he DFO studies attribute almost 12 per cent of last year's mortalities for Fraser-bound chinook stocks to sport anglers in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Overall, sport anglers killed twice as many Fraser chinook as the total traditional aboriginal fishery in 2009. Figures suggest that sport anglers now catch about 30 per cent of all chinook and coho. "
we base this on absolutely nothing!"The sport fishery is having an impact on the early chinook bound for the Fraser," says Ernie Crey, a former fisheries manager, now senior adviser to the Sto: lo Tribal Council. "Right now, DFO has our fishery shut down as tight as a drum but is allowing the sport fishery to blaze away out in the salt chuck."
The hard place for DFO is pressure from the powerful sport fishing lobby, which wants to keep on fishing.
"what a surprise ernie crey is complaining again.."Sport anglers point to two recent studies supported in part by first nations on the lower Fraser that show a 98-per-cent survival rate for sockeye caught on hook and line in the Fraser River, held for 24 hours in a pen and then released.
But even first nations are doubtful about precisely what those studies mean.......
" it means 98 percent survival." From Sto: lo territory below Hell's Gate to the upper Fraser watersheds, first nations tribal organizations are serving notice that, in their view, enough is enough. They want constitutionally defined conservation measures enforced and their legal requirements satisfied.
"In 2009, the total spawner return for the seven stocks in this group was approximately 2,000 fish," he wrote. "Louis Creek had six spawners return. In our territory, fewer than 80 returned to the Coldwater River and only 26 were left to spawn in the wild. This group of fish is in crisis and has been for many years ... These stocks cannot sustain ANY harvesting."
so let me guess... u want your leeegal rights to a so called sustinace and commercial fishery but you also want to protect these smaller runs.... well in my mind theres no way to do that unless theres total closure. Sounds like a reasonable proposal to me. First nations are showing the kind of leadership we should expect from our federal government in protecting wild salmon stocks.
"big deal anyone can talk about conservation ill believe it when i see it"In the meantime, anglers who care about their sport and the stocks that sustain it are already putting their rods away
(yah i put my rod away now put your nets away). Only the greedy and the stupid squabble over who gets to kill the last fish for fun
(lets not forget aboriginal sustinance netting for fuuuun!)." well its still open to angling so theres gonna be people fishing.....
"lets close the whole fishery to everyone that way nobody can complain"