They just cannot accept that wild steelhead in BC will never be available for their killing pleasure

A representative of the B.C. Wildlife Federation has claimed that the "abundance" of wild steelhead returning to the Skeena in British Columbia should allow sports fishers to kill Skeena steelhead. Rob Brown set them straight in the Terrace Standard. 

Then Bill Bosch, President of the BCWF, came back with this lame response.

So then the North Coast Steelhead Alliance eloquently let Mr. Bosch have it......with both barrels.

You have to love the BCWF’s “…primary objective is conservation…”  They just cannot accept that wild steelhead in BC will never be available for their killing pleasure. Every year, local BCWF representatives send poisonous letters to the Ministry of Environment demanding steelhead kill fisheries and every year the Ministry dutifully replies that the idea is a non-starter.

While the BCWF is entitled to voice their opinions, on issues like steelhead kill they should just give up…it will never happen….and be assured it certainly won't happen on our watch.

This bit of steelhead trivia from Rob Brown's piece will sober you up. The historic steelhead returns to California’s Eel river alone rivalled that of the entire Skeena drainage.

Now ask yourself why we still allow for the recreational harvest of wild steelhead in the lower 48.

The Great Steelhead Rescue

Soon after a century-old mill dam was destroyed by flooding, the small creek behind Jeff Opperman's house played host to dozens of steelhead making their way up the Chagrin River. The freshwater scientist with The Nature Conservancy used their arrival as an opportunity to reflect on nature in the age of human domination.

LINK  (via:Outside)

Aug SOTM Entry: Dean Steel

Dean dime.

Aug. SOTM Entry: Big D Steel

From the inbox:

Hey Chum,

Although a total rookie I managed to land this wild steelhead in the Deschutes August 10^th while out with a few coworkers.  I’m submitting this shot on behalf of my team at the Wild Salmon Center in Portland, OR, who work every day to protect the healthy Pacific salmon rivers we have left. Keep em wild!

-Kim

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.

Steelhead above Condit Dam

Taken by Jeanette Burkhardt of Yakama Nation Fisheries on 7/16/12, a video still of a Steelhead ‘going for it’ at BZ Falls!

(via:Friends of the White Salmon River)

Biologists document fish migrating upstream of Condit Dam following dam's breaching.