This year, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans refused to support the Sport Fish Advisory Board fall meeting in Victoria and instead held a closed-door meeting with our executive. The responsible DFO manager refused to pick up the $300 room fee at the Sheraton where we normally meet even though, I am told, a higher-position official thought it should proceed.
The backdrop for this is that the CRD area is the largest sport fishery in B.C. with 30,000 licences between Saltspring Island and Port Renfrew area. So we have the largest meetings - sometimes 400 people. In addition, DFO has managed the Chinook stocks in this area so far down that, for example, the Cowichan River stock, which should be 12,000 - has been as low as 1,000 fish in recent years (no 2012 figures yet available on the DFO site.)
As we all know, our winter fishery is comprised almost entirely of U.S. fish from Puget Sound and San Juan Island hatcheries, a situation that should never have developed. In summer, the only Chinook stock that gives us some fish is the Harrison River late summer Chinook. You will recall that the 4-2 and 5-2 Fraser chinook were forecast so low we could have been shut down most of the past summer. Whatever happened to those fat, stubby Columbians in late spring? And let's not start on the halibut situation.
The summer fishery is good only every second year - but not for springs - for Fraser pinks, and hatchery marked coho - the latter fish are also American because DFO has abrogated its responsibility for supporting coho in Juan de Fuca and Georgia straits. You will recall the Oct. 19 report figure of 1,516 for the San Juan, for instance.
The SFAB has access to the minister and, is co-opted, giving up, in return, lobbying for more salmon. That double decade quid pro quo has just come to an end. Sport interests have taken all they will. So come out and join the new anglers lobby group. We will be starting a whole new page. I think we should just start net penning Chinook, taking our own broodstock, and telling DFO you can come with us or not. What is to be lost? DFO giving us a ticket for bringing back salmon? Not likely.
Chris Bos, along with Tom Cole, are our SFAB representatives: "This event signifies an exciting new chapter in advocacy for our local fisheries and the fish needed to sustain them. The Nov. 27 event marks the official public launch of the South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition, a new fisheries lobbying society.
Because of growing concerns about the well-being of our once vibrant public fishery, our new group has been specifically structured to represent you, the angler, and lobby on your behalf," Bos said.
"Sadly, we have witnessed far too much loss of angling opportunity in our Juan de Fuca and southern Georgia Strait fisheries over the past decade... our federal government has been unsuccessful in sustaining, rebuilding and effectively enhancing the fish our fishery requires.
This trend must stop. We, at South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition, have been elected to do something about it." To hear the new plans, come to the celebration: Nov. 27, 6: 30 p.m., Four Points Sheraton Hotel, 829 McCallum in Langford.
