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For different media reviews of Independent Science panel report see below

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Sea, land, river

PEOPLES

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For earlier materials see
Table of Contents

Independent Skeena Science review

Held in Terrace

Over a hundred people attend

 

Terry Tebb moderator -- retired from CG and then joined Pacific Salmon Foundation

 

James Lichatowich —author numerous books
Randall Peterman SFU
John Reynolds SFU  and
Dr Carl J Walters at UBC Fisheries center (old file)

 

23 Recommendations (see pages 13-15)

Dr Carl Walters reviews the biology

While not meant to replay the 2006 season when fleet fished into August (DFO buckled to political pressure) – still that was what prompted the review --- as returning coho and steelhead are taken in August along with the sockeye

Tail End Loading

 

above shows steelhead and coho main run in August --- blue dotted line is July 13th – tail ending (fishing into August) puts steelhead & coho in danger

Sockeye Run about half way on July 13th

By then DFO managers have a clearer idea how strong the run is going to be --- if they have fished cautiously until then (or the run is later than usual as in 2006) ‘tail end loading’ means fish heavily – this practice had been relied upon less from 1996 to 2002 (above figure) because of coho concerns – but 2005 and especially 2006 where 40% of the run captured in August (above figure) – again put coho (and Steelhead) into danger

 

Modeling

Dr Carl Walters also used 100 years of data to model (‘predict’) what would happen with weaker sockeye runs if fished at same rates the stronger (enhanced) Babine run

Some won’t survive—Chris Picard questioned the reliability of data since most non Babine runs poorly sampled etc

 

The 2005 Wild Salmon Policy was meant to ‘ensure’ weaker wild runs – like the Chum example left – did not happen --- so where is DFO?

 

Wild Salmon Policy 2005 backgrounder – main points – Here is main page for WSP with more links

 

And for ‘I told you so’ see my earlier articles on Chum stocks in Area 5

Area 5 chum overview and
And this one for chum diversity

 

And also for 2006 DFO Wild salmon consultations locally

 

 

While presenters considered Tangle net ‘a no brainer’

This was almost a running joke of responders – who savaged the tangle net --- and DFO was also sceptical

 

The point being how to ‘avoid’ coho and steelhead etc --- fish ‘selectively’ or somehow release from nets etc –

 

Either approach must be monitored as the ones not complying will get more fish than those losing time trying to save non target species

 

 

(--and this is only the first presentation – more tomorrow)

 

Rob Brown: Skeena Angler on the mandate of DFO and Independent Science Panel (ISP) – Part 2 on the three primary recommendations: >data, WSP wild salmon policy (including steelhead), create Skeena Science Committee

 

Media Reviews of ISP

PRDN’s Kris Schumacher emphasizes the responses to recommendations: mainly Dave Peacock’s etc Followed Thursday by MOE response

Watershed Watch has short summary of conclusions and link to Pacific Salmon Forum full report

Created by LG on 13/6/2008

Last updated on Friday, June 13, 2008