Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: chris gadsden on February 16, 2006, 09:58:23 PM
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I see in the Vancouver Sun today 2 million Sockeye are missing from the 2005 run. Maybe someone will post the link.
In the article I see the new Conservative Government is going to call a judicial inquiry, good for them.
Of course it is very easy to solve part of this riddle, that is to have an independent agency to do the counting of these fish caught by all 3 user groups.
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In the article I see the new Conservative Government is going to call a judicial inquiry, good for them.
Another judicial inquiry ? What a waste of taxpayers' money. Didn't we just had one about a year or two ago ? What's changed from the last inquiry necessitating another one ? :o :'(
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In the article I see the new Conservative Government is going to call a judicial inquiry, good for them.
Another judicial inquiry ? What a waste of taxpayers' money. Didn't we just had one about a year or two ago ? What's changed from the last inquiry necessitating another one ? :o :'(
No they have not had one. You are thinking of the Williams Inquiry. In a judicial they call witness' that give testimony under oath. This will mean fishery officiers will be called and they will have to give details of illegall fishing etc..
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Well it's time to dig out those video clips from past summer eh Chris? 8)
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In my opinion, the Williams Inquiry was simply a political move to shut everyone up. :'( It was not judicial and therefore those making statements did not have to do so under oath. A complete waste of money. >:( A judicial inquiry will, as already stated, will allow witnesses to be called to testify under oath. Costly? You bet. Necessary? You bet. I say go for it. ::)
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Chris, lets hope the Conservative Government has the political will to shut down the over harvesting of sockeye that we have seen the last 3 years. Stocks can not withstand a 24/7 fishery and survive for long. Chinooks will be the next on the list of missing fish. I was personally involved with the rebuilding of the upper Adams river stock when we crossed Adams river males with Momich river females in 1980. It took 25 years to rebuild this stock to 200k fish and it was totally wiped out in 2003 by overfishing. Oh No, it was the warm water that did it! I had a mental lapse. Maybe it was the students counting fish at Mission who didn't count right.
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Thanks for the post Buck. I am sure the SDA and other fishing groups will continue doing everything they can that things are done to prevent the total loss of these sockeye runs.
If the new Conservative Government follows through with what a number of their now sitting MP's have been talking about for years there may be some hope to save these precious fish for future generations of all user groups.
Letters have now been sent to set up meetings with MP's involved with the Fisheries and Oceans Ministry.
I had hoped someone would have posted the article that was in the Vancouver Sun on the missing sockeye but I suppose everyone has seen it by now.
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In the article I see the new Conservative Government is going to call a judicial inquiry, good for them.
Another judicial inquiry ? What a waste of taxpayers' money. Didn't we just had one about a year or two ago ? What's changed from the last inquiry necessitating another one ? :o :'(
No they have not had one. You are thinking of the Williams Inquiry. In a judicial they call witness' that give testimony under oath. This will mean fishery officers will be called and they will have to give details of illegally fishing etc..
That's exactly what happened @ the William's inquiry hearings I was at-evidenced was taken under oath.
This is just a political sop-anyone who thinks that something new will happen because of this useless expenditure of public money is fooling them self.
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I see in the Vancouver Sun today 2 million Sockeye are missing from the 2005 run. Maybe someone will post the link.
In the article I see the new Conservative Government is going to call a judicial inquiry, good for them.
Of course it is very easy to solve part of this riddle, that is to have an independent agency to do the counting of these fish caught by all 3 user groups.
I agree Chris, I feel DFO should be mandated to the science only and a seperate body mandated to setting policy and the the policing of those policies . this resource is far to important to be allow the Feds to transfer it's management to the provincial side given B.C.'s record for the extreme flip flops from left to right . how would they set policy, afford the science, and police those policies? especialy in the ocean .a recipie for disaster.
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Ask the cod how well protected they feel. Always makes good press to say will do an inquiry :-*. Something needs to be done for sure and I hope it happens soon. I can't see the Provincial Liberals doing anything they like fish farms breaking rules, and laid off anyone doing conservation enforcement. I think there is a fair amount of poaching going on all up the Fraser, from what I hear of people buying $10 dollar sockeye.
