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[RalphH]

Those are good and troubling points Dave but given that chum roe is a high value product I see no issue with terminal FN fisheries that target it. It's not the only fishery of it's type. Another is the spring herring fishery. I think most of the carcasses - both male and female find buyers who sometime put them to innovative use. I knew a former Commercial fisherman who was in a startup that bought male chum for pennies on the pound and processed them into salmon sausage. That product is still around and I think chum that isn't suitable for human consumption ends up as pet food or fish meal for livestock - much as herring carcasses do.

Ideally every seafood product would be managed and marketed as spotted prawns and halibut have - to promote both abundance and market value but right now that's not the reality.

[Dave]

And you also raise some good points Ralph.  I fully support terminal fisheries but what bothers me most about the FN roe fishery on the Fraser is the lack of data on how many fish are actually there.  The Albion test fishery gives an index of total chum abundance, but that includes upstream tributaries as well as main stream Fraser spawners.  Perhaps there are enough fish to support this rape of the river, perhaps not.

Also, I do not know what happens to the female chum carcasses after egg removal - perhaps someone can answer that question for me.

The herring roe fishery is a debate for another day but again, I question the wisdom of harvesting a fish that is so important to so many other organisms.

[typhoon]

Chum are important to many organisms. They are nature's way of moving the most amount of biomass from oceans to rivers as fertilizer.
Killing all the does must have an impact on future generations. A Chum roe fishery should be closely managed.

[Tangles]

As expected Stave was slow today, only darks and fish with net marks, went down to take a look at the mouth and there was three boats scooping up right under the CN bridge.
Raping Fraser for dog food and fertilizer, mere few cents per lb at the docks, call it what you want but this is just plain greed and stupidity.
On a bright side I caught a couple cuttroat too, so I guess at least they don't have issues going trough the mesh.

[waterbearer]

And you also raise some good points Ralph.  I fully support terminal fisheries but what bothers me most about the FN roe fishery on the Fraser is the lack of data on how many fish are actually there.  The Albion test fishery gives an index of total chum abundance, but that includes upstream tributaries as well as main stream Fraser spawners.  Perhaps there are enough fish to support this rape of the river, perhaps not.

Also, I do not know what happens to the female chum carcasses after egg removal - perhaps someone can answer that question for me.

The herring roe fishery is a debate for another day but again, I question the wisdom of harvesting a fish that is so important to so many other organisms.

chum carcasses and roe are sold to many local restaurants and hotels .
we always have salmon on our menu normally its sockeye - coho - springs now we are on johnson straight keta then its back to a good quality frozen sockeye until fresh sockeye returns.last week we had a few fraser river keta and loads of eggs that we turn into ikura  for the year.our supplier normally sells all keta from the skeins harvest thats another reason why deal with them.Maybe im wrong but i
 believe that a good number of sport fisherman think all the fish is being wasted but a good amount of it is being use in creative ways by local chefs who are focus on seeing change when it come to using local fish.

[Dave]

Thanks for the information waterbearer.

[RalphH]

At $15 to $20 per lb of roe, I think the commercial value of a doe chum easily exceeds sockeye.

[waterbearer]

At $15 to $20 per lb of roe, I think the commercial value of a doe chum easily exceeds sockeye.

where are you buying chun roe at 15 per lb ?

[Animal Chin]

where are you buying chun roe at 15 per lb ?

Pretty much the retail price .. Steveston wharf, Berry's Bait, that dude that sells frozen vacuum sealed roe out of his shop in Richmond.

 I get it myself but in the end with gas and being relatively selective about it, it pretty much costs about the same.

[fic]

Pretty much the retail price .. Steveston wharf, Berry's Bait, that dude that sells frozen vacuum sealed roe out of his shop in Richmond.

 I get it myself but in the end with gas and being relatively selective about it, it pretty much costs about the same.

The retail guys figured out the maximum amount money they can extract from you based on how much it costs you to go get chum roe yourself .  Sure it sounds cheap to go get the roe on a river, but once you factor in the gas, and other expenses, you are probably not saving that much.

[chris gadsden]

The retail guys figured out the maximum amount money they can extract from you based on how much it costs you to go get chum roe yourself .  Sure it sounds cheap to go get the roe on a river, but once you factor in the gas, and other expenses, you are probably not saving that much.

When I live 5 minutes from the river it is easy. Cleanup some garbage and pick up some beer tins left behind on the bank then gas is paid for. Also i fished a car battery out of the river bed the other day which I will get $6 to $8 for. Who would dump an acid filled battery in the river?

I have kept 4 chum this year, some people look down on them but we have BBQ'ed them and are very good if prepared properly. Also remember wild salmon are good for you, FF ones, not so Dave.

 I do see some chum doe's open up with the roe taken , not so good at all.

[Dave]

waterbearer, I am happy to hear the female chum carcasses harvested by FN are not being wasted.  Do you know of any local restaurants that are purchasing these fish or if not, where their final destination might be?  Please pm me if you prefer.

Chris, we both know chums are only retained by anglers when they can't catch enough coho, or they want the bait.  I know, I've done it and I agree, they are fine eating, especially smoked.  Let me guess, the 4 you killed were females, no?

[Tylsie]

Just to make sure I am reading it right, there hasn't been a commercial opening since the 27 not a Native harvest since the 28 with nothing planned? Shift change so I have a few free hours but not enough time to go to far.

As far as chum go, in my opinion they are the best smoking fish out of any of them. I don't care for smoked coho or springs, and to smoke a sockeye is just a waste. Nothing beats a nice maple smoked chum. Don't care if male or female as long as it is fresh.

[Rodney]

Fraser River mouth commercial seine opening yesterday and today:
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=189213&ID=all

No additional commercial gill net openings are expected:
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=189196&ID=all

Lower Fraser FN economic openings today:
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=189242&ID=all

[waterbearer]

waterbearer, I am happy to hear the female chum carcasses harvested by FN are not being wasted.  Do you know of any local restaurants that are purchasing these fish or if not, where their final destination might be?  Please pm me if you prefer.

Chris, we both know chums are only retained by anglers when they can't catch enough coho, or they want the bait.  I know, I've done it and I agree, they are fine eating, especially smoked.  Let me guess, the 4 you killed were females, no?

Im not going to name restaurants but I do know a few companies that are working with fn and teaching them the correct way to handle fish behind harvested for roe so they can get top dollar for the carcasses .There is a movement going on but it's going to take time.

salmon roe for 8 dollars per pound of the boats on Granville island.