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[RalphH]

ahh yes,the $10.00 per fish ceremonial fish
Got it.

horse poop! Since some sports anglers break the rules that should be shut down as well.

[wildmanyeah]

I have no issue with this fishery, however last night our family was invited to a neighbors for appies and drinks. The conversation turned to fishing as I have been out looking for one of these unicorns the past 3 days in the lower river with limited success. The neighbor then pulled out a slab of red spring and said he bought 90lbs of it from a local FN........

In 2020 first nations in the month of august harvested a reported 25k Fraser wild chinook. Fisherman report sets of 200 plus fish in an hour drift. Yet elders reported no fish made it to them.

They also harvest over 20% of the total fraser spring 4-2 return.

[wildmanyeah]

horse poop! Since some sports anglers break the rules that should be shut down as well.

Lots of areas where anglers break rules do end up in closures.

First Nations how ever have rights and titles and as we know selling fish is a legal part of Thoes rights and titles.

Selling vedder hatchery fish is legal as there is no conservation concern.

[RalphH]

Lots of areas where anglers break rules do end up in closures.

First Nations how ever have rights and titles and as we know selling fish is a legal part of Thoes rights and titles.

So why do FN poachers get prosecuted for fishing outside of local DFO approved FN fishing plans? Why do non FNs, particularly those who are anglers buy fish they known have been taken illegally. I know people up the valley who out of one side of their mouth curse FNs for poaching and selling salmon in black bags from their pickup trucks yet when I ask where they got their last batch of salmon say they have a friend of the reserve the buy from regularly.

[wildmanyeah]

So why do FN poachers get prosecuted for fishing outside of local DFO approved FN fishing plans? Why do non FNs, particularly those who are anglers buy fish they known have been taken illegally. I know people up the valley who out of one side of their mouth curse FNs for poaching and selling salmon in black bags from their pickup trucks yet when I ask where they got their last batch of salmon say they have a friend of the reserve the buy from regularly.

Depends on the stocks they are targeting now. DFO has been able to get some charges though in spring but soon as august rolls around and there is no conservation concern for Fraser summer 4-1. They may get there gear seized for fishing outside of  times but they won’t be charged for retaining or selling. I also beleive FSC fishing plans are negotiated and approved by both DFO and the band councils in negotiations. Some bands hold out on fsc negotiations and send there fishers out. Is it legal? It seems to be we saw it last year in port alberni and we also seen it with an interior First Nation band that harvest 15 thousand sockeye last year.  Is it legal? It seems to be 

First Nations in kelmtu May subsistence fish but the concrete First Nation young fishers in lower Fraser is all about cash.

First Nations can also sell off the reserve when every they want, it’s up to there own band councils to police that.

Times are changing they have the rights and titles and undrip with that comes self governing and laws.

The black garbage bag sales are largely a thing of the past. Now it’s mostly reefer trucks direct to costumers. Ice cold on ice dressed 10 thousand pounds at a time.

[Knnn]

First Nations in kelmtu May subsistence fish but the concrete First Nation young fishers in lower Fraser is all about cash.

You know K2 wildman?  I spent quite a few years up there.  Beauty spot, the chum run into Trout bay is truly incredible.

[Steelhawk]

Does anybody know if this FN fishery is a total netting across the river with little escapement left for the recreational fishermen? Hope their nets do not catch all the fish coming up to the river. Their opening is from Thursday to Sunday. So is tomorrow basically a waste of time in the lower river? A friend wants to go tomorrow. I just wonder if the netting is a clean house like they do for sockeye. Perhaps we need to go higher up. Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[santefe]

Last thursday morning I was across the river from Hopedale Rd.
There was a shade tent several people standing around and a couple of DFO officers.
Also some sort of device was in the river in front of them.  One of the persons in the tent was also on a lap top.
Any idea what they were doing.  A fish count?

[Rodney]

Last thursday morning I was across the river from Hopedale Rd.
There was a shade tent several people standing around and a couple of DFO officers.
Also some sort of device was in the river in front of them.  One of the persons in the tent was also on a lap top.
Any idea what they were doing.  A fish count?

Sumas First Nation has its own biologists who have been doing their own stock assessment. You may ask why that is being done when stock assessment is done by DFO. Beside counting the number of fish arriving at the hatchery, there really is no other information on these summer red chinook salmon. There isn't a creel survey in the recreational fishery, so there isn't an accurate count on how many fish are being harvested. This to me is a huge drawback in the recreational fishery, we can argue all we want about how many or how few fish are being harvested by anglers, but there are no numbers to back any of those claims up.

Does anybody know if this FN fishery is a total netting across the river with little escapement left for the recreational fishermen? Hope their nets do not catch all the fish coming up to the river. Their opening is from Thursday to Sunday. So is tomorrow basically a waste of time in the lower river? A friend wants to go tomorrow. I just wonder if the netting is a clean house like they do for sockeye. Perhaps we need to go higher up. Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

From what I've seen, it doesn't seem like fishing has been affected much by the netting.

[santefe]

Thank you, I assumed that it might be some sort of fish count.

[Rodney]

Yesterday I sat through the second meeting since this fishery started two weeks ago for an update and was really impressed by the amount of information presented and the strong interest to collaborate from both the Sumas Nation and recreational reps.

The Sumas Nation has fished for two weekends now, and in total 46 chinook salmon have been harvested, which is already better than last year's results. Perhaps this may reflect a bigger return but we will not know until all the numbers are in after the season. Four sockeye salmon and nine sturgeon were by-caught and released.

Most of the netting is done just downstream from the Highway 1 bridge to the confluence of the Sumas.

Although their openings have been from Noon on Thursday until the end of Sunday, most of the fishing has been done overnight from 6pm until wrapping up at 2pm on the following day. Fish migration is slow during the day so success is very low. There are only two crew members operating up to four 100' nets so man-power is limited and need to utilize that efficiently.

Presence of seals has been reported and they have to work fast to get to the fish once in the nets to avoid seal encounters. I didn't get any reports on fish being taken by seals from the nets, will find out more.

Those catch numbers, IMO, are still really low compared to what are being pulled out of the river by anglers from the reports I've seen. There are also stock assessment and creel surveying happening in the lower river. This is funded by the Sumas Nation as well. I have some prelimary numbers but it's best to wait until this is all done before anything is presented.

Communications between anglers and their fishing crew as well as stock assessment biologists have all been positive. There have been lots of questions which they were able to answer. Thanks everyone.

I had a brief conversation with the hatchery several days ago and so far only a pair of fish has arrived at the hatchery. It needs 160 pairs of spawners to produce 600k of eggs, which will yield to roughly half 500 to 550k juveniles when released.

Next update will be the week after the August long weekend.

[psd1179]

Looks it reveals a good sturgeon fishing spot

[clarki]

Looks it reveals a good sturgeon fishing spot

,
I wonder if these are resident fish that make use of the lower canal through out the year or perhaps move between the canal and the Fraser with some regularity, if it's a rearing area for juveniles, or if it's a refuge for the fish from the turbidity of the Fraser during the freshet. Or...?

[wildmanyeah]

The Sumas Nation has fished for two weekends now, and in total 46 chinook salmon have been harvested, which is already better than last year's results. Perhaps this may reflect a bigger return but we will not know until all the numbers are in after the season. Four sockeye salmon and nine sturgeon were by-caught and released.

Did they start earlier this year? or same time?