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[chris gadsden]

Well said Jim. I thought I would share at this time a letter to the editor of the Vancouver Sun I sent last week. Maybe not the proper place to post this but Jim's remarks triggered me to place it under his.

Re article by Scott Simpson, 'Poor ocean survival blamed for  returns', Vancouver Sun, August 15,

In the article by Scott Simpson "Poor ocean survival blamed for returns', it is true that Mother Nature has had a hand in the poor return of Sockeye salmon to the Fraser River and their natal streams to date in 2009.  I, however  believe Nature is not the only cause. I now believe all fishing sectors, Commercial, First Nations and Recreational anglers have had effect as well as the Federal and Provincial Governments which have not helped matters now and in the past.

Commercial fishing at one time had many many openings in the Fraser River from the Fraser River Estuary right up to Mission. Were too many of the previous generations of Sockeye allowed to be harvested then, to sustain the runs?
Some First Nations fishers fish illegally during closed times with set and drifts nets often under darkness and some people think there has not been proper enumeration of fish taken then and during their sanctioned openings. Fish are often sold outside economic opportunities during food, social and ceremonial only fisheries.

Recreational anglers last week were asked by FOC to fish selectively and were asked not to Bottom Bounce (flossing) where the interception of sockeye happens regularly. Many anglers complied, but others, as of Saturday, night did not. This caused the river from the Agassiz Rosedale Bridge to the Hope Bridge to be closed by FOC to salmon fishing for the recreational sector as of midnight Sunday night, August16.

The Provincial and Federal Government do not get passing marks in my books either. Both governments allow Atlantic fish farms to continue and still issue licenses for more to be built, even after Alexandra Morton has provided evidence time after time of the damage sea lice are doing to sockeye and other salmon species. It appears both the Provincial and Federal government allow monetary and international concerns to come before the well being of out wild stocks

For the last few years both levels of government have allowed gravel mining to go on in the Fraser River main stem around Chilliwack that affect salmon rearing and habitat areas. The Provincial Government sells this to the public in the guise of flood protection while many know it is about the revenue to be gained by gravel companies to be used for British Columbia Gateway projects and other construction projects that need the gravel for fill, concrete and asphalt.

For example in 2006 a well publicized news story saw millions of pink alveins killed due to a causeway being built across a Fraser River side channel. This caused the channel to de-water suffocating the millions of alveins still in their redds giving them no chance to emerge and migrate to the ocean to begin their 2 year life cycle. Where was the Provincial Environmental Minister asking for an investigation into this devastation? There was no investigation that I know of, nor were charges ever laid.

Financial cut backs to Fisheries and Oceans Canada budgets over the last years has, according to some, seen the lack of proper assessments of out going smolts and fry. Also, the monetary and staff cut backs have negatively affected the counting of the returning salmon to their natal streams.

I feel it is time to stop blaming just nature, but all user groups need to look at themselves to see what they can do to reverse this trend of decreasing sockeye salmon and other species of salmon. After all, we owe it not only to our future generations, so they too can witness each year the marvelous return of our precious salmon--a renewable resource--to our rivers, but most importantly, we owe it to our fish to do so. They, the salmon are counting on us, and if they could talk they would say "get on with it"

Chris Gadsden

[chris gadsden]

Chilliwack Progress
Respect, education seen as keys to Fraser River peace
 
Members of the Fraser River Salmon Table Society, (from left) Dave Barrett, Ed George, Ernie Crey, Patti MacAhonic and Frank Kwak, meet to find peace on the river.
ROBERT FREEMAN/ PROGRESS



Published: August 21, 2009 2:00 PM
Updated: August 21, 2009 2:39 PM

2 Comments Sports anglers and aboriginal fisherman started looking for their own solutions to river conflicts at a meeting of the Fraser River Salmon Table Society Thursday in Chilliwack.

"We need to be able to share the river in a way that everybody is respected," Patti MacAhonic, executive director of the BC Wildlife Federation, said.

"We have to provide leadership on how we move forward," said society member Frank Kwak, president of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society.

Dave Barrett, chairman of the salmon table, said sports and aboriginal fishermen must come together to find their own way to "sensibly" share the river.

