Post Season Salmon Review –
Consultation
Highlights The return of Upper Skeena coho was equivalent to or slightly better than forecast pre-season. This permitted the reinstatement of coho on the communal fishing licences of the Haida, Tsimshian and Wet’suwet’en First Nations, the increase in bag limits in Areas 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 earlier than planned and an increase in the allowable exploitation rate of the commercial fisheries in Areas 3, 4 and 5. Although early it appears at though coho escapements to Upper Skeena systems will be from three to five times as large as the 1997 brood year. The larger than expected returns of Skeena sockeye and Area 6 pink salmon resulted in additional fishing opportunities for the commercial gillnet and seine vessels, an increase in sockeye bag limits for the recreational fishermen in the Skeena River and significant ESSR opportunities for First Nations fishers in the Skeena. Although escapement information is still being collected it appears as though the wild non-Babine sockeye stocks did not return in very large numbers this year with escapement levels looking poor to date. Chinook returns to the Nass and Skeena Rivers were
well above average resulting in some of the largest escapements in recent years. |
The primary management considerations for the 2000
salmon season in the North Coast (Areas 1 through 6) were conservation concerns
for Upper Skeena and outer Area 6 coho and West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI)
chinook. In addition the Nisga’a Treaty was in effect in 2000 as well as the
specific Pacific Salmon Treaty Annex IV arrangements for North Coast fisheries.
Consultations
with each Aboriginal community or organization is conducted from three to five
times per year on issues that may affect their fisheries and discusses the
communities’ needs for food, social and ceremonial salmon. The First Nations fishing plan is a direct
result of this consultation.
In the Queen
Charlotte Islands the department consults with the Council of the Haida Nation
while in the Nass consultation has been with the Nisga’a Tribal council and the
Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs. For Skeena River First Nations, the Skeena
Fisheries Commission (SFC) serves as an umbrella organization for communities
of the Tsimshian Tribal Council, the Gitksan-Wet’suwet’en Watershed Authority,
Wet’suwet’en Fisheries and the Babine Lake First Nations. In addition in the
department consults with the Yekooche First Nation and Takla Lake Indian Band
who are not members of the SFC. In the Kitimat area the department consults
with the Haisla Band Council.
The primary consultative body for
the recreational fishery is the Sport Fishing Advisory
Board (SFAB). In order to ensure input at the local or community level,
the SFAB process includes 18 local advisory
committees that provide input to the main board via north and south coast
co-management subcommittees. North
coast subcommittees are located in Smithers, Terrace, Prince Rupert, Queen
Charlotte Islands, Kitimat, Rivers Inlet/Hakai Pass and Bella Coola.
The North Coast Committee of the
SFAB meets two or three times a year to discuss
issues related to conservation, fishing plans and assessment programs and
provides input with respect to northern issues to be incorporated into north
coast recreational fishing plans.
The commercial
net and troll fishing plan is developed after input from the three commercial
salmon advisory boards: North Coast Advisory Board, Queen Charlotte Island
Advisory Board, and Northern Troll Advisory Board.
These advisory
boards generally meet two to three times a year to discuss both the previous
seasons fishery and to provide input into the development of the next season’s
fishing plan.
Science/Stock Assessment Division (STAD) staff annual
provide the forecasts and stock status of the primary salmon stocks of concern
for the coming season, which are reviewed in the Pacific Scientific Advice
Review Committee (PSARC) process. In addition STAD assisted Fisheries
Management in the development of in-season assessment tools and programs for
North Coast salmon stocks.
Science, particularly Stock Assessment Division, was
consulted regularly throughout the pre-season planning process to ensure that
the current state of the developing management plan was based on acceptable
science.
In-season consultation occurs on a weekly basis to
ensure that pre-season objectives are being met and to address new issues as
they arise.
Following the conclusion of the 1999 fishing season
expectations for the year 2000 were prepared. This activity occurred from
mid-October through mid-November.
In the North Coast the first series of consultation
sessions with each user group occurred from mid–November through mid-December
at which time the 1999 fisheries were reviewed and very preliminary forecasts
for 2000 were discussed. In addition to
meeting independently with each user, the Skeena Conservation Alliance
(comprised of participants from all user groups, communities groups and
environmental organizations) met in early December to discuss the status of
Skeena salmon stocks in general.
Beginning in late January and continuing through April
consultations with First Nations groups occurred through conference calls and
meetings to keep them abreast of issues as they were developing. Also during this period numerous
departmental meetings (PSARC, Selective Fisheries, Integrated Fisheries
Management Plan (IFMP) and other management planning sessions) occurred to
identify key issues for the 2000 season and develop management approaches.
Following the May 1 to 5, 2000 PSARC session, meetings
with all user groups in the North Coast were scheduled to further discuss
preparations for the 2000 fishing season. At this time we were still operating
without an official decision regarding Upper Skeena coho conservation
requirements for 2000. Despite this fishing plans were developed with each
group assuming that similar conservation requirements for Upper Skeena coho
would be in place.