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February 18, 2006
Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6
Dear Mr. Minister
The February 16th article in the Vancouver Sun by Scott Simpson detailing another 2 million missing Sockeye in 2005 quotes both yourself and Prime Minister Harper as committing to a judicial inquiry into the operations of Pacific Region of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Minister it is our considered opinion that such a move would be counter productive and a foolish disposition of public funds. We say this for a number of reasons.
The first being that the expenditure of $5 or $10 million of public money on looking into a system that has been looked into to death makes no sense in the face of current plans to eliminate 34 Fishery Officers and 47 Habitat staff from this Region and continue cuts to the Salmonid Enhancement Programme.
The second reason being, this past spring a very knowledgeable and experienced body of representatives from every sector of the fishery in B.C. made 47 specific recommendations for improving operations in the Pacific Region. These recommendations were put forward following a very in-depth series of hearings and inquiries, with evidence taken under oath, in all the major centers in Southern B.C. This group, again, all representatives from the various fishing sectors, chosen by those sectors to participate in this Review, made specific recommendations for improvement. Those recommendations mirrored many of the recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, a committee of which you were an active member. Almost none of these recommendations have been put into place. Prior to these recommendations there were those from at least three other Inquires and Reviews, virtually none of those recommendations have been put into place in any effective manner.
Our members would respectively suggest that a rational move would be to implement the recommendations currently on the books. Once this has been done, and done on a real basis and not a one time shot as has been the practice up until now, then a proper assessment could be made.
If you are bound and determined to have a Judicial Inquiry, then we strongly suggest you direct it towards the bloated bureaucracy that sits just outside your door, DFO Ottawa. This Ottawa group eats up a major portion of the total Fisheries and Oceans Budget and produces not one fish or fishery. We would also ask you to make one of the specifics of the inquiry, if you are so set on having it, to look into the rationale and decision process that came up with the current policy of no longer protecting the critical habitat our fish depend upon. We refer here to the totally irrational “Environmental Process Modernization Plan” under the Habitat section of the “Wild Salmon Policy”. We would point out that in past 30 years there have been at least 5 inquiries, reviews and Royal Commissions relating to the Pacific Region of Fisheries, but not one review of the Ottawa operation. It is a task long past due.
For the Pacific Coast however Mr. Minister we strongly recommend that you move immediately to cancel the current planned programme and staff cuts for the Pacific Region and put fully in place the recommendations of both the Williams Review and those of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Failure to take this action will doom our west coast fisheries to the level of those of a third world country.
Yours in conservation.
Bill Otway, President
Sportfishing Defence Alliance
P.O. Box 326 Merritt, B.C.
V1K 1B8
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Bravo !
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I imagine it all going down like some overacted film from the 40s. "I know what we'll do , we'll call an inquiry!" followed by some stupid song, some dancing, and a bunch of smiling faces. All waste waste waste. Its so stupid that our own government isnt treated like a publicly owned company....3/4 of the knobs in parliament would be fired right away.
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What they need is learned experts to stand up, and say..just how many fish are being POACHED and shoot it straight and identify the KEY enforcement issues...guess what..conservation is easy...sports aren't the issue, and in this case, neither are the commercial.
There isn't one politician with the gonads to take on the FN groups who poached untold millions of fish over the years. I hereby challenge Stephen Harper and the new minister of fisheries and oceans to address the issue of enforcement and the rogue FN groups of the lower BC region which so boldly defy fisheries law.
The problem isn't commercial boats either. The real problem is fish "disappearing" from the river system which knowingly made it into the system. You won't see DFO release the real numbers. If mortality is indeed as high as they state, then surely the bottom of the river would be littered with huindresds of thousands of sockeye and sturgeon populations would be flourishing past historical highs..
I don't need DFO, some stupid enquiry, the papers, or some blow joe of the Sports Fishing Defense Alliance to tell me what the real issues are in the fishery. I've seen it with my own eyes in person..and anyone can see it, just open your eyes and have a look when sockeye season comes up.There was a post made by Rodney last summer during the sockeye opening, which was a photo documentary of the activities on the river. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
And don't want anyone challenge my conservationist nature as I have personally released tens of thousands of mature Coho, Tens of thousands of Springs, several hundred sockeye, and more than a few Steelhead on the ocean in the Queen Charlottes. I have persuaded guests to release several dozen springs over 50 lbs a few over 60, well over 100 over 40 lbs, and untold numbers of Tyees as a guide and angler. Personally, I've given back more than I'll ever take as a sport fisher.
