Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tyee Gadget





















Here's the new version of the Tyee Gadget, courtesy of Northern Rivers Conservation Trust.
As of Sept.09, 2011; Index @ 131.69

Last year to this date: 220.20

To Date Averages:
All Years: 99.13
2000's: 133.48
1990's: 99.23
1980's: 117.96

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The gadget is not working for Steelhead.

Have you seen any support from anglers this year, especially from the US? I don't seem to recall seeing any commeents posted yet this year.

North Coast Steelhead Alliance said...

yes, the gadget is having some adapting pains to google+...

we have alot of support from anglers from all over the world..people just choose to voice it more directly to 'our office'...me.

alot of peole getting pissed off right now about the escalating commercial effort and condescending DFO replies

Anonymous said...

same drill every year, people get pissed off but nothing get done and the DFO continue in their ways. When will the gadget start working, any idea?

Anonymous said...

I sent an email to DFO also and thought some may be interested in the reply---
Thank - you for your email to Regional Director General Susan Farlinger, I have been asked to respond on her behalf. Please be assured that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans takes the conservation of steelhead very seriously. The management of mixed stock fisheries is extremely challenging with some runs of fish being strong, others tracking within normal ranges, with some stocks being weak and of concern. The Province of BC is the lead government in the management of steelhead, and they have not indicated that the steelhead population in the Skeena River system are outside of normal ranges. To date the numbers of steelhead encounters are within acceptable limits with indications that it is within the 10 year average. It is recognized that the economic livelihood of numerous communities up and down the coast and in inland communities depend on an ability to access a sustainable fishery, including commercial and recreational fisheries, marine and freshwater, on both salmon and steelhead.

The Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) for 2011 indicates an exploitation rate for Sockeye based on a sliding scale of abundance. As the abundance goes up, so does the amount of access the commercial sector has to those fish. However, there are numerous references in the IFMP to the conservation of steelhead, including a whole section specifically speaking to protection of steelhead stocks. Each and every commercial fishery notice that is published speaks to the requirement for the non-retention of steelhead, and a requirement for each and every commercial vessel to have on board a working recovery box for the recovery of non-target species. The Fisheries Officers routinely check the boats to ensure that a recovery box is on board and working properly and the comments back from these Officers have been that compliance has generally been quite good. In addition the fleet is restricted to short nets and short sets to minimize the time the net is in the water and therefore heighten the likelihood of recovery of non-target species. The IFMP also indicates that the commercial fishery may be closed when the impacts to weak species is too high and the Department monitors these impacts on a daily basis. The information on these stocks are the subject of weekly calls with environmental non-governmental organizations and their input and feedback is seriously considered.

The purpose of this email is to acknowledge your concerns and to assure you that the Department is taking the conservation of weak stocks and steelhead very seriously, and that encounters are being monitored on a daily basis. Our goal is to maintain a healthy and sustainable commercial and recreational fishery.

Thank-you for bringing your views to our attention.


Mel Kotyk, R.P.Bio.,

North Coast Steelhead Alliance said...

thanks for sharing the standard DFO reply with us.
Interesting, to see the attempt at deflection to the Province in his statement that the Province has not raised concern.
We'll post our response to Mr Kotyk's reply shortly.