"I don't know what that way is yet," he said. "It isn't going to be easy."

Controlling access to the river with "passports" that can be cancelled if a code of conduct is violated, and adding education about native fishing rights to the process of getting a sport fishing licence were two ideas raised at the Thursday meeting.

The society will hold another meeting next week with more river users, including fishing guides and First Nations leaders to discuss solutions.

The Thursday meeting was called after Chehalis Chief Willie Charlie was shot in the face with a pellet gun fired by a sports fisherman last Sunday.

Sto:lo Tribal Council fisheries advisor Ernie Crey agreed the shooting may have left some native fishermen resentful.

But he said the message he will take to First Nations is "there is a willingness to talk" at the salmon table, and using it to find remedies to river conflicts should be explored.

"It's time to get down to brass tacks about sharing the river, and how it will work," he said. "Some of it may not be immediately palatable to some people."

BCWF regional president Ed George agreed respect is key to sharing the river, but "it's a two-way street" and native fishermen must respect sports fishermen, who also fish to feed their families.

"We've both got to recognize that," he said.

A growing number of sports fishermen, who may not be aware of the aboriginal priority to fish, are coming to the short stretch of river in the Chilliwack/Agassiz area and clashing with native net fishermen.

Native fishermen are legally using drift nets now, instead of stationary set nets, and they are getting tangled in sport fishermen's lines and boats.

But native families often find sports anglers in their traditional fishing sites, and they have only two days on the weekend to fish while sports fishermen have seven days.

The society, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, started in 2006 with commercial fishers and First Nations working together to save the Cultus Lake sockeye run.

It was later joined by recreational fishers and conservation groups like the BC Wildlife Federation with a mandate to "foster mutual respect" and "improve the health of salmon stocks."

 

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nohope4canada 14 hours ago
The year is 2015. Canada was once famous for its delicious salmon and exciting salmon fishing. But overfishing by all humans - First Nations, Commercial, and Sport and Tourists have led to the extinction of wild salmon in BC. So, the gov't will have to find a new way to attract tourist and their money.

Enter BC BUD. The First Nations can justify growing and selling it by saying it's "ceremonial". Tourist would flock to reservations to watch them smoke the peace pipe and dance around the fire. Commercial producers can say it's for their livelihoods and export it to the U.S. And new breed of growers will compete for the BC BUD CUP which will attract tourists from around the world. Its a WIN WIN WIN situation. Tell me, who would lose from this scenerio?

Sell your fishing boats and gear, learn how to grow properly and buy some grow equipment so you can cash in when this transition occurs.
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 CanadianLatitude 1 day ago
The Thursday meeting was called after Chehalis Chief Willie Charlie was shot in the face with a pellet gun fired by a sports fisherman last Sunday.
=============

Shouldn't that be alleged? We are only hearing one side of this story.
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[Xgolfman]

I posted this on another site and thought it should go here too. I'll probably take flak for this but I've got big shoulders. Simple solution, shut down sport fishing sockeye permanently in freshwater. Let the FN people have it like they used to before this joke of a fishery was opened in the 90's. I'm quite happy fishing for other salmon species, sturgeon and rainbows.

Got this far and stopped reading anymore of this thread and won't be back to read it again..

I'm with you FF...I think this actually would resolve allot of the problem..and it's NOT a sport fishery..Kuf the little peakerwoods who call it one!!!

[alwaysfishn]

Got this far and stopped reading anymore of this thread and won't be back to read it again..

I'm with you FF...I think this actually would resolve allot of the problem..and it's NOT a sport fishery..Kuf the little peakerwoods who call it one!!!

The sockeye sports fishery is closed....   last time I checked.   

[chris gadsden]

The sockeye sports fishery is closed....   last time I checked.   

I believe they are saying sockeye fishing is not to be opened again, in fresh water.

[troutbreath]

So that's going to stop fishing tactic's that you don't agree with?  every method of fishing is suspect, last time I had a honest look at it.

[jimmywits]

wonder wat's the story like in the first nation side, since the majority of the comments here are based on sport fishermen and would/could very likely to be biased

Me too