First commercial openings 2009

The first commercial fishing opening of the 2009 season starts on June 12 and goes for 30 hours in Area 4. ( The first sockeye opening is in Area 3 next Tuesday) This is the gillnet fishery targetting chinook salmon. Unlikely to impact any early incoming steelhead but it can intercept outgoing kelts. This traditional gillnet chinook opening occurred in early July last year and we wrote about the 'chinook selective' net catching hundreds of sockeye and some steelhead. See 2008 post here: http://skeenafisheriesblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/chinook-opening.html

See Fishery Notice copied below:
Area 4
Gill nets open 30 hours 09:00 hrs Friday June 12 to 15:00 hrs Saturday June 13 in a portion of Subarea 4-12 east of a line running from a point 0.35 nautical miles southwest of Georgy Pt to 54 degrees 5 minutes 30 seconds north latitude and 130 degrees 15 minutes west longitude, thence northward to Hazel Pt, and east of a line running from Soar Pt to Leer Pt; and 4-15.
Min mesh 203 mm. Max depth 60 meshes. Max hang ratio 3:1. Corkline to web distance min 0 cm, max 45 cm.
Variation Order No. 2009-NCSAL-002.
The target species is Skeena Chinook. Gill net fisheries are being conducted with large mesh nets (minimum mesh size 203 mm), and are conducted with non- retention non-possession of Coho, Chum, and Steelhead. Fishermen are required to release all Coho, Chum, and Steelhead to the water with the least possible harm. Operating revival boxes are mandatory and may be used to revive fish prior to release.