Fishery Management: Peak effort coming up!

We are coming down to crunch time in the Skeena fishery for this season. With the larger than expected sockeye returns giving DFO that sense of 'free reign' to do anything they want...it is time to keep a really close eye on them.
There was an opening yesterday in Areas 3 and 4 for gillnets and another one today. So that's 2 days already this week.
There is a four day seine opening in Area 4 under the ITQ (Individual Transferable Quota) Demonstration Fishery....more on this in another post later.
Because of the 'compressed' nature of the fishery timing nowadays (no early fishing due to early Nanika concerns in July and very little fishing in August for steelhead and coho concerns) this leaves only a small window of opportunity to catch their 'allowable quotas'....This translates into this week could see ALOT of commercial fishing. Just how much remains to be seen but at least 3 days this week and probably more. How long it continues is of major concern to the NCSA. Also what measures DFO puts in place to lessen any impacts on steelhead and weak salmon stocks is of major concern to us.
The way this is shaping up it has potential for a 2006 repeat......we sincerely hope not, but all the indicators are pointing to DFO operations managers rubbing their hands together at the sight of all those enhanced sockeye swimming by. High steelhead numbers also give them a false sense of freedom to fish harder. Given all thats gone on since 2006...and the ISRP Report only a month or so old...you would think we wouldnt have to worry about irresponsible management actions on DFO's behalf...but that is totally not the case.
Stay tuned folks, we need to keep a close eye on what they are doing this week and into the next.