What really needs to happen is some investigative journalism via 60 minutes when the offenses are going on..and PRIMETIME news coverage and a public shaming of the politicians and bureaucrats which do nothing.
Sport Fishing Defense Alliance..you lost this years' donation with that letter as you do not speak for me in that letter.
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What they need is learned experts to stand up, and say..just how many fish are being POACHED and shoot it straight and identify the KEY enforcement issues...guess what..conservation is easy...sports aren't the issue, and in this case, neither are the commercial.
There isn't one politician with the gonads to take on the FN groups who poached untold millions of fish over the years. I hereby challenge Stephen Harper and the new minister of fisheries and oceans to address the issue of enforcement and the rogue FN groups of the lower BC region which so boldly defy fisheries law.
The problem isn't commercial boats either. The real problem is fish "disappearing" from the river system which knowingly made it into the system. You won't see DFO release the real numbers. If mortality is indeed as high as they state, then surely the bottom of the river would be littered with huindresds of thousands of sockeye and sturgeon populations would be flourishing past historical highs..
I don't need DFO, some stupid inquiry, the papers, or some blow joe of the Sports Fishing Defense Alliance to tell me what the real issues are in the fishery. I've seen it with my own eyes in person..and anyone can see it, just open your eyes and have a look when sockeye season comes up.There was a post made by Rodney last summer during the sockeye opening, which was a photo documentary of the activities on the river. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
And don't want anyone challenge my conservationist nature as I have personally released tens of thousands of mature Coho, Tens of thousands of Springs, several hundred sockeye, and more than a few Steelhead on the ocean in the Queen Charlottes. I have persuaded guests to release several dozen springs over 50 lbs a few over 60, well over 100 over 40 lbs, and untold numbers of Tyees as a guide and angler. Personally, I've given back more than I'll ever take as a sport fisher.
What really needs to happen is some investigative journalism via 60 minutes when the offenses are going on..and PRIMETIME news coverage and a public shaming of the politicians and bureaucrats which do nothing.
Sport Fishing Defense Alliance..you lost this years' donation with that letter as you do not speak for me in that letter.
Having read your rant, It makes me wonder if you actually read the letter. ???
The press is not going to do a piece on this as it is politically incorrect. :-[
We all know what is going on and if you read the letter we need more people on the ground not people in Ottawa.
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What they need is learned experts to stand up, and say..just how many fish are being POACHED and shoot it straight and identify the KEY enforcement issues...guess what..conservation is easy...sports aren't the issue, and in this case, neither are the commercial.
There isn't one politician with the gonads to take on the FN groups who poached untold millions of fish over the years. I hereby challenge Stephen Harper and the new minister of fisheries and oceans to address the issue of enforcement and the rogue FN groups of the lower BC region which so boldly defy fisheries law.
The problem isn't commercial boats either. The real problem is fish "disappearing" from the river system which knowingly made it into the system. You won't see DFO release the real numbers. If mortality is indeed as high as they state, then surely the bottom of the river would be littered with huindresds of thousands of sockeye and sturgeon populations would be flourishing past historical highs..
I don't need DFO, some stupid inquiry, the papers, or some blow joe of the Sports Fishing Defense Alliance to tell me what the real issues are in the fishery. I've seen it with my own eyes in person..and anyone can see it, just open your eyes and have a look when sockeye season comes up.There was a post made by Rodney last summer during the sockeye opening, which was a photo documentary of the activities on the river. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
And don't want anyone challenge my conservationist nature as I have personally released tens of thousands of mature Coho, Tens of thousands of Springs, several hundred sockeye, and more than a few Steelhead on the ocean in the Queen Charlottes. I have persuaded guests to release several dozen springs over 50 lbs a few over 60, well over 100 over 40 lbs, and untold numbers of Tyees as a guide and angler. Personally, I've given back more than I'll ever take as a sport fisher.
What really needs to happen is some investigative journalism via 60 minutes when the offenses are going on..and PRIMETIME news coverage and a public shaming of the politicians and bureaucrats which do nothing.
Sport Fishing Defense Alliance..you lost this years' donation with that letter as you do not speak for me in that letter.
