Steelhead stocks on Dean River ‘hammered’ by chum fishery

The fallout from the commercial net openings continues.

Billy Blewett runs one of the most famous fishing lodges in the world on British Columbia’s Dean River, where the steelhead are renowned for being big and plentiful.

But he has been apologizing to his clients at the Lower Dean River Lodge lately because so few fish are being caught – and many of those are scarred from being entangled in nets. Mr. Blewett and others are blaming the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans because it allowed a commercial chum fishery that has concentrated more than 150 fishing boats in the area of the Dean Channel, near Bella Coola.

Mel Kotyk, DFO’s area director for the North Coast, said officials are monitoring the situation and do not believe the chum fishery is having much impact on the steelhead run.

LINK (via:The Globe and Mail)

There's more.

Billy Blewett is demanding the DFO fire Central Coast fishery manager Dan Wagner.

The North Coast Steelhead Allliance has a copy of the email.

Any angler who cares about steelhead should take some time out and email Sue Farlinger the DFO Regional Director General and demand accoutability.