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[ShaunO]

A group of volunteers that I follow did a SCUBA cleanup of the cable pool today.  They pulled 184 lbs of garbage from the pool in a short period of time.  The most alarming thing was the weighted treble hooks they found.  Have a look and ask yourself WTF!

[Fish Assassin]

Remind me of the time several years back a scuba diver did the same thing. He found a six pack of canned beer that some teens dropped over the night before. Since he didn't drink, he gave them to me. Coolest beer I ever had

[greyghost]

Can I have my pink worm back please? 

[Hike_and_fish]

Some people have bigger balls than me. Using weighted hooks? Flirting with disaster there. Good for you !

[Hike_and_fish]

This has nothing to do with having big balls lol. People sneaking at night and snagging fish while nobody is around..

And risk the fines, car and gear seizures with a possible court date ? That takes balls.

[Blood_Orange]

Amazing work! Any more pictures? I love photos of river treasure/horrifying evidence of nighttime poachers. Did anyone take any underwater photos of the fish? Those would be cool too

[ShaunO]

There are other pictures, but the one I posted if by far the most interesting.  Regrettably there are no underwater fishy pictures.

The group that does these kinds of cleanups is called "Divers for Cleaner Lakes and Oceans" and their website is https://www.cleanerlakes.com/

I'm not sure they maintain a Facebook page or not, but they seem to regularly visit local lakes in the lower mainland. 

[bluenoser]

Ive seen those treble hook pencil lead set ups used by natives in Squamish on several occasions on deeper pools for coho....not sure who would use them where you found them.

BN

[santefe]

I think I'd call them poachers...

[bobby b]

I’ve seen FN use those at many places in Cap/ Squamish/ and Ambleside ....

[Hike_and_fish]

I used to spend a lot of time around Seaton Portage. I dont know what it's like now but years ago the local FN would be lined on the bank casting those weighted hooks snagging Sockeye. I've seen it on the Birkenhead lots as well.

[capman]

Just donated to Cleanerlakes.com. What an amazing effort for such an important cause. Hope we all support this group.

[Blood_Orange]

I'll toss $50 at the Cleaner Lakes donation page. If anyone from the group is reading this, the 2018 Fundraising Campaign is closed (as are the 2017 and 2016) but the 2015 and 2014 are still open. Should I donate to an old campaign or wait until a 2019 opens up? Or does the money all go to one place so it doesn't matter?

As a side note, why would FN anglers be at cable pool with weighted hooks when they can fish in the daytime using weirs and nets down by the reservation? It's certainly possible but seems like more risk and trouble than it's worth... I definitely wouldn't want to be climbing around on those rocks in the dark.

[halcyonguitars]

They must get a lot of free gear! I know I've left a few spoons and spinners in there...

[milo]

I think I'd call them poachers...

Not necessarily. Many FN individuals harvest salmon using weighted treble hooks. It's efficient when the fish are running thick.
They fish for food; not for fun. Setting nets is team work; snagging with trebled barbed hooks can be done individually.

This is from a letter written by a relevant government official in response to a similar question years ago:

First Nations that are hunting, trapping, or fishing on the traditional territory of their band can harvest fish or wildlife for food, social, or ceremonial purposes without having to abide by the regulations like open season, gear restrictions, and quota/bag limits. However, all First Nations must abide with regulations regarding safety and conservation, regardless of where they are hunting or angling.

Note that “Traditional Territory” is the land that the ancestors of a particular band used in the 1800s and is a much larger tract of land than “Reserve Lands”. Reserve Lands have no bearing on a First Nations food, social, or ceremonial (FSC) rights to hunt, trap, or fish. Generally, reserve lands are within traditional territory and First Nations will have FSC rights within reserve lands, however the traditional territory is a significantly larger portion of land than the reserve.


The whole length of the Capilano River, and that includes the Cable Pool is considered traditional territory of the Squamish Nation. So, don't assume everyone using barbed weighted treble hooks on the Cap is a poacher. Now if they are speaking in Mandarin/Cantonese/Russian/Romanian/_____(fill in the blank)_____ or some other "imported" language, chances are they are, indeed, poaching.

Kudos to the scuba diving team on a great cleanup job!