Having read your rant, It makes me wonder if you actually read the letter. ???
The press is not going to do a piece on this as it is politically incorrect. :-[
We all know what is going on and if you read the letter we need more people on the ground not people in Ottawa.
I did the the letter thank you very much. More people on the ground isn't going to do diddley when the ones that are there right now won't touch the issue because their superiors have told them not to do anything as it is.
The press won't doing anything on it because it's politically incorrect..that's just part of the problem...you said it yourself..that's what I'm talking about..the problem is more political than social.
Anyways bud to SFDA still doesn't get my $$$, and if you reread the letter, you'll know exactly when I'm not donating this year.
You think the DFO doesn't know what the problem is? Check and think again.
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DFO does know the problem.
The politicians know the problem.
The press knows the problem.
We all know the problem.
The problem is politically and not touchable. DFO is run by the Politicians and they have an agenda that will not resolve this, now or in the future.
The only solution it appears is the law courts as none of the above work.
At this time there is only one group that is fighting this in the courts and that is the SDA.
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DFO does know the problem.
The politicians know the problem.
The press knows the problem.
We all know the problem.
The problem is politically and not touchable. DFO is run by the Politicians and they have an agenda that will not resolve this, now or in the future.
The only solution it appears is the law courts as none of the above work.
At this time there is only one group that is fighting this in the courts and that is the SDA.
And the SFDA is getting NO WHERE...as their name implies...SPORTS FISHING DEFENSE ALLIANCE...not Sustainable Fisheries Defense Alliance.....it's the SPORTS FISHING DEFENSE ALLIANCE...no partnership with the Commercial Sector...NO coastwide support...and they're viewed as just another lobbyist group...NOT a unified group of concerned citizens comprising of all the legitimate and law abiding citizens who use the salmon resource.
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"No partnership with the Commercial Sector...NO coastwide support"
Wrong again, they have both of these.
So, as you appear to have the answers, what is your proposal to resolve this?
How are YOU going to get this done?
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"No partnership with the Commercial Sector...NO coastwide support"
Wrong again, they have both of these.
So, as you appear to have the answers, what is your proposal to resolve this?
How are YOU going to get this done?
Actually...talk to any operation on the Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlottes and most of them go..WHO? Talk to most others and they go ...so who are they and who do they stand for? Talk to any commercial fisher and most of them go "who?".
Just what I've been able to ascertain from talking to all kinds of people.
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Here's an interesting article...
Loss of Moral Authority in Fisheries
It is impossible for one workday to slip by without Canadians receiving another contribution of misfortune from their federal government . . . the one in Ottawa which, once more, continues to display overwhelming ignorance, much arrogance, and slaps us down with another grievous assault on things good and proper.
This sermon is about citizens' rights and fish-protecting priorities, which Jean Chretien’s Liberals consistently ignore. Ottawa’s game-playing is creating highly-volatile situations as the seemingly-unregulated salmon-fishing season swings into high gear in British Columbia waters.
The game plan about citizens’ rights has not been altered but, sadly and unfortunately, is never or only rarely observed as an essential guideline by obnoxious federal minions. As well, priorities once laid out for fish protection are changing. The changes are obvious, despite Ottawa’s surreptitious attempts to disguise them, but the reasons are not.
Ottawa’s reluctance to collar law-breakers continued on May 13 when the Justice Ministry servants over-ruled Fisheries Officers’ (FOs) attempts to investigate and perhaps prosecute natives reported to be fishing illegally. The ugly confrontation on the banks of the Fraser River was most distressing.
Another example of bias, legal incompetence and continuing assault on every Canadian’s long-established right was provided June 17 when a British Columbia provincial court judge acquitted 40 commercial fishermen from charges laid after they had engaged in a protest fishery a year before.
In acquitting the fishermen, Judge Brian Sanderson added scathing comments that criticized government and its simpleton-laden Fisheries and Oceans Canada ministry.
The judge said federal mismanagement has “lost the right to demand respect of the public.” His ruling also blasted the department for failing to adhere to its duty to manage the resource “on behalf of all Canadians.”
“The result of what some might describe as the (Ministry’s) policy of political correctness, but what I choose to call a lack of courage to carry out its mandate as defined by our highest court, is the loss of its moral authority,” Sanderson wrote.
