DFO Buried Scientists Concerns Regarding Steelhead

[Riverbc]

https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/dfo-buried-scientists-concerns-about-endangered-steelhead-b-c-deputy-minister-says/wcm/6bf0c506-3a48-4cf7-aedb-eb5a0d619d36?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=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... :evil:

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/british-columbia/extremely-close-to-being-gone-forever-b-c-fisheries-manager-says-feds-failing-interior-steelhead-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.

[walks with deer]

rupert retired where you a gillnetter by chance???
i will gladly park my fishing pole.if there is not allowable harvest dont....pretty simple.
reported bycatch is one tenth the occurance.
upper thompson hillbillys could use some education on what a trout is would help too.
bycatch of sporties is rare on steelhead i know of one mort on the fraser and one on the chehalis which does not count where not the target was caught.

[Rupert Retired]

Walks with deer - Hahaha, no I was never a gillnetter, ever! I was a commercial troller, and had my own boat for 11 years, 1973 to 1984, but the amount of steelhead I caught was less than about 20 in all those years, like about 1 - 3 per year. They don't bite very well in the ocean. Whenever we caught a steelhead we thought it was a real treat, and we kept it and cooked it. But really, they are not that good table fare, very dry. But a nice change from the salmon we could eat any time we wanted to!

Really the current conflict is, as usual, who should get the allowable surplus. As I said in my previous post, it's easy to manage for conservation, just close everything down. Then, if the situation is not that dire, the next thing you need to do is allow First Nations to retain some steelhead, that is if they want to. Many times if you talk to them, they don't really want them, as I have said, they are not great table fare. But, they do have first dibs on them, so you have to talk and discuss what is realistic. After that, it is purely a matter of dividing up the remaining catch between commercial by-catch and recreational mortalities, even if there is no commercial or recreational retention. Simple, right? Hahaha, not.

[Keta1969]

rupert retired where you a gillnetter by chance???
i will gladly park my fishing pole.if there is not allowable harvest dont....pretty simple.
reported bycatch is one tenth the occurance.
upper thompson hillbillys could use some education on what a trout is would help too.
bycatch of sporties is rare on steelhead i know of one mort on the fraser and one on the chehalis which does not count where not the target was caught.

Think what he is trying to say is, are we talking about closing everyone down including any ridiculous catch and release on the few 100 that are left or do you only want someone else to shoulder the load? I've seen this before many times and if you always point the finger elsewhere you create animosity which does nothing to help the steelhead. By the way, full disclosure I was involved in the industry for 25 years working on a seiner so I've got some insight and have always felt huge opportunities were missed because of the blame game. Now I can believe that Gillnet's in October may take some steelhead in the Fraser But so do aboriginal nets and contrary to the article they are still fishing so lets slam them and alienate another even more powerful group. As for by-catch been 1/10th of actual catch, where did that info come from, do you have anything at all to back it up? Not trying to be a dick but a statement like that does not help. Now, no one has to believe this but we fished Johnstone Straight a lot(every chum opening) and it was very unusual to get a steelhead maybe 5 or ten max in 25 years, we would go years without seeing one. So there was bycatch but in my experience it was very low and in today's shortened fisheries with less boats would be just about non existent. It would be a tragedy to lose these fish so get everyone together and sit down and figure it out without blaming one group. If you know a Fraser River gillnetter buy him a coffee and ask him what can we do collectively with all of the groups involved sharing the pain. You may be surprised with his outlook and desire to help.

[Caribou_lou]

Well put Rupert Retired and keta1969

[walks with deer]

sorry gents i will reply in more detail from my computer tommorow(rare i reply with that)

please explain to me how a seiner or troller in the ocean is comparable to a drift gill net in the bottlenecked fraser? targeting a school species and run in the ocean compared to a mix bag in the river in a pinch point...lol not even comparable..

by catch to much bycatch is reported seasons are ended...hence old schoolers throwing fish over board..
gillnetting on the fraser i have worked the boat many a summer for sockeye and fall for chum..the later the chum the better the eggs right??? to much bycatch and no more season..
i know many gillnetters on the fraser i have fished on gill boats from the mission bridge to port man...

natives are a totaly other subject and they dont net chum on halloween from what i have seen.
i am sure you guys are proud of the livelyhood you made but boys shes over harvested...managing too zero..

