Thanks for the numbers Bantam.  Will have to have a look in a bit...am dog tired now.

As I read Bantams number the total recreational catch is about 30% of the total.

The net fisheries are a far bigger threat to Chinooks than the recreational. The commercial (non native portion) catch as much as the recreational, but they do it in a small number of very brief openings where they clean out the river, making it very easy to destroy a small run of fish travelling together. The recreational catch a "smaller catch percentage over longer period of time" making it far less likely to wipe out a small run.

As far as the commercial being around longer than the sport guys, it was about 10 years ago that DFO priority for the Chinook fishery was changed from commercial to sport. Its priority is now conservation, aboriginal food, sport, then commercail for chinooks (previously commercail and sport were reversed). The obvious reason for thte change is the much greater value obtained bys sport fishing as compared to commercial. This reduction in commercail catch is one of the reasons for the improvement in most chinook stocks in recent years.

I'm not such a big fan of BB either, and it wouldn't hurt my feeling too much if it went away, but lets look at the facts.

I think you have to look at all the numbers before you make a final judgement. If you take a look at the hours of effort to the number of fish in total caught , it took 6.63 hours for every fish caught that is on whole mainstem of the Fraser.
                                                                                                                        
Text Box: 2003 FRASER RIVER MAINSTEM (SUMMER) CREEL SURVEY FINAL RESULTS
   
   
                                                                 
   May       June       July       August       August 25 -       Total    
   1-31       1-30       1-31       1-24       Sep 1       
   chinook retention       chinook retention       chinook retention       sockeye retention       chinook retention       
                                                                    
Number of Interviews       547       926       1,407       2,760       367       6,007       
Number of Overflights       8       9       8       7       2       34       
            
ANGLER EFFORT                
Estimated Effort (hours)       19,759       39,885       100,191       416,614       43,345       619,794       
            
ESTIMATED HARVEST                
Chinook Adult       348       1,310       3,104       4,894       825       10,481       
Chinook Jack       2       5       42       52       116       217       
Coho Adult       0       0       0       0       0       0       
Coho Jack       0       0       0       0       0       0       
Sockeye       0       0       0       73,354       39       73,393       
Pink        0       0       0       5,785       3,593       9,378       
Chum       0       0       0       0       0       0       
            
ESTIMATED RELEASE                
Chinook Adult       7       195       136       233       122       693       
Chinook Jack       0       0       10       0       0       10       
Coho Adult       0       0       0       21       68       89       
Coho Jack       0       0       0       0       0       0       
Sockeye       0       16       1,018       5,929       4,815       11,778       
Pink        0       0       0       2,093       4,713       6,806       
Chum       0       0       0       0       0       0       
                                                                    
         
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
                                                                              
 

whats with all the white space on the post??