Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: jinyu on October 27, 2009, 01:11:23 PM

Title: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: jinyu on October 27, 2009, 01:11:23 PM

Saw tons of boats fishing on the Fraser around Annacis Island area during lunch break, but they are not using rods and jigs but trolling nets :(. Anybody knows how long this commerical fishing remains open? I guess fishing in the upper river should be slow this weekend and seldom any fish could escape those nets.

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: Rodney on October 27, 2009, 01:20:59 PM

This is a 24 hour commercial chum salmon opening starting from 9:00am today.

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: mattyo on October 27, 2009, 02:53:12 PM

Maybe a silly question Rod, seeing that its only a 24 hour opening, but do they net all night?

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: rheticus on October 27, 2009, 05:48:03 PM

I was down at the bottom of Richmond all afternoon. What knocked me over was watching one of the commercial guys gaffing (dead) fish he had caught and chucking them back into the water. If one of us wasted fish like that, we'd have our equipment confiscated. Anyone know what's with this?

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: Robert_G on October 27, 2009, 06:39:21 PM

The answer is very simple.
They are fishing for chum roe.
The meat isn't worth anything. The roe is very valuable. So they bonk the fish, sell the roe, and toss the carcass back in the river.
Meanwhile the bycatch devastates our already diminishing coho runs.
On top of that, you do NOT want to know how many Thompson River Steelhead that have been caught and killed in this fishery over the last 30 years or so. Knowing that information would make a grown man cry.
This fishery is just another example of poor management by DFO. This fishery should NOT exist...period.

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: rheticus on October 27, 2009, 06:56:48 PM

Thanks for the info Robert G. So, am I right with the following summary re this fishery:

Steelhead: killed and wasted
Coho: killed and wasted
Male Chum: killed and wasted
Female Chum: killed and, after roe removed, wasted

Have DFO and these guys ever heard phrases like "environmentally responsible," "sustainable," or even "rational"?

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: VAGAbond on October 27, 2009, 07:16:33 PM

It could all be done better with fish traps where the captured fish could be sorted.   But that is a bad  aboriginal method abandoned 100 years ago.

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: Derek:: on October 27, 2009, 07:30:32 PM

I was at triangle rd today during high tide. There were many fishing boats just laying their nets accross the river.  I didn't get a thing other than losing a couple lures.

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: yakideath12 on October 27, 2009, 09:08:29 PM

i heared that after roe take out, they use it as dog food or cat food

Title: Re: Commercial Fishing Open on the Fraser?
Post by: firstlight on October 27, 2009, 11:04:07 PM

I bet they start keeping a lot more of the Chum for consumption since there wasnt an opening for Sockeye.
Nothing wrong with smoked Chum if done right.
Ever had Chumeroni?