Originally Posted By: R Ridgeway
A buddy just got back from the Nush on Saturday. He said "every" Chinook they landed had extensive net marks (they landed over 100). No doubt the Chinook take a beating getting throught the Sockeye nets as if they have taken enough of a beating from Pollock trawl bycatch of Chinook. Pollock trawl has killed more than 477,000 Chinook in Bering Sea during the past 10 years per NOAA. Over 120,000 alone in 2007 when restrictions were relaxed. Those darn commercial fishermen just can't exhibit self control can they...

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/inseason/chinook_salmon_mortality.pdf

I'm sure all this has little to do with lower numbers of Chinook in the Nush. ;-)



If you look at the link you provided you will notice that the 2009 and 2010 to date chinook bycatch has been relatively low. I suspect that this does not reflect a change in how the trawl fisheries are operating. More likely it is due to low numbers of chinook. I am not justifying any bycatch, just pointing out that bycatch numbers reflect chinook abundance. Any catch in non directed fisheries is detrimental to chinook spawning success.