[40incher]

There is no such thing as "Steelhead Science" … it is an absolute oxymoron!

The province has been misreporting steelhead abundance for decades, and getting away with it unfortunately. The agenda is to create the illusion of a crisis to shut down the commercial fishermen and the FN's. There is no "science", just relentless rhetoric, fearmongering and bullying.

They lowball steelhead escapements and highball catch by other sectors.

One of the few good things DFO has done is to stand up the province on this issue.

[IronNoggin]

... They lowball steelhead escapements and highball catch by other sectors.

One of the few good things DFO has done is to stand up the province on this issue.

Spoken like either a true gillnetter, or one with his head firmly buried in the sand. :roll:

Carry on, but understand there is indeed a LOT of science, and it's all pretty much against your opinion...

Cheers,
Nog

[walks with deer]

ironnoggin and i disagree on alot..

that said him being a retired bioligist and when we all know industry has to survive but at what cost...
over harvest is the leading issue of all speceices.

you should see what comes out of the nets when they commercial fish kamloops lake.

[Spy]

Im going to go out on a limb here and say the nets in the fraser are a BIG BIG part of the problem.. Ban all net fishing around the AWorld and we will see all fish stocks make a HUGE recovery.. You can't catch all the fish in the oceans with two hooks per line.. Just saying ;-)

[walks with deer]

my favorite foods are red spring than sockeye,next blacktail and 4th moose..5th mule deer..lately i eat alot of trout and whitetail from populations that are high and hard to impact...
pull the nets...is a good start.

[Keta1969]

What a good start would be is for all stakeholders Native, Sports and commercial all getting together and working with a common goal of saving the Thompson River steelhead, or a total closure for EVERYONE will be put in place. If you can't work as one especially with First Nations the steelhead are doomed if it's not too late already.

[REMINGTON JIM]

walks with deer : you should see what comes out of the nets when they commercial fish kamloops lake

Buddy I would like to know more about the KL Comm fishery and what they NET out and when Please ! RJ

[weatherby_man]

IMHO until there is valid control of all user groups and a sustainable management plan that includes an aggressive stocking program, these stocks are doomed.

[tubby]

Only chance these fish have is ZERO netting within the Fraser...both FN and commercial!

[Keta1969]

Only chance these fish have is ZERO netting within the Fraser...both FN and commercial!

Including ZERO catch and release. TOTAL CLOSURE no"trout" fishing.

[Caribou_lou]

my favorite foods are red spring than sockeye,next blacktail and 4th moose..5th mule deer..lately i eat alot of trout and whitetail from populations that are high and hard to impact...
pull the nets...is a good start.

One of my favorites is Steelhead. And that fishery (on the Skeena) was taken away from me years ago. Why? Not because of a science based decision. The Steelhead science based decisions in this province is sickening comparable to the Grizzly hunt in my opinion.

[tubby]

Keta I agree 100%....the Thompson should be a complete closure from Sept 20 on. The spey guys still.up.tjere just before it closes is ****ed. They know what they are targeting. Still.need a hero shot with a the most endangered steelhead in BC.

The last thing we need on the skeena is a kill fishery for steelhead. If you want to eat steelhead you have got year round opportunities to.kill hatchery steelhead. Why do you need to eat a wild one?

[IronNoggin]

“One of the things we agreed upon was that we would look to direct our officials to work in collaborative ways going forward to ensure that there is no finger-pointing between the federal government and the province,” said Wilkinson.

Deputy minister's blistering letter "flagged some concerns" for federal fisheries ministerhttps://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/deputy-ministers-blistering-letter-flagged-some-concerns-for-federal-fisheries-minister

(https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/deputy-ministers-blistering-letter-flagged-some-concerns-for-federal-fisheries-minister)

Seems the feds are more concerned about saving face than any real accountability or progress that might help in these matters...


Sad,
Nog