Commercial season outlook from Rupert

Here is an article from the Prince Rupert Daily News which gives a preview of the upcoming commercial fishing season on the north coast. As you can see, it is a bit of a mixed bag with the Nass supposed to provide some fishery while the Skeena is not so likely to open.

The interesting items include the mention of the June 15th opening "to go out and look for sockeye". This early opening is rationalized in the IFMP as exactly that....a chance for the fishermen to go look and see what is out there. Stock assessment by commercial fishing seems to be the best DFO can come up with for modern fisheries management on the north coast.

The closing bit about 'no outside commercial fisheries' and having 'to wait until the salmon hit the mouths of the Skeena and Nass' to be enumerated or estimated is interesting. The commercial lobbyist is pushing for more of these 'searching type' openings of the past where the salmon returns were gauged by the commercial fishing catch. Glad DFO has changed somewhat and now relies on other methods for stock assessment.
These early openings seem to have more to do with giving commercial fishermen something to do.....possibly another day or week to claim for EI benefit usage....than actually targetting a species/stock capable of providing a harvestable surplus.

Here's the article: http://princerupertnews.com/june15.3.html