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#981394 - 11/08/17 07:08 PM Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC)
bushbear Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 08/26/02
Posts: 4709
Loc: Sequim
This is an interesting article. If you aren’t familiar with the Thompson system, it has no hydro/manmade dams and it hasn’t been stocked with hatchery steelhead since 1991.


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/briti...lhead-1.4388170


'Extremely close to being gone forever': B.C. fisheries manager says feds failing Interior steelhead
A record low 290 steelhead are expected to return to the Fraser river in 2017
Ash Kelly · Digital Producer · CBC News November 7, 2017

An iconic fish could soon disappear from British Columbian waters, according to the province's fisheries manager, who worries Thompson River steelhead may be on the brink of collapse. Mike Ramsay, assistant director of B.C's Fish and Game branch, said if management practices in the federally regulated commercial salmon fishery don't change, Thompson steelhead may not be able to recover from low returns. Officials estimate a record low number of steelhead — just 290 — will return from the ocean to the Fraser River and eventually into the Thompson watershed this year. Each year, up to a quarter of the returning fish are killed because they get caught in commercial fishing gillnets that target chum salmon, according to provincial estimates.

Every steelhead now is critically important
The steelhead in the Thompson River are some of the most prized in the world, but numbers are declining rapidly and conservationists fear they could soon be lost forever. Steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout, which means they spend much of their lives at sea. British Columbia has over 30 wild steelhead stocks, but likely none so famous as the Thompson run. Thompson steelhead are, on average, larger, stronger and faster than other wild steelhead. Anglers come to B.C to fish the Skeena River and other famous steelhead rivers but fishing for elusive Thompson steelhead has long been considered a superior angling experience. "With their slim bodies and large tails, they're perfectly designed for angling. That, combined with their aggressive behaviour, makes them the perfect sport fish," said Trevor Welton, vice president of the Steelhead Society of B.C. Up to two-thirds of the economic value of the steelhead fishery in communities along the Thompson has been lost because of closures of the recreational fishery, according to estimates by the Fraser Basin Council, a non-profit conservation group. There is no commercial steelhead food fishery in B.C.. Steelhead in restaurants and grocery stores are a farmed variety. "While Thompson River steelhead do not hold a specific commercial food value, they are the heart and soul of Interior communities, businesses and anglers from all around the world," said Cody Sojka, a director with the Steelhead Society of B.C.

Caught in nets
Scientists warn warming oceans have become an increasingly hostile place for salmon and steelhead, which have seen record low returns in a number of fisheries this year. The province, anglers and the DFO all said warming oceans are the biggest threat facing steelhead. But the next biggest challenge is getting past the commercial gillnets that target salmon along the Fraser River which the fish must do to get to their spawning grounds. Because Fraser River steelhead and chum salmon returns coincide each fall, the DFO is tasked with reducing the bycatch of steelhead in commercial nets. Steelhead are only slightly smaller than chum and many are caught in gill nets which can fatally injure the fish even when they are released. Conservationists and anglers are calling for either major changes or complete closure of the chum fishery, saying the steelhead need time to recover. They've written to both levels of government urging the government to either amend, delay or close the chum fishery. For its part, the provincial ministry has worked on habitat restoration and already closed the historically lucrative recreational steelhead fishery along the Thompson River. The Cook Ferry First Nation voluntarily did not participate in the economic chum fishery on the Fraser this year out of concern for steelhead.

British Columbia 'icon'
The province is in charge of steelhead management, but the DFO manages salmon through their entire lifecycle, including when they are in freshwater returning to spawn. Each season, the province advises the DFO on the state of steelhead, and the federal department is supposed to take that advice into account when creating a fisheries management plan for salmon. Dean Allan, the manager of the Fraser Interior region for the DFO, said the province's recommendations were taken into account when the decision was made to open gillnet chum fisheries along the Fraser. The DFO has made a number of changes to the chum fishery since the 1980s, including regulating net sizes, restricting opening times and even delaying the chum opening to reduce overlap of the fishery with steelhead returns. But Ramsay said the DFO isn't doing enough. He's concerned the mortality rate of Thompson steelhead is too high for the stock to sustain itself. "The fishing plan was probably appropriate when there were thousands of Thompson steelhead coming," he said

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#981400 - 11/08/17 11:12 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Piper
Unregistered


damn that global warming...

