Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[DragonSpeed]

Recreational

Sockeye retention remains closed in the Fraser River.  Opportunities for the commencement of Fraser River sockeye retention will be reviewed and an update will be provided on Monday August 8.



I think that's so that they can make sure they aren't dealing with conflicting info regarding this injunction I bet, since if DFO were to give the go ahead then I think the injuction would have to be filed in Federal Court, since it would be to stop DFO allowing rec fishers on the river.  We would have conflicting federal and provincial statements.

[Rodney]

Decision points for DFO to provide a recreational sockeye opening are:

• Early summers at less than 10% abundance in the river or a huge bump in Early Summers to get them to the 75-p level (391 000)
• A reasonable expectation of full FSC fisheries
• Some commercial TAC identified on Summers
• Expectation of an achievement of the Early Summer escapement goal

The Early Summer run size was downgraded to 250 000.  At this run size there is no TAC for commercial or recreational fisheries.  Age composition data suggests that the age 4 component of the run is considerable weaker than the 80% age 4 fish that were expected preseason.

[liketofish]

If the panel deems the fish run far below expectation, what the heck they are doing to allow the natives fish all they want, with potent drift nets?  Just to what extent DFO will go to appease the natives?  If DFO rulings are to be respected at all, they have to be fair and reasonable.  What a shame! They forget their first mandate of fish conservation above native food(whatever???) fishery.

[Fish Assassin]

If the panel deems the fish run far below expectation, what the heck they are doing to allow the natives fish all they want, with potent drift nets?  Just to what extent DFO will go to appease the natives?  If DFO rulings are to be respected at all, they have to be fair and reasonable.  What a shame! They forget their first mandate of fish conservation above native food(whatever???) fishery.

That's the $1,000,000 question

[liketofish]

If a singer or a rock band is 'no show' for a concert, the ticket purchasers are entitled to a refund.  If the DFO allows the natives to fish all they want but denies the sockeye fishermen the right to harvest their insignificant share, then all sockeye fishermen should ask for a refund for their license fees, period. You bet a lot of license sales were based on the opening of a sockeye fishery.  Next year, don't buy your license (if you are a sockeye junkie only) until DFO announces an opening.  They will not listen to our voice, but perhaps to our dollars.  If there is not enough fish, then just shut down all sectors for conservation, not the unfair fishery they are dealing to us now. They are allowing the Cheams to do what they want, including illegal drift netting and illegal fish sales, while we are shut out and we paid for their salary, not the natives. Just my 2 cents.

[rerigger]

no like to fish
next year fraser river basin will be classified waters
with a caveat
payment of daily fee to earnie's beer fund for entry

[allwaysfishin]

It will be a cold day in hell when earnie gets a cent from me.....

[Floater]

DFO should be happy we as the recreational fishermen are very patient. We could just band together and have our own one day opener i doubt there is much they could do. I mean the DFO dosent flex its muscles around the river as it is. That being said i wouldnt want it to come to that but something has to be done to send a message. Letting the natives fish and probably kill the last run of the SO preciouss stuart sockey is just insane what is going on around here.

[mooch]

FOC doesn't care about the salmon anymore. They are too busy trying to find more pristine areas to start new fish farms. My firend's father quit the DFO about a decade ago and she said her father was fed up with the new policies mandated by the Feds. I, and many of my friends, believe the new FOC is here to make sure the natives wipe out the salmon stocks so the natives will have no one to blame but themselves when there isn't any more salmon to catch. In the meantime the salmon farms will raise all the fish we'll need, whether we want them or not. When the Fraser is not worth fighting over the Feds will move in to dam the river like the Columbia to sell the Yanks all the power they need. The reality is that it's too expensive to keep B.C. "natural", and we'll have to sell energy to finance our growth as well as to pay for Medicare when over half the population in B.C. will be over 65 years old (in the not distant future). From now on everything the Feds and the Campbell and Klein governments do is to cater to what the Yanks want. Wasn't Terasen recently sold off to the Americans? I read today all the oil giants in the States are looking to takeover the entire oil tar sands in Alberta. Apparently there is more oil in the sands than there are in all of Saudi Arabia. NAFTA allows the Yanks ship as much oil and gas as they need whether there is enough for our own use. What the Yanks want the Yanks get. They look at economic scenarios 25 years down the road, whereas we only look to tomorrow. Sorry to change topic, but sockeye fishing on the Fraser is already on its way leg.

