As many of you know I and a few others said many times a few years ago on this forum that BB would come up and bite us. Well here it is from FOC.
Dear Mr. Clapton:
Thank you for your correspondence of September 15, 2019 regarding pink salmon management measures.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recognizes that challenges are being faced by all who depend on the Pacific salmon resource for their sustenance, livelihood and recreation. The Department works with all harvest sectors to improve the management of the fishery to meet conservation objectives and achieve fishery objectives.
The Department’s Allocation Policy for Pacific Salmon (the Policy) establishes clear priorities for fisheries management. The Policy confirms that the primary objective in fisheries management is the conservation of Pacific salmon stocks, followed by government obligations to provide harvest opportunities for First Nations food, social and ceremonial (FSC) requirements and treaty obligations.
The Policy encourages selective fishing, and DFO appreciates the recreational fishing community’s efforts to support and promote any selective fishing measures that reduce impacts on non-target species.
Recreational fishing for pink salmon upstream of Mission has remained closed primarily because in this area “bottoming bouncing” or “flossing” has been common, and this practice can result in the interception of sockeye. Given the extremely low returns of sockeye to the Fraser River this year, and very high level of conservation concern, such impacts are not something that could be accommodated this season.
While a leader restriction could reduce impacts to sockeye, the recreational sector has expressed mixed support in the past. Regulatory changes, which involve a lengthy process, would be required for DFO to implement such restrictions.
Beach seining has been permitted to enable harvest of chinook and pink salmon for First Nations FSC purposes. Sockeye retention has not been permitted in these fisheries, and the release mortality rate for sockeye and coho is low.
The opportunity for recreational pink fishing downstream from Mission closed September 20, 2019, as the steelhead window closure came into effect in that area on September 21, 2019. The steelhead window closure provides a high degree of protection for steelhead migrating up the Fraser River, with closures of commercial and recreational fisheries for 42 days over the peak of the steelhead return. First Nations FSC chum fisheries will also be constrained, with 27-day closures in effect.
To protect the resource, we also need the public’s help. If you see suspicious activity or believe an offence has occurred, please contact the Observe, Record and Report line at 1-800-465-4336 or email
DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
As you are aware, the SFAB represents recreational fishing interests to the DFO on areas of concern to the recreational fishing community. I encourage you to continue to engage with the SFAB for further discussion of these issues.
Thank you for writing.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Reid
Regional Director General
Pacific Region
Author
Topic: At The Upper Fraser Valley SFAC Meeting Last Night (Read 8844 times)