Don’t hook a Chinook? It seems that the Suzuki Foundation is saying “do what I say, not what I do.” Dave Brown recently spoke with Jill Bennett about his concerns. He believes that politics has gotten in the way of science when it comes to fishing. Data shows the recreational fishing industry has very little impact on the survival of Chinook. Yet ENGOs like the Suzuki Foundation choose to scapegoat the public fishery.
A Few Fast Facts
- DFO and the Provincial Government failed to respond quickly or effectively when Chinook numbers began to decline 20 years ago.
- Instead of dealing with the issues in the watersheds and ecosystems, DFO relies upon fishery restrictions and closures as the principal recovery tools – these closures have not and do not work.
- Some DFO major hatchery practices were questionable. However, improvements have been made. In fact, smaller community hatcheries have a good track record. DFO needs to embrace private/public hatchery technologies. The government needs to look to other jurisdictions with a proven record of hatchery success like in the Great Lakes and the US. But to date they have not done so. They are stuck in neutral.
Fake science misleads