And the Farce Continues

Looks like the impact of the commercial net fishery on this year's Dean River steelhead is going to be getting worse. The DFO has announced additional commercial openings that are sure to impact the already poor steelhead and chum salmon returns.

You can read all the details via the Northcoast Steelhead Alliance by hitting the links below.

Dean River steelhead and chum salmon concerns

So much for Dean concerns….more commercial fishing scheduled

And the farce continues in Area 6…and Area 3

North Coast Salmon Update

While this year's Skeena sockeye fishery has been dismal, an above average sockeye return on the Nass resulted in additional north coast openings for commercial fishermen who were unable to fish the Skeena.

LINK (via: The Terrace Standard)

Meanwhile, the steelhead return numbers on both the Nass and the Dean are running lower than average, coincidence or the basic result of too much non-selective fishing?

LINK (North Coast Steelhead)

Skeena - The Biggest and Meanest Steelheads in the World

He's one of the "fightingest" fish that swims!

"Seeking Steelhead is a beautiful little clip from the early 1900's courtesy of Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau. Brigadier General Noel Money fishing the Stamp River. Worth a view!"

F yes it's worth a view!

Chum and Weedlines in Dean Channel

The managment of the commercial net openings that are currently occurring in British Columbia defies all common sense when it comes to protecting wild steelhead. In this particular case, the gill net fishery for chum salmon in the Dean Channel and the dropping of the weedline netting technique requirement.

From the North Coast Steelhead Alliance -

Allowing non-selective gillnetters into an area holding much more valuable summer run steelhead to target a fish that is worth pennies per pound. Where is the logic in that? In terms of management economics, it would appear cheaper to pay the 30 or 40 gillnetters to stay home than pay for the management time spent on this fishery in addition to the loss of incredibly valuable Dean river summer run steelhead.

The North Coast Steelhead Alliance reports and provides analysis on all the North Coast net openings, take a read but be prepared to tear your hair out.

New Quality Waters Recommendations

The Working Group has released new recommendations from the latest phase of the BC's Skeena Angling Management Plan.

Piscatorial Pursuits has a forum thread that covers the pertinent changes.

If you want to read the latest group recommendations for yourself you can download the PDF.