The acquittal is vindication of what commercial industry leaders, recreational fishermen and, yes, even First Nations spokesmen have been saying since last summer.
Chris Cook, president of the Native Brotherhood of BC, used Judge Sanderson’s decision to explain why the federal-inspired native-only agreement “is not an equal playing for a lot of First Nations.”
Allowing four First Nations to fish commercially for sockeye salmon on their river (Fraser) does not afford other bands along the northern coast the same opportunities.
Either all First Nations should be allowed to take part in pilot projects or that allocation of fish should be split among all commercial fishermen, Cook said.
The potential for dangerous future conflicts increases because Canada’s Justice Ministry and a Solicitor General ignore existing rights of citizens. Their actions suggest they believe and behave as if they can use one set of guidelines for one Canadian group, and different rules for its other citizens.
Isn’t it about time to break the racial barrier and treat a poacher as a poacher?
Isn’t it about time to restore conservation of a magnificent resource to the highest priority?
These are among questions quickly fired to Wayne Easter, the Solicitor General, after FOs were humiliated and threatened May 13 while investigating a report of an illegal fishery by members of the Cheam Band.
The questions were e-mailed to Easter by Bill Otway, president of the Sportfishing Defence Alliance (SDA), on June 8. As of June 18, Easter failed to respond.
Mr. Easter must feel anarchy and the threat of violence throughout BC is not an urgent issue. The mid-May conflict on the Fraser River emphasizes, rather clearly, the total lack of legal responsibility by the federal government.
After being threatened and having their vehicle forcibly taken from them, the investigating FOs were NOT provided any support by RCMP officers who responded to the calls for assistance. The Fisheries vehicle taken from the FOs by band members, then, in turn, was “confiscated” by the RCMP officers.
Otway, on behalf of the SDA and BC’s recreational and commercial fishermen, demands Easter and his government impanel a judicial inquiry.
“The adherence to and enforcement of our laws is very much dependant upon peace officers being assured they can count on the immediate support of their fellow officers when troubles arise, says Otway. “Information indicates that this clearly was not the case in this instance and our safety, the safety of our salmon and our fisheries enforcement officers now remains very much in doubt.
“It is critical that this situation be fully investigated, the facts put before the public so they can be either assured order has been restored or at least be aware that the anarchy which has persisted in this area will continue.”
SDA Director Bill Wimpney, a Chilliwack lawyer and long-time servant for the BC Wildlife Federation, feels “the whole situation is intolerable and unacceptable. Our endangered salmon stocks are being put at extreme risk by the failure of DFO and the Federal Government to deal with these illegal activities.
“It is intolerable to have the senior police force in this country failing to support fellow officers while lending credence and encouragement to anarchy.
“This special dispensation from the law of the land for a select few must be publicly investigated. Moreover, the reasons why this group is getting special consideration and who is authorizing this (allowance) must be fully disclosed.”
In the mid-90s, the federal government – in a brief moment of sanity – clearly defined the priorities to be obeyed and thus assure protection of fishing resources. Guided, in part, by some judgments from court rulings, the priorities were needed to curb squabbling between commercial harvesters, First Nations and the recreational sector for “rightful shares” of fishes.
As various stocks dwindled and pressure mounted, Fisheries consistently bumbled because of its incompetent managing while field staff and scientists generally tried to do it right. Sadly, and much too often, the well-meaning were over-ruled by Ottawa’s lame bureaucrats and the non-thinking politicians.
However on one occasion the needed allotment priorities were established. That was when conservation was declared, so very properly, No. 1. Second importance was allotment of “ceremonial and food” fish for natives. The recreational sector took third place and, finally, “the market” or the commercial harvesters finished last but still caught the most.
Sport fishing rightly deserves its priority placing. The Paul Report in 1995 for the British Columbia government placed the value of a sports-caught salmon vastly superior when compared to the commercial per-fish benefit. Based on 1994 catch statistics and total expenditures, each sports-caught chinook and coho salmon had economic values of $1,192 and $424, respectively, compared to commercial values of $62 and $19.
Very much a clean and green industry, highly significant in attracting tourists to various off-the-main-road areas, recreational fishing clearly is a huge bang for the buck that benefits the entire country. The leaders in Ottawa do not seem to understand.
