steelhead migration. Salmon harvesting is the “only substantial threat to Interior Fraser steelhead that can be immediately mitigated” to save a population that has fallen from 8,000 spawners to only 277, writes Zacharias. Does Mark Zachaias really believe that we are that effective in 10 days out of 4 years? Maybe commercial salmon fishing isn't the problem.

[weatherby_man]

DFO has been inept and corrupt for so long and have done nothing of any substance to save anything.

DFO = Da F*** (with the) Oceans

[Danny_29]

Awful. Going to get closed down just like the east coast. I feel bad for the poor fella that institues a moratorium because of all the mismanagement.

[Riverbc]

A commercial guy posted this on Facebook:


I just don't understand how commercial fishing can be found to blame for the continued decline of interior steelhead stocks. In a four year period we fish for sockeye; one year for about 8 days and another year for 0 to 3 days. And the fishery in Johnstone Straits is also limited to this little time. We fish 2 days each year for chums in late October (long after the interior steelhead have migrated past).

Please notice that this leaves an enormous window for steelhead migration. Salmon harvesting is the “only substantial threat to Interior Fraser steelhead that can be immediately mitigated” to save a population that has fallen from 8,000 spawners to only 277, writes Zacharias. Does Mark Zachaias really believe that we are that effective in 10 days out of 4 years? Maybe commercial salmon fishing isn't the problem.

The big issue, is the Thompson River and Chilcotin stocks that go up the Fraser River. The provincial fisheries know when these fish have entered the lower Fraser River. During this time, there should be no commercial nets in the Fraser River at all. Unfortunately, the commercial openings are Federal, not Provincial, so they don't care about steelhead. One year, in the early 80s, about half of the Thompson River's forecasted 1200 steelhead were taken by a commercial chum opening, in the lower Fraser River. The Provincial Fish and Wildlife, and sports fishers, were up in arms over it, but the feds could care less, about wiping out half a sports fishery. Now the Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead are on the verge of extinction.

According to this 2017 report, 25 % on the annual Thompson River steelhead are still being caught in commercial chum fishery chum nets.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...head-1.4388170

[Rupert Retired]

The responses on this thread so far lead me to believe that no-one actually read the Province piece, nor understand fish management or dynamics; not unusual because it is a very complex science, as well as a very complex legal web regarding listings of endangered species etc. DFO is easy to bash, it is a big target, but it has done way more to protect salmon (yes, and steelhead) than the Province has ever done. Conservation of salmon and steelhead stocks are easy, just close everyone down! Mission accomplished. But that is not exactly what people want, is it? They want to close everyone else down, and have their own fishery preserved! If the best science says that these steelhead runs can be protected by certain timed closures (as the article states, and this has been peer reviewed), then go with that, don't advocate for more than that or everything will be closed down and you will essentially be left with a National Park, advocating total protection. So, be careful of what you wish for.