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#981402 - 11/09/17 05:46 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
cobble cruiser Offline
~B-F-D~

Registered: 03/27/09
Posts: 2256
Gillnets have destroyed those treasured fish. This has been a sad slow death where anglers just watched it all unfold for years, full knowing exactly the cause yet greedy gillnets wouldnt be stopped. Chum caviar is much more valuable than lowly steelhead ya know. Reasonableness obviously takes a backseat once again... reminds me of when the Skykomish chum run was "allowed" to be nearly exterminated from existence. Sickening fools...
_________________________
http://www.wooldridgeboats.com

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#981403 - 11/09/17 06:49 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
It also shows the problem when authority is divided. Nobody is directly responsible for the solution. DFO manages salmon, BCFW the steelhead. We can point fingers at them all the time but, but in their world chum come first. The province can't take action, because they don't control the salmon fishery.

We see that often down here, and probably all over the world, where the solution to complex issues is to make sure that nobody is in charge.

Imagine, for a moment, that there was one entity (a person (Director??), Commission) who had to publicly explain why things happened as they did. Instead, we spread the "authority" among a variety of entities, ensuring ultimate failure but political cover.

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#981469 - 11/11/17 07:35 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
This story isn't much different than the Columbia wild B-run steelhead return which was forecast for only 1100 fish this year. Didn't stop the DFWs (OR and WA) from prosecuting commercial gillnet fisheries for chinook in the lower river.

MUCH bigger system than one Fraser trib, yet it gets even LESS attention.
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

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#981472 - 11/11/17 08:58 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
Steelhead are an inconvenience. You can't sell them so little value there. The people who do catch them are politically impotent. A world (fish manager's) without steelhead would be so much simpler and easier to live in.

Besides, most of the folks who catch them don't buy those big ocean-going or salt capable boats; they are dregs on the economy by not spending enough.

I agree with a friend who was deeply involved in Fraser sockeye and pink "What we need is a single benign despot". Lot of truth to that.

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#981479 - 11/11/17 11:23 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Keta Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 03/05/00
Posts: 1092
This is just one of many symptoms of a systemically flawed socioeconomic system that demands economic growth fueled by full exploitation of natural resources with no concern for sustainability.

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#981483 - 11/11/17 03:40 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
Or an economic system that depends on a continuously expanding human population.

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#981486 - 11/11/17 04:40 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
Wasn't THAT long ago that Northern California had stellar steelheading. But how long could it last? People suck... and GDITMMM!

Absolutely... it was DEAD. And I'm just thinkin', "My GAWD, how did this happen?"

_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

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#981487 - 11/11/17 04:52 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
When I took Fish Management in college it was taught by Alex Calhoun, Chief of Inland Fisheries for CFG. He said that the rest of the Pacific states were watching CA to learn from the mistakes there in development, dams, logging, hatcheries, and whole lot of other lessons.

Nope, no learning here.

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#981488 - 11/11/17 05:05 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Jake Dogfish Offline
Spawner

Registered: 06/24/00
Posts: 554
Loc: Des Moines
Steelhead were a fish of abundance. They relied on every creek having Steelhead and straying by multiple year classes. Even 20 years ago most creeks entering Puget Sound still had a few wild Steelhead left.
They feel the effects of the maximum harvest model even more than Salmon.
May they Rest In Peace, it's all downhill from here.

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#981489 - 11/11/17 05:42 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: eyeFISH]
OLD FB Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 09/05/14
Posts: 196
Loc: Stanwood WA
Originally Posted By: eyeFISH
Wasn't THAT long ago that Northern California had stellar steelheading. But how long could it last? People suck... and GDITMMM!

Absolutely... it was DEAD. And I'm just thinkin', "My GAWD, how did this happen?"



Great video eyeFISH as I pulled it from Stanwood library years ago and truly a worthy watch. Growing up in Nor Cal I was fortunate to fish a few of those North Coast rivers back in the day. Russian, Eel and Gualala and yes the gem of the North Coast the Smith come to mind tonight. After it was found in the 70's it started to tail off unfortunately and it is truly a mere shadow of what it once was but still affords incredible opportunity for to touch large wild fish.

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#981490 - 11/11/17 05:50 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
Amazing that after all we have seen in the past half century, the co-managers still feel it appropriate to intentionally harvest WILD steelhead ANYWHERE in their range in the PNW with gillnets.