[Steeler2000]

Just another thought while this hyjack is in progress . Yes the Yanks want power but if you read the fine
print in the teresan deal , there was some water ways also mentioned in the deal .
Its really the water they are after and once they get ther hands on our water look out .
Very much agree with your theory on once the fish are gone it will be clear sailing for damming for power, and this
government are just the ( greedy ) ones to pull it off .

[Buckeye]

Here is the latest from the panel.

Subject: FR Panel update - 7-Aug 2005

Hi, all!

Just a quick update from today's FR Panel call. Little good news, I'm
afraid. The one big A20 GN test fishery day of 1402 soxi was followed by a
catch of 148 and 144. PSC staff indicated that the test fishery catches are
not building the way that they were expecting and that right now, when
looking at Mission escapement numbers through to date as well as projected
through to 12-Aug, the Summer run is either well below the 75p level of 7.8M
fish OR much later than 8 days late.

Early Summer escapement was also lower than expected, on average, the run
size models are coming up with the same numbers as on Friday (in the
150K-250K range) and the PSC does not have enough information to move off of
the 250K number. However, they did mention that if the escapement into the
river continues at a slow pace, they may have to downgrade the run size.

Weaver fish have been ID'd in both approaches. When asked, PSC staff said
that they were not surprised at the presence of Late run fish in the
approaches, as Summer run fish have been seen for about a week, now. The
worrisome thing is the lack of Summer abundance which would normally swamp
out the ability to detect Late run fish.

PSC staff will have a Harrison sockeye run size estimate on Tuesday as well
as a very preliminary Summer run run size estimate.

On the good news side, the fish which have been seen by the BC Interior
stock assessment staff have been in good shape.

More (hopefully better) news on Tuesday.

-amh

[DragonSpeed]

So, no opening until Thursday at the earliest, if that's the case 

[fisher88]

that sucks!! it better open soon because my 20 foot leaders are getting dusty!!!

[bigguy]

Oh well, I guess we can spend more time with the family and finish projects around the house???

[Fishin Freak]

Latest Notice (Monday):

The Fraser River Panel met yesterday, August 7 to review assessment data on
Fraser River sockeye salmon.  The abundance of returning Fraser sockeye
continues to be lower than expected for this time period.  Based upon pre-
season expectations the maximum daily Fraser River sockeye migration was
forecasted to occur through the marine assessment areas around August 8th. 
However, the daily migrations of Fraser River sockeye continue to track far
below expectations through both Juan de Fuca and Johnstone Straits.  It is
possible that the timing of the Summer run stock group is late, however, the
apparent weakness to date is causing concern.
   
Migration conditions for sockeye in the Fraser River continue to be favourable.
Discharge levels in the Fraser River (at Hope) measured August 4 was 3,700 cms
(11 percent below average) and water temperatures at Qualark Creek 17.7 degrees
celsius (near the long term average).  Both discharge levels and water
temperature are forecasted to be at or near average levels for the next six to
seven days.
   
First Nations

It is expected that First Nations targeting Fraser River sockeye fisheries in
Area 29 and the Fraser River will continue this week, an update will be
provided on Tuesday August 9 following the next Fraser River Panel meeting.

Recreational

Sockeye retention remains closed in the Fraser River.  Opportunities for the
commencement of Fraser River sockeye retention will be reviewed and an update
will be provided on Tuesday August 9.

Commercial

Remains closed.  Opportunities for the commencement of any assessment or
commercial fisheries will be reviewed and an update will be provided on Tuesday
August 9.

The next update will be Tuesday PM, August 9 following the next Fraser River
Panel meeting.
   
For more information contact Paul Ryall at (604)666-0115.