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[bentrod]

Just a thought...But with all this prohibition on fishing going on, do you suppose that smaller rivers (Vedder, Squam) that open up this fall will be hammered by people trying to get their fix?  By flat out closing the season on a major system in the "best interest" of one species, perhaps they sealed the fate of another.  Do you think the DFO took this into consideration.

[jettabambino]

excellent point.   to be honest with you i never thought of this but I think you might have something

[ever_hopefull]

Fraser will likely be reopened when the Pinks show up in big numbers (and the Sockeye have passed through).  My guess is that it shouldn't be a major problem for the other systems.  But you never know....

[ever_hopefull]

I think once the majority of the late sockeye are through the system the river will open up again, and the normal restrictions will be in place.  It is anticipated that the majority of sockeye will be past Hope by the end of the month (give or take a bit)

[Fish Assassin]

Interesting question indeed. I share Ever Hopeful's opinion that the Fraser will probably be opened for the fishing of pinks.

[Rieber]

From what I'm hearing now the Vedder portion of the Chilliwack/Vedder system will be closed for fishing effective Sept.1 thru to Nov.1

[johnny]

From what I'm hearing now the Vedder portion of the Chilliwack/Vedder system will be closed for fishing effective Sept.1 thru to Nov.1

What in the world are you talking about? Heard from who?

 

[Rodney]

Please don't deliberately post misinformation. If it was meant as a joke, please use a smilie to imply that. Misinformation does nothing good if readers take it as the truth and spread the information further offline.

Regarding bentrod's original question, the current closure should not have much of an effect on the upcoming fall fisheries in some of the popular systems. The reason being that normally, total salmon closure is in effect from early September until mid October except pink years. The current salmon closure on the non-tidal Fraser River will most likely go on until late August as Ever Hopefull has suggested, so that's only two weeks. It doesn't really affect recreational anglers as there are currently so many other opportunities available, but it definitely has a big impact on guides. Customers cancel their current trips due to the closure, as well as cancelling future trips this fall due to the uncertainty of the closure as well as the bad press this community is getting in the media right now.

[redside1]

Just a thought...But with all this prohibition on fishing going on, do you suppose that smaller rivers (Vedder, Squam) that open up this fall will be hammered by people trying to get their fix?  By flat out closing the season on a major system in the "best interest" of one species, perhaps they sealed the fate of another.  Do you think the DFO took this into consideration.

not a chance. DFO with this closure is just managing the Fraser and will deal with the others if problems arise. Most of the sockeye people are not full time fishermen that fish all the other systems anyways. The biggest part will be if or when the river reopens. Talk within DFO that it may not for a long time doue to FN pressure.

[Riverman]

As for greater numbers of sporties assaulting the local rivers there is no doubt this will happen whether there is a closure or not as the masses get addicted during a sock opening and have to keep feeding there habit on the Vedder and other local rivers.I believe the more serious threat is commercial netting of coho at the mouths of these systems.The hatchery system has been hijacked for political purposes.What point is there in operating hatchery's if dfo grant's "pilot" commercial sales on the returning runs and we fools hope we will get to have a fair share in the fish our tax dollars paid to raise? if hatcheries are not being used to supplement pressured stocks but instead are just pay-offs I say close them and save us all some money!

[blueback]

I agree with Riverman. The FN will be a whacking the coho in even greater numbers than in recent years to make up the shortfall of 'protein' in their diet. The terminal rivers (Chehalis and Vedder) may not even see the vast majority of the returning coho for this reason. My fear longterm is that sporties will figure out that the hatcheries (paid for through either licences or taxes), is supplying the FN or commies their fish. This realisation will probably result in even lower licence sales and less fish which could create a perfictly viscious downward spiral in fish production.

[Nicole]

Blueback, salmon are not funded through licences... They are federally managed, through general revenue.

The province handles trout stocking, which is funded by licence sales.

I think many anglers who soley fish sockeye will not bother buying licences... They will just forget about it, and the betties will gather dust in the garage.

The rest of them will flock to the vedder for white springs and chum. Those will be the only species they will be able to easily catch.

Cheers,
Nicole

[blueback]

Yes Nicole; however salmon are supported through the stamps purchased (on the freshwater licence), through fisheries restoration priojects such as the slides on the Vedder/Chilliwack, spawning channels etc. The fact that the feds finance salmon production through genrev is why I included the 'taxes' part. The general point I was alluding to is one of declining fish stocks contribute to less interest in the ever increasing expense of fishing (licences, boats, gas. equipment, Beer ). I agrre with you that yes , many of the sockeye crowd will simply hang it up (no salmon stamps purchased-less money for projects), but even if these guys leave the sport, there will be a negative financial impact (to say nothing of guides and tackle shops). Anyway, getting back to the first part of my original post; don't expect to see huge amounts of coho in the rivers, as these fish are also FN staples and subject to netting as well.     

[redside1]

The BC freshwater fisheries society will suffer with this closure. There are licenses sold for sockeye fishing that without a doubt will not be now sold that there is now fishing. Also the federal general revenue make actually get an increase once pink salmon show up becuase the tidal portion of the river is still open to retention of salmon and some of the people that woudl have normally purchased a freshwater license may purchase a saltwater license once the pink show up in decent numbers.

[nosey]

The commercial trollers took an obscene amount of coho last year I forget the exact numbers but somewhere around 50,000 kinda sounds about what I heard, they keep no records as to  the amount of hatcheries or wild fish they catch or what systems they go to. With the commercials being shut out of the sockeye fishery I'd count on them clobbering the coho again this year. You must remember too that when the Liberals took over in 2001 the hatchery programs on coho in both the Vedder and Chehalis were scaled way back, deemed too expensive to bother with and a waste of government funds. If anyone has a more accurate figure on the coho count from last years commies please feel free to correct me.