J F C!
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

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#981491 - 11/11/17 05:55 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: Carcassman]
OLD FB Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 09/05/14
Posts: 196
Loc: Stanwood WA
Originally Posted By: Carcassman
When I took Fish Management in college it was taught by Alex Calhoun, Chief of Inland Fisheries for CFG. He said that the rest of the Pacific states were watching CA to learn from the mistakes there in development, dams, logging, hatcheries, and whole lot of other lessons.

Nope, no learning here.


Pretty dam, sad isn't it Carcassman. I saw development and dams ruin fisheries in your backyard in of Olema even. I remember fishing Tomales Bay and White House pool near Pt Reyes Station and quite the run of wild Coho and large steelhead too as I can personally attest to tonight! Development of Alpine and Kent and Nicasio dams were the death knell for those fisheries as stream area dropped from 87 miles to I believe 14 (?) Oh well guess this old guy can live with fond memories of days gone by tonight!

BTW did you recognize anyone in that video clip? Russell Chatham was a local guy great fly-fisherman and renowned painter who I hung out with up in Livingston MT. Ever meet him? Still active in fly-fishing circles and Russian River Steelhead Association!

BTW WA. state could take a lesson from CA. these days in there ocean fisheries management as it was another stellar year for Chinook down there too!

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#981492 - 11/11/17 05:59 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
Its a real shame. The average fish there is a life time fish some places. Ive seen whale tails there cartwheeling down the other side of the river. Epic big river steelhead at its finest. I love that place.
_________________________
Maybe he's born with it.

Maybe it's amphetamines.

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#981493 - 11/11/17 06:56 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: Jason Beezuz]
OLD FB Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 09/05/14
Posts: 196
Loc: Stanwood WA
Originally Posted By: Jason Beezuz
Its a real shame. The average fish there is a life time fish some places. Ive seen whale tails there cartwheeling down the other side of the river. Epic big river steelhead at its finest. I love that place.


Me too! Incredible setting in Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park it is a sacred place with fastest clearing river in Nor Cal! Long haul these days but no love from up here these days... Chetco was FUN too!

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#981495 - 11/11/17 08:25 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: OLD FB]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
A while ago, maybe still, the California record for sport caught coho came from what was then called Papermill Creek (now Lauganitas Creek). It ran right past my first home there. Not a big creek. Still has a few coho.

The premier study on coho and steelhead (Shapavolov and Taft) was on small stream that I also lived near for a while (Waddell Creek). Runs of 500 steelhead in a **ckin creek. Now, what do we get in rivers ?

It was interesting that even then, with "only" the ocean fishery, that the R/S for coho back to the creek was <1. In the 30s and 40s.........

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#981499 - 11/12/17 06:54 AM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
cobble cruiser Offline
~B-F-D~

Registered: 03/27/09
Posts: 2256
After much research i think we should blame it on hatchery fish.... or maybe Bigfoot...yeah thats it.
_________________________
http://www.wooldridgeboats.com

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#981514 - 11/12/17 02:26 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: bushbear]
FishDoctor Offline
Spawner

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 527
Slashed by a thousand knives> the loss of Thompson Steelhead is really sad to see. IMO urban water pollution in the Salish Sea is also a huge contributor to the loss of these iconic fish. Just like other Salish sea Steelhead stocks in WA, Thompson stocks have to survive the myriad of toxins and chemicals in our estuary's. Everything from hydrocarbons to flame retardants, the toxic mix entering Puget sound is killing steelhead, wild and hatchery.
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FishDoctor

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#981522 - 11/12/17 05:44 PM Re: Concerns over Thompson River steelhead (BC) [Re: OLD FB]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
Originally Posted By: OLD FB

BTW WA. state could take a lesson from CA. these days in there ocean fisheries management as it was another stellar year for Chinook down there too!


I don't know about that OLD FB, I think they just got lucky. Pre-season, CA was bracing for a horrid 2017 chinook return. But I see JDR posting some pretty nice pics from the Sac... and not just a few. Here's an article about the pre-season outlook.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6745494-181/worst-salmon-season-in-eight?artslide=0

Between Feinstein and Trump, CA's water management is poised to put salmon in the toilet for good.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/6485256-181/close-to-home-california-salmon?ref=related
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

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