Tag Archives: Fraser River sockeye

B.C. Commercial fishermen on tenterhooks

B.C. commercial fisherman, who had hoped for a green light today, now have to wait until next week for a go-ahead to fish for Fraser River sockeye, while American commercial fishermen are already catching sockeye. “They’re fishing on the American side, but we’re not fishing on the Canadian side,” said Mitch Dudoward, a commercial fisherman and spokesperson for the UFAWU-Unifor fishermen’s union. Returns so far appear to be healthy enough for a commercial opening this year, and fisherman had expected commercial openings to be announced today. But they now have to wait until Tuesday. >click to read< 9:16

International Scientific Expedition to probe Pacific salmon survival

“While we recognize that ocean and climate conditions are major factors regulating salmon abundances, the mechanisms regulating abundances in the ocean are not known,” B.C. scientists Richard Beamish and Brian Riddell,, Scientists are seeking to provide more accurate forecasts of salmon returns during what Beamish and Riddell say might be the most difficult time in recent history for stewardship of Pacific salmon.,, The survey takes place as B.C. fishermen fear disastrous returns this year following poor returns for much of the coast last year. >click to read< 18:56

Some B.C. salmon runs face ‘meaningful chance of extinction’ after landslide

The landslide prompted officials at multiple levels of government to organize a rescue mission that saw thousands of salmon, which are very vulnerable to stress, lifted by helicopter across the rocks that blocked their migration route. But despite that effort, prospects are dismal for the salmon in the upper reaches of the river, according to Dean Werk, president of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society. “We’re talking about virtually a collapse — a total collapse — of the salmon stocks above the Big Bar slide,” ,,, >click to read< 12:10

Squamish First Nation’s bid for more sockeye fails in court

A British Columbia First Nation has lost a bid for a larger allocation of the scarce Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery. The Squamish First Nation opposed a decision by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2014 that raised its sockeye catch to 30,000 fish from 20,000, and also increased allotments of chum and pink salmon. The First Nation filed an application for a judicial review after federal officials rejected its request for 70,000 sockeye for food, social and ceremonial purposes. click here to read the story 17:44

Federal agency accused of condemning British Columbia commercial sockeye fleet to feast-or-famine cycle

1361_8.png__0x400_q95_autocrop_crop-smart_subsampling-2_upscaleWhile fishermen in Alaska were enjoying a banner year thanks to massive returns of Bristol Bay sockeye, their counterparts in were pretty much idled, thanks to lower-than-expected returns of sockeye and pink salmon and to what fishermen say is overly cautious escapements. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) was not able to provide a final tally on this year’s returns. But Fraser River sockeye returns this year are unofficially being reported to be around two million – about a third of the 6.8 million median forecast – and Fraser River pink,,, Read the article here 15:37

3MMI – Scientist Muzzled on the Sockeye Collapse, Why Coho Prices Have Climbed So High…

muzzled scientistsWe have an exclusive interview with Department of Fisheries & Ocean Scientist Kristi Miller who’s study on the collapse of the Fraser River Sockeye resulted in a direct order from the Prime Minister’s Office to suppress the findings and to STOP talking publicly about it. Pricing on Wild Caught Coho’s have been gradually climbing out of the gutter since we reported on them plummeting in August… So why the Price Incease? Watch the video here 07:50

3-Minute Market Insight – Fraser River Sockeye, Definitely Buyers Market, Russia Salmon 2 Weeks Late

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Alexandra Morton Challenges Federal Fish Farm Licences in Court

Biologist and wild salmon advocate Alexandra Morton headed back to court yesterday to push for stronger government oversight of the transfer of farmed fish into the Pacific Ocean to prevent the spread of a potentially harmful virus. Morton alleges that Marine Harvest transferred farmed salmon infected with piscine reovirus (PRV) to a net pen on the Fraser River sockeye migration route.  Read more here 20:34

Fish-farm firm still focused on Atlantic salmon in B.C. despite shift in Chile

VANCOUVER – One of the world’s largest aquaculture companies is betting future economic growth in Chile on a “robust” species of salmon native to the Pacific but will continue to raise the controversial Atlantic salmon on its British Columbia farms. Norwegian-based Cermaq has released plans for its economic growth in the South American country, saying coho salmon will become a key component of future growth. more@edmontonjournal 16:51

Fisheries and Oceans says Fraser River sockeye numbers up from 2009

“Fraser sockeye have had some highly variable return rates over the years, so this isn’t one of the better ones, but it is an improvement.” Jantz said sockeye in 2010 returned in near-record numbers — 30 million by some estimates — and the department is seeing an improving annual trend in marine survival, and its scientists hope those numbers will continue into the future. Still, the news isn’t all good for the 2013 run, and the fishery has been closed since the second week of August because of high water temperatures and poor river conditions. In fact, Jantz said the mortality rate of returning sockeye is expected to hit 70 per cent. more@theprovince 22:59

Fraser River sockeye run looks promising

“The two components of the early runs are looking pretty reasonable,” said Jennifer Nener, director of salmon for the Pacific region with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Sockeye runs go in four-year breeding cycles. The astronomical run of 2010, when 30 million sockeye went up the Fraser River, means their descendents are due to return from the Pacific Ocean in 2014. continued@mapleridgenews