Fisheries

Email To Fisheries

 

RE: Early Timed Chinook

 

Dean: this is to acknowledge receipt of the package of information on Chinook that you sent on Monday march 1. we will be going through it and will be responding as appropriate . At this time, however, our initial response is:

 

1. the letter from the 3 managers seems to imply that some actions are going to be taken in regard to sport fishery impacts on early timed Chinook. This is the third year in a row that we have heard this at about this time of the year. For the third year in a row we remind DFO that the earliest timed stocks within the early timed groups are right now approaching/entering the marine areas where they can be subject to largely un-monitored impacts from the marine area sport fisheries. For the third year in a row we are telling DFO that NOW is when all sport fisheries MUST BE CLOSED in order to protect our rapidly dwindling stocks. To remind DFO once again: for the third year in a row DFO’s own outlook for these stock returns is categorized as a “1”. Does it need to be a “minus 1”, i.e. extirpation, before the Department takes the appropriate action??

2. It is our understanding that DFO in the lower river is being lobbied by sport fishery groups to allow a “catch and release” fishery on early timed Chinook. We are emphatically opposed to any such fishery.—our stocks, which migrate through the lower river from early April to late July, cannot support any kind of sport fishery, not even a catch and release. The inexorable downward trend in spawner numbers in recent cycles is evidence of this.

Fisheries Downloads:

 

Post Season Salmon Harvest Report 2009

Bonaparte Watershed Stewardship Society

Chinook Harvest Estimate Report 2009

Email To: Fisheries

Subject: Website for Cohen Commission

In case you don’t already have it: http://www.cohencomission.ca

 

On November 5, 2009, the Governor in Council issued an Order in Council setting out the Terms of Reference for the Cohen Commission, formally named the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. The Honourable Bruce Cohen, a justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, has been appointed Commissioner under Part 1 of the Inquiries Act.

 

The inquiry will be conducted in two phases. During the first phase, the Commissioner will review and assess any previous examinations, investigations or reports that he deems relevant to the inquiry and the Government’s responses to those examinations, investigations and reports.

 

Phase two will investigate and make independent findings of fact regarding:

 

The causes for the decline of Fraser River sockeye salmon including, but not limited to, the impact of environment changes along the Fraser River, marine environment conditions, aquaculture, predators, diseases, water temperature and other factors that my have affected the ability of sockeye salmon to reach traditional spawning grounds or reach the ocean, and

 

The current state of Fraser River sockeye salmon stocks and the long term projections for those stocks, and

 

To develop recommendations for improving the future sustainability of the sockeye salmon fishery in the Fraser River including, as required, any changes to the policies, practices and procedures of the Department (of Fisheries and Oceans) in relation to the management of the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery.

 

Bruce Wallace, Q.C. is the Commission’s Senior Counsel, Keith Hamilton, Q.C. is the Commission’s policy Counsel and Wendy Baker, Q.C. Brock Martland and Patrick McGowan are Associate Commission Counsel. Jennifer Chan, Kathy Grant, Maia Tsurumi and Lara Tessaro have been appointed as Junior Commission Counsel.

The office of the Commission is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

From: Fisheries and Oceans

 

February 10, 2010

Subject: 2010 Demonstration Fishery Request for Proposals

 

In 2009 the Department sought proposals from First Nations interested in developing in-river commercial salmon fisheries. The proposals that were supported contributed to the Pacific Fisheries Reform vision and the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (PICFI), and supported alternative management strategies that:

· Maintains or improves management control and conservation performance in the fishery;

· Promotes the use of clearly defined shares to improve manageability and viability; and,

· Increase the ability of harvesters to work cooperatively to harvest available surpluses and to take on greater responsibility for control and monitoring of their fishery.

 

The Department’s priority after conservation is to provide for First Nations food, social and ceremonial harvests. The Department is also prepared to explore demonstration fishery opportunities for commercial harvest on some stocks of Fraser River sockeye and/r Chinook in the event that commercial harvest opportunities are identified in season.

 

Demonstration fishery proposals supported by the Department in 2009 were submitted by First Nation groups who have since finalized and submitted a PICFI Expression of Interest for Commercial Fisheries Enterprise (CFE) development. In recognition of the challenges associated with building Business Plans, the Department will continue working with these in-river First Nations groups with a focus in 2010 on advancing proven fishing approaches, consistent with the design principles above, and also demonstrates the feasibility of in-river commercial fishing business opportunities.

 

To date, in-river demonstration fisheries in the Fraser watershed have been small scale operations (one or two vessels and nets) with limited commercial scope. For 2010, the Department would like to see continued progress on developing demonstration projects onto viable economic enterprises with clearly measurable business objectives. In order to properly evaluate the viability of in-river fisheries from an economic perspective the Department would like to see proposals that outline business plans for a range of harvest scenarios based on available allocation and clear measurable business objectives.

 

Due to the fact that the groups involved in PICFI are building on the demonstration fisheries from 2009, the Department is looking to bypass concept proposals and proceed directly to developing detailed proposals. Detailed demonstration fishery proposals will be incorporated into the consultation and development of the 2010 Salmon integrated Fisheries Management Plan.

