Skeena Quality Waters? - The Ministry has Spoken
Monday, April 26, 2010 at 12:05AM 
All Non-Resident Non-Guided Alien Anglers [NRNGAA] will be restricted to fishing only on Monday to Friday from Sept. 1-Oct. 31 on the Morice, Bulkley, Suskwa, Babine, Kispiox Rivers. On the Zymoetz [Copper] River, NRNGAA will be restricted to fishing on Monday-Thursday from July 24-May 31 in both the Class 1 and Class 2 waters. On the Skeena, 1 section around the Kispiox and another upstream from the Zymoetz will be restricted to fishing on on Monday-Friday.
From the Ministry:
This document presents final recommendations of the Working Groups for Skeena Angling Management Plans and the response from the Ministry of Environment. The ministry response indicates which recommendations were endorsed, those that were not endorsed, and those which were deferred for consideration in the future. The rationale for these decisions is also presented. The ministry response document brings to a close the extensive consultation process as part of the Skeena Quality Waters Strategy.
To view the response (PDF), visit http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/skeena/qws/
skeena quality waters in News
Reader Comments (31)
Well that should address the underlying problem.
Not.
I hear them loud and clear. We American's are NOT welcome. I hope I don't run in to any Canadians in Montana this summer.
I'll stay in the US, you asshole Canadians stay in Canada.
And don't send me any more emails to help support saving YOUR RESOURCES. Not a single fucking dime leaving my pocket is headed to help ensure your QUALITY EXPERIENCE.
Enough said
More like greedy bastard. I bet you're one of the guys with 'friends' who live in Smithers 2 months of the year. Just because all your water turned into shit doesn't mean you should be allowed to do it here too.
Blame the fishing industry at large for making steelhead the "extreme" game fish that only "hardcore" anglers target. For making a fish with merely a few last refuges suddenly the "grib'n'grin" favorite across the world. Blame the fly rod makers that sell out steelhead to sell more rod. For making you feel inadequate unless you catch enough steelhead to brag and boast.
Blame the industry for making guides out to be the greatest fishermen on earth. For making everything "PRO".
Blame the industry folks. We don't have the laid back, respectful, thoughtful, conscious steelhead fishermen we used to. Now we have a bunch of greedy blowhards who want to be the next Dec Hogan or Bill Herzog.
Blame everyone because it seems like everyone is in the "industry" nowadays.
Actually, it seems like everybody is still welcome as long as you have a guide. Which is quite common in some salt water fisheries, no? Further those restrictions seem to be only on certain days. I'm fine with this if it's an attempt to preserve a fishery that I enjoy going to.
I'm glad to see that the "proud American" stereotype is still making it difficult for me to be received warmly in any foreign country. Feel free to say within America, but keep your comments there as well. Some of us would like to experience foreign cultures without being negatively stereotyped the minute we step of the plane.
South Park rules. Don't care about the issue at hand.
Heres an easy solution... Every river should be catch and release.. F*CK YOU MEAT HUNTERS!!!
all of those rivers mentioned are catch and release for steelhead...
Something about bad seed, or bad apples, and bunches, or bushels? We got dumbass canucks up here, just like you got dumbass yanks. But I suspect as with anything, it's the exception to the rule. The empty can rattles the most...
If you have always gone with a guide in BC, then your fishing is probably going to get better. For those who have enjoyed not fishing with guides, or could not afford it, this outcome isn't great.
Losing 25% of your days creates an issue for traveling anglers. The Kispiox as an example blows out often in the fall. So now you have the QWS and Mother Nature to contend with. Nine days of just turned to five, and sixteen to ten. Toss in a blow river and it gets worse.
The Canadian dollar has gained a lot of strength against the US dollar as well. BC has a 14% sales tax, and virtually every item you buy is double the price. When was the last time you had a few beers and a pizza in BC? Gas prices are crazy high as well. It is not inexpensive to fish BC these days.
BC was once a great bargain, but no longer. Not all of the people are anti American, but there are enough around so that you know it.
If you have an extra $6500.00 to $10,000.00 to spend on a guided week, then you should be happy that some of the DIY anglers have just been pushed out. The lodges must be doing back flips with joy. The businesses that relay on the traveling anglers must be feeling slighted.
Going to be hard for me to justify going north this fall, but perhaps I'll save the money and fish some local rivers. Not the same fish, but then again I'll not lose much sleep over it.
I am not sure if this best idea, but if it happened to some of my local rivers i would be thrilled, butn is the loss of money going to be worth it? Hopefully we see improvments in recuirtment on these rivers. Proud to be American- i am proud too but you can't tell me you wouldn't be happy to see less people on your rivers either you don't need to spend money then so quit your bitchin.
DIY American Steelheaders migrating north need to be managed. PERIOD. The amount of visiting anglers in these remote watersheds is in need of regulation, that's why the quality of the fishery will stay in tact, that's why people travel up here. POPULATION versus PRESSURE.