Blame unconscionable maneuvering by the federal government.
Many First Nations are concentrated close to or on the coasts of three oceans surrounding Canada (Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic). The Aboriginals can boast of deep roots to past generations of commercial fishermen. Their majorities, in the main, understand fishing’s values, either as food or a recreational-offering tourism opportunity, and also realize the importance of sustaining an extraordinary resource.
Some do not. “New” entrepreneurs and some old anarchists flaunt their historic rights and embarrass responsible elders and leaders. The dissenters are motivated by greed and, quite bluntly, conservation’s priority is NOT No. 1 on that crowd’s list.
In recent years, the “right” to fish for food and ceremonial needs is being treated in BC as an allowance to consider the entire year as “open season.” Rules also vary between a few natives registered as commercial fisherman and the regulations for non-native harvesters.
Otway reminds Easter: “The SDA feels strongly that until (a full) inquiry takes place, anarchy will rule through all our West Coast fisheries. No officer can be expected to put his or her life or integrity on the line under current operating conditions. In addition, no citizen should be expected to obey fisheries law while the government continues to exclude the ‘chosen few’.”
The lack of protection for Canadian enforcement officers, doing their duty to protect a diminishing resource, is deplorable and unacceptable.
Copyright©
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Ernie Fedoruk retired in 1996 after a 47-year journalism career as an outdoors and sports columnist, has just completed 14 years as director/officer of the Outdoor Writers of Canada, also was director of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association for 11 years. His passion is fishing – to find and to protect – and insists his greatest contribution as a conservationist is incompetence.
Ernie Fedoruk Freelance Journalist
1867 Neil Street Victoria, BC, V8R 3C6, Canada
phone:(250)592-4438 fax:(250)592-7090
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"For the Pacific Coast however Mr. Minister we strongly recommend that you move immediately to cancel the current planned programme and staff cuts for the Pacific Region" (quoted SDA letter)
Here in BC cuts in departments meant a savings to those departments, which according to BC Liberal policy meant raises for managers who made the budget goals:D
Also has a double affect of no one out there to report on problems, so no problem. Statistically that is. Which means they were diliigently looking after the resource....statistically >:(
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The so called "missing" fish this year never existed, or were pinks miscounted as sockeye at best. In 2003 and 2004, we all know that the commies and natives, respectively, pounded the snot out of the fish, but this past year, the PSC acoustic station at Mission was unable to produce a proper estimate of sockeye passage due to intermingling of pinks with sockeye, and due to this, they estimated a far greater number of sockeye upstream of Mission than actually showed up on the spawning grounds.
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That acoustic jaberwocky at Mission is just that. Sockeye are famous for going back downriver and going back up. Combine that with a few million pinks and what have you got? An absolutley wrong number. Gibberish numbers that biologists spend there time crunching and coming up with nutsoid returns.
So..what you're saying is...it's all our fault the sockeye never existed? Oh really? That's not what test fishing results indicate in the ocean..which is just a very small sample. Pacific Salmon Commission and DFO said it was good at one point.
As for the Mission counting...that's been well recognized and accounted for for YEARS.
How many fish did the rogue groups of natives poach? Now there's a better question!!!!
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The so called "missing" fish this year never existed, or were pinks miscounted as sockeye at best. In 2003 and 2004, we all know that the commies and natives, respectively, pounded the snot out of the fish, but this past year, the PSC acoustic station at Mission was unable to produce a proper estimate of sockeye passage due to intermingling of pinks with sockeye, and due to this, they estimated a far greater number of sockeye upstream of Mission than actually showed up on the spawning grounds.
No evidence to support that prognosis...but a plausible idea nonetheless. I mean..we spend all this time quantifiying the margins of errors in fisheries science etc...how about if someone go out there and do some research on DFO and how many reports they receive from the Natives when the fishery is open to them? How about if someone head out there and count a small portion of the poaching?
Now that's being quantitative and qualitative as per statistical and scientific methods of a factor that to date has not been examined....or if it has...no one is going to publicize it.
IMHO.