 

It will be important that 2010 in-river commercial fisheries support the development of a share based approach to management where all commercial salmon fisheries operate under common and transparent rules. As in 2009, 2010 in-river commercial salmon fisheries will be offset by commercial salmon licenses that have been relinquished under DFO’s Allocation Transfer Program and /or the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (PICFI) and have not yet been issued to First Nations as communal commercial licenses.

 

PICFI is in its third year of a five year lifespan and is planned to come to completion in 2012. The opportunity for First Nations groups to apply for access for the development of in-river commercial fisheries through PICFI has passed. The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest for CFE development was October 31, 2009.

 

However, if there are groups who would like to purse an in-river commercial fishing opportunity in the 2010 fishing season and have not submitted a PICFI Expression of Interest, the Department is willing to consider options for involving such groups in commercial demonstration fisheries. The Department will be looking for any new groups to partner with those First Nations currently involved in PCIFI CFE development. If interested, please contact the undersigned as soon as possible for some potential options for moving forward with in-river commercial demonstration fisheries.

May-June Fishery Coordinator Report

May 2009

· Review all documents from D.F.O. and S.F.C., gave some feedback on some issues

· Had meeting with natural resources (Mike) and reviewed stock assessment summary for 2007, we (Mike and Dave) referred our comments and concerns from our land use PIAN (community) to Aaron and S.F.C.

· Did a site visit at fish way, review maintenance required for fishing season (road clearance)

· Trip to Kamloops for office supplies

· Review all beaver dams at hat-creek, request from D.F.O., permits to dismantle some dams

· Sit with admin and discuss Job Descriptions for fishery techs and advertise for two techs

· Request information from S.F.C. on signing the bands contribution agreement (2009)

· Kamloops meeting May 20-22, 2009 Fraser River and approach forum on conservation and harvest plan

· Phone Harald Ridgeway and Sean Bennett, update on future activities for Bonaparte water shed group

 

June report for Fishery Coordinator

· Review all resumes for fishery tech. and phone candidates

· Organize all safety books for office use

· Rec. Sport fishing meeting

· Steering committee meeting

· Review and finalize Bonaparte Indian Band harvest fishing plan and have Chief and Council approve and sign-off

· Clean all clinders at the traps

· Have all permits, for community fish use only

· Build a 4x4x8 smoke house for community use

· Daily data entry

· Review and approve, traditional fishing site (4) within the Thompson River and have sign posted

· Open up (4) four beaver dams in the hat-creek (manual)

· Ashcroft high School visit at fish way and Loon-lake picture will be included

· All meeting documents will be included with reports

 

July Report for Fishery Coordinator 

· Daily data reporting and transfer

· Develop signs for fishing boundary Jumper 13 each –walchen-mouth of Thompson river

· Bonaparte watershed directors meeting

· Visit site at Randy Porters and discuss prescription for site with D.F.O. (Shawn Bennett)

· Prepare gill-nets and poles for site set up at Thompson River

· Have smoke house prepared at site

· Harvest fish fun community events and membership

· Sand bag and prepare at fish ladder, have water flowing into front clinders

· Open-up couple dams in hat-creek

 

August 2009 fishery report

· Visit fish sites 3 times daily and record all catch (fish)

· Site visit at fish way on daily basic (2) and record all entrees

· Walchin visit twice a week (index project)

· Update Shawn  Bennett and Chief and Council on site visit and request some funding at band level

· Directors meeting (2), Bonaparte watershed

· Harvest and delivery, fish for food to all elders

· Review all e-mails and minutes from D.F.O. regarding stock strengths and report to chief and council and community

· Set up smokehouse for winter supply (Chinook, sockeye)

 

August 2009 report

· Set up and prepare two (2) creel survey workers for Aug-22 to Sept-21, 2009 site visits

· Contact other (SFC) bands to access resources (fish) for their communities

· Williams lake youth camp site visits

· Koreens site visit at fishway and gillnet

· Community harvests (Chinnook, sockey) for gatherings

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Topic:

Protection of Spring Age 4 Chinook in the Secwepemc area of the Thompson River

 

Date: June17, 2010

Location: Secwepemc Fisheries Commission Boardroom

 

Meeting objectives. Agenda:

(a) Coordinate fisheries plans for Skeetchestn and Bonaparte to protect spring age 4 Chinook (First Nations only-SFC Skeetchestn, Bonaparte)

9:00-11:00    Secwepemc Fisheries planning

                      - review migration timing for spring age Chinook through Thompson (SFC)

                      - identify FSC closures to protect spring 4-2 for both Bands

                      - discuss potential FSC sharing plan for Bonaparte Chinook after escapement benchmark has been achieved at fishway

                      - identify closure recommendations to DFO regarding sport fisheries to protect spring age 4 Chinook (mouth of Bonaparte and other Thompson locations)

 

(b) Review and comment on Thompson River recreational fishery plans proposed by DFO in the 2010 IFMP (First Nations and DFO)

11:am-3:00pm        SFC, Bonaparte/Skeetchestn—DFO

                                 - Review proposed recreational plans and compare to migration timing window

                                 - provide DFO with recommendation on timing dates of recreational fishery

                                 - advise DFO of proposed FN priority FN priority access to Bonaparte Chinook.

Fishery Meeting Notes