So you can only fish through the weekdays unguided? WANH. Plain and simple, We all know this is the best Steelhead water in North America and regulating DIY pressure from the TOURIST side of the coin is the ONLY way to keep the quality of these fisheries WORLD CLASS........eh.
.......... "and we will be watching"
I'm still laughing at the PROUD AMERICAN'S comment. You shouldn't even be allowed a passport with that attitude let alone a fly-rod. STAY HOME and chase 8" Rainbows....
looks like the guides won...town people didn't want this..only hurts them...read the whole story and the opinions..
not just Americans that are the problem...euro's etc. too...but IMHO the main thing here is guides get paid to put people on fish so want as much water for themselves as they can get..by whatever method...Feel bad for the towns..if they take a hit...but to be honest, 5 days a week on some rivers and two days to do exploring or other is not the worst thing that could have happened...
Another good example of what happens when an uniformed government gets involved in anything...
"DIY American Steelheaders migrating north need to be managed. PERIOD."
Yeah, right, that's the real problem with the fishery. Smoke and mirrors while the extractive industries and the privatizers get what they want. Wait and see.
Pressure from anglers is greater than logging, netting, and native rights....? Maybe since they can't control anything they just want to ruin their local economy. Not to mention Americans who own homes up there that specifically fish those rivers for steelhead. A big bummer. Pretty hard to drive up there and fish without a sour taste in your mouth towards the local guiding community. I won't be booking any trips up there with any guides ever again because of this. Buch of BullSHIT!
This is a good thing for local people who just want to fish on their day off. With the increase in jet traffic and popularity of the Skeena system in general there has definitely been an overcrowding issue. This has been getting worse every year. Does it address the underlying problems of funding, policing the water, lack of manpower, etc, no. It will give a dad who works 5 days a week and lives in Terrace, Hazelton or Smithers the opportunity to get out and fish with the kids on the weekend and actually have a chance of catching fish. It will cut out some of the traffic on the busiest beats near town and lessen the fishing pressure.
If there are those from the U.S. who are not happy with the new regs because of the restrictions they should stop whining. The Skeena region has been virtually giving away the fishing for years now, it's cheap, dirt cheap, compared to many other sea run fisheries in the world. Want to complain about restrictions and cost, go fish in Quebec, the U.K. or Norway for Atlantics. Comparable experience with most likely less fish for more money and many more restrictions.
Being a steelheader (angler in general) is stressful...you can't just go fishing anymore.
I have been waiting a long time for this. So sick and tired of seeing NRA poaching our rivers. We have been giving away our fisheries for years. Only wish they would have limited all NRA to 8 days, and doubled the day fees. But its not over and with any luck we'll head that direction soon.
And all you illegal guides are being watched and your time up here is over.
"The Skeena region has been virtually giving away the fishing for years now, it's cheap, dirt cheap, compared to many other sea run fisheries in the world. Want to complain about restrictions and cost, go fish in Quebec, the U.K. or Norway for Atlantics."
So using examples of other highly regulated, very expensive fisheries is valid a justification? How about instead making the Skeena watershed the exception to the other examples, and focusing instead on better regulating and monitoring of the real factors that are affecting the health of the fishery instead? The BC government wants to crack down on non-resident anglers, but doesn't seem to be willing to take any serious measures toward the extractive industries that are the real threat. That, in large part, is why I'm so suspicious of the real motives behind this.
And good luck to all the local businesses that are going to take a very serious financial hit from the diminished numbers of anglers, as well as the amount of income that is generated from non-resident license sales.
I can understand the sentiment that BC residents don't want people from another country trying to tell them how they should be managing their own resource, but then why let so many multi-national industries have such an undue amount of influence on your policies instead?
With enforcement already substantially lacking in Skeena Country, this just made the case for weekend civil disobedience much more compelling.
The only ministry that has done anything worthwile in the past 20 years is the one that wrote Jesus Built My Hotrod.
Maybe they should just divide the water up into beats and have it owned by certain lodges that pay the most. That way no public access would be allowed. That seems like it would work well. Then mabye you wouln't be "giving it away" And all you canadian mother fuckers who like the fish Alaska? Fuck yo,u stay out, especially PEBBLE.
Dear Mrs CanadianPebble
Your son is struggling with his English studies and does not seem to play well with others at school. I would appreciate the opportunity to talk about your son's developmental issues in person. Please contact me as soon as possible for a one on one meeting.
Thank you
Grade four teacher
the more I read the comments the more I realize most of the posters had zero involvement with the process that brought this about..the typical "proud american" meet "perfect outcome" dumbasses both..and of course the sniggling from the guides who whored this thing through for their own benefit and fuck the locals....
Done so a local can fish on the weekends without pressure? to quote an infamous commercial..."Dude"....WTF are you thinking...put down that kool aid...
Here's what I wonder...when no one shows up but your locals...whats going to happen to your fishery? Yes the same guys from the lower rainland and alberta will show up..sleep in the back of their trucks, eat what they brought with um...maybe one restock in terrace and a shower...
What's gonna happen when the goose stops laying that egg?