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[firstlight]

Now that the fishery closure for Oolichans has been effect for some years im wondering if they are making a comeback at all?
From my own observations i would say no,but im not on the water enough to have a qualified answer.
Rodney?Anyone?

[leaseman]

I think they are Bruce......

Lots more oollies seen on the river these last two years.....

As far as comeback goes, looks slow and steady, but time will tell!

Mike

[Rodney]

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/MPLANS/plans11/Eulachon_2011.pdf

[Easywater]

Perhaps not.

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Grease+trail+fish+vanishing+from+waters/4758921/story.html

[firstlight]

Doesnt look good at all.
The fish are allmost wiped out and there are First Nations openings.
Pretty messed up if you ask me.

Thanks for the links.
Very informative.

[arimaBOATER]

Do remember in years past ya would see these temp. crude plywood signs on Columbia St near Sapperton NWR ...with roughly painted "Oolichans for sale" Ya could buy them by a pastic bucket full ..at a dock on the Fraser.

Yep agree there should be "no opennings" as the stocks are just too low.

The Brunette R  has had efforts to get fish numbers up but all it takes is some chemicals to get into the rain sewers or a CP train to rupture a fuel tank etc...then there is a fish kill off.

With the number of factories all along the Fraser R ...there is a very good possibility that there was a chemical spill of some sort that got into the river just as the oolichans were in the river...& the majority were killed off.
Would they float to the surface ? That would be a sign. ------------ Remember when floor waxing some plants there were alot of "chemicals in big tanks" .... One place there was an over spill on the weekend(assume it was a spill as some alarm & red lights were flashing...& the security guy was no where to be found. When he finally re appeared he was like "WHY DID I NOT DO SOMETHING?" Excuse me...I'm a floor waxer NOT SOME GUY WHO IS TO BABY SIT FOR THE SECURITY GUARD !!!  
Who knows what is the cause ??

[troutbreath]

"Who knows what is the cause"

Where I work we usually blame first the guard then the floor waxer. That's the order in the blame game.

[leyland]

Well eulachon have just recently been listed under COSEWIC as "endangered" on the Fraser population and Central Pacific coast population, so it is only a matter of time before they get listed under SARA.  It will be interesting how they manage the fishery in the near future because of the recent listing.

[fishyfish]

How about the smelts? Has anyone had any luck in the last five years catching smelts during the openings? Are they as endangered as the oolichans?

[Fish Assassin]

How about the smelts? Has anyone had any luck in the last five years catching smelts during the openings? Are they as endangered as the oolichans?

They're depleted as well.

[jimmywits]

They're depleted as well.

I can remember as a kid when smelt were so plentiful, we could scoop them up on the beach with our hands when a big wave would come in.These memories come from the late sixties and early seventies at Dundarave beach on the west side of the pier.

[Fish Assassin]

I can remember as a kid when smelt were so plentiful, we could scoop them up on the beach with our hands when a big wave would come in.These memories come from the late sixties and early seventies at Dundarave beach on the west side of the pier.

Those were good times indeed.

[Easywater]

I remember them washing up by the thousands on MacDonald beach in Richmond in the '60s and '70s.

[Dave]

I also remember the times of plenty around Chilliwack back in the late 60’s, early 70’s.  Eulachons didn’t always make it that far up the Fraser so when they did it was a mad house on the river, much like today’s sockeye harvest.  The word would get out, as it always did, and whole families would arrive to catch their share of this seemingly endless resource.  Buckets and buckets of these fish were dip netted and taken home for the odd meal but mainly ended up as garden fertilizer.  I was young and eagerly participated in this orgy of killing, just because they were there and available and the real biggie in those days, they were free.
One of my first DFO jobs was an eulachon survey of the Nass system (1969-70?) when these fish swam by the millions.  The mass of wildlife that feasted on these tiny fish was amazing  – seals, sea lions, bears, otters, every predatory bird you can imagine.  A very prominent DFO biologist of the time counted over 5,000 eagles on one day – I ran the boat, he counted.
Amazing times and sadly seemingly over, at least on the Fraser. 
Can't see them being listed under SARA - the economical cost to recover this species which is so in the tank would be astronomical.

[firstlight]

Looks like more than a few juveniles get caught up in the shrimp trawl fishery unless im reading things wrong.
I do remember the signs down by front street in New West every year.
Mom would allways buy a couple lbs and we would have a feed of them.
Dads buddy lived out in Deroche and we went out with him one time with the big long handled dip net.
Dad took about 50 lbs and probably 48 of that went into the garden.
I will never forget the pick up truck with american licence plates that had so much in the box that i was wondering how he would drive anywhere without the Oolichans sloshing out of it.
Then as i got older we drift netted them in the lower Fraser for Sturgeon bait and then the obvious decline happened and it was shocking how quickly they disapeared.
Hoping this isnt some kind of Canary in a Coal mine,but im afraid it is.