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The so called "missing" fish this year never existed, or were pinks miscounted as sockeye at best. In 2003 and 2004, we all know that the commies and natives, respectively, pounded the snot out of the fish, but this past year, the PSC acoustic station at Mission was unable to produce a proper estimate of sockeye passage due to intermingling of pinks with sockeye, and due to this, they estimated a far greater number of sockeye upstream of Mission than actually showed up on the spawning grounds.
No evidence to support that prognosis...but a plausible idea nonetheless. I mean..we spend all this time quantifiying the margins of errors in fisheries science etc...how about if someone go out there and do some research on DFO and how many reports they receive from the Natives when the fishery is open to them? How about if someone head out there and count a small portion of the poaching?
Now that's being quantitative and qualitative as per statistical and scientific methods of a factor that to date has not been examined....or if it has...no one is going to publicize it.
IMHO.
First hand information related to me by a senior hydroacoustic technician in DFO. The fish cops were out in good numbers this year, especially from Hope up. Sure, there was Cheam poaching again, as always, but this past season had some unique problems relating to the Mission station.
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The so called "missing" fish this year never existed, or were pinks miscounted as sockeye at best. In 2003 and 2004, we all know that the commies and natives, respectively, pounded the snot out of the fish, but this past year, the PSC acoustic station at Mission was unable to produce a proper estimate of sockeye passage due to intermingling of pinks with sockeye, and due to this, they estimated a far greater number of sockeye upstream of Mission than actually showed up on the spawning grounds.
No evidence to support that prognosis...but a plausible idea nonetheless. I mean..we spend all this time quantifiying the margins of errors in fisheries science etc...how about if someone go out there and do some research on DFO and how many reports they receive from the Natives when the fishery is open to them? How about if someone head out there and count a small portion of the poaching?
Now that's being quantitative and qualitative as per statistical and scientific methods of a factor that to date has not been examined....or if it has...no one is going to publicize it.
IMHO.
First hand information related to me by a senior hydroacoustic technician in DFO. The fish cops were out in good numbers this year, especially from Hope up. Sure, there was Cheam poaching again, as always, but this past season had some unique problems relating to the Mission station.
Mission isn't the only fish counting station out there..and most fisheries guys could give a rats a$$ about that counting station...hydroacoustics have large margin of error..and when MOST of the poaching occurred below HOPE that's a CROCK when most enforcement officers were above HOPE.
If this were Washington or Oregon State..those Cheam wouldn't be doing what they're doing..the Fisheries and Law Enforcement would have them FACE DOWN in river silt with handcuffs..their boats would CONFISCATED and sold at government auction, and they'd be paying a fine that'd destroy them...and if they didn't pay..they'd come and take their property as payment.
At any rate...DFO is persona non grata..and the Natives can go and break the law..and get off in the court cuz they're native...that's the real issue. Who's going to arrest and prosecute the Natives now certainly not the DFO or Conservation officers..they're going to be told..court costs MONEY, so don't do anything foolish and SPEND MONEY by arresting a Native..cuz we're better off spending money on enhancement rather than spending it in court! Who's going to prosecute now? NO ONE because the court just set a precedent...What a CROCK!!
I believe it was in George Orwell's 1984 when the phrase was used..."Everyone's equal..but some are more equal than others.." Apparently what that means here is that the Natives are entitled to fish 365 days a year in violation of all laws...
SO, effectively what the decision says is: Natives can fish only during "XXXXXX", Everyone else who is NON NATIVE can only fish "WHEN WE SAY SO---and if you disobey the law..you're going to get prosecuted and fined" according to the DFO and courts..., and even if the Natives aren't supposed to be fishing.."YOU CAN FISH IF YOU THINK YOU HAVEN'T had sufficient opportunity"...even if you've had days and weeks of "NATIVE ONLY" openings....so effectively what the judge does is apply the rule of law and sets the precedent...."YOU CAN FISH BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU"VE BEEN WRONGED" even if you're "MORE EQUAL THAN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RACE" by definition of the "charter of rights and freedoms and fisheries law" HILARIOUS.
My post is NOT to incite any kind of racial bias or hatred..but merely the blatant FLAW in the courts decision.
At any rate, one of these days the GREED will EXTINCT the SOCKEYE RUN and there will be TOTAL CLOSURE and it'll be DFO's fault, the Supreme Courts fault, etc etc...and it'll serve EVERYBODY EQUALLY. Nature will be and is the JUDGE.