Discussions occurred throughout the year between DFO
fisheries managers and fisheries managers from First Nations in the North
Coast. These discussions occurred regularly through conference calls and
occasionally meetings.
Weekly meetings occurred with commercial industry
representatives in season in Prince Rupert to discuss the status of commercial
salmon fisheries that were being conducted in Areas 1 through 6.
A series or evening conference calls were conducted
throughout the summer with members of the North Coast Committee of the SFAB.
During those calls, current status of fishing of all three sectors was
discussed. Some requests were made, which were reviewed and either implemented
or turned down. If they were refused, an explanation was given either at the
time of the request or in a subsequent meeting.
Science/STAD was consulted on a weekly basis in-season
to review different management options and evaluate where we were at with
respect to management objectives regarding Upper Skeena and Area 6 coho.
For the most part the 2000 fishing season proceeded
according to expectations. Upper Skeena coho returned at levels similar to what
was forecast which resulted in some management flexibility that allowed for
modest relaxation of in-season restrictions for all users. Distribution of the
increase in allowable exploitation rate for coho resulted in numerous exchanges
with each client group and the region.
Skeena sockeye returned in larger numbers than
expected which increased the commercial demands for additional fishing
opportunities. Some modest increases were permitted however the objective of
maintaining a coho exploitation rate of 6 percent or less was adhered to.
Significant ESSR fisheries were conducted in the Skeena River and Babine Lake
and recreational bag limits were increased for sockeye.
The Nisga’a Treaty fisheries were conducted without any
significant problems and the Annex IV fisheries arrangements of the Pacific
Salmon Treaty were not an issue again this season.
North Coast pink returns were similar to pre-season
expectations with Area 6 being the highlight.
Areas 1, 2E
and 2W – not available until November.
Area 3 –
Nisga’a Sockeye - 93,200
Coho - 1,800
Pink -
6,000
Chum - 1,000
Chinook - 9,050
Gitanyow Sockeye - 2,750
Coho -
100
Chinook - 50
Area 4 – FSC
catch not available until November.
- ESSR catch 700,000 to 750,000 sockeye, < 5,000 pinks.
Areas 5 and 6
– not available until November.
Not available
until November.
AREA
|
GEAR |
SOCKEYE
|
COHO
|
PINK
|
CHUM
|
CHINOOK
|
1
|
Gn
|
800
|
0
|
300
|
840
|
0
|
|
|
Sn
|
|
no fisheries to date
|
|
|
|
2W
|
Gn
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Sn
|
0
|
0
|
580,000
|
44,000
|
0
|
2E
|
Gn
|
0
|
1,500
|
13,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
|
|
Sn
|
|
no openings to date
|
|
|
|
3
|
Gn
|
200,000
|
0
|
180,000
|
20,000
|
850
|
|
|
Sn
|
120,000
|
0
|
325,000
|
54,000
|
0
|
4
|
Gn
|
1,125,000
|
0
|
50,000
|
14,000
|
12,000
|
|
|
Sn
|
1,000,000
|
0
|
250,000
|
3,300
|
0
|
5
|
Gn
|
32,000
|
0
|
15,000
|
4,500
|
100
|
|
|
Sn
|
24,000
|
0
|
50,000
|
1,300
|
0
|
6
|
Gn
|
5,000
|
0
|
60,000
|
8,000
|
10
|
|
|
Sn
|
9,000
|
0
|
1,900,000
|
6,000
|
350
|
Total
|
Gn
|
1,362,800
|
1,500
|
318,300
|
97,340
|
12,960
|
|
|
Sn
|
1,153,000
|
0
|
3,105,000
|
108,600
|
350
|
|
|
All Gear
|
2,515,800
|
1,500
|
3,423,300
|
205,940
|
13,310
|
The return of Upper Skeena coho was equivalent to or slightly better than forecast pre-season. This permitted the reinstatement of coho on the communal fishing licences of the Haida, Tsimshian and Wet’suwet’en First Nations, the increase in bag limits in Areas 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 earlier than planned and an increase in the allowable exploitation rate of the commercial fisheries in Areas 3, 4 and 5. Although early it appears at though coho escapements to Upper Skeena systems will be from three to five times as large as the 1997 brood year.
The larger than expected returns of Skeena sockeye and Area 6 pink salmon resulted in additional fishing opportunities for the commercial gillnet and seine vessels, an increase in sockeye bag limits for the recreational fishermen in the Skeena River and significant ESSR opportunities for First Nations fishers in the Skeena. Although escapement information is still being collected it appears as though the wild non-Babine sockeye stocks did not return in very large numbers this year with escapement levels looking poor to date.
Chinook
returns to the Nass and Skeena Rivers were well above average resulting in some
of the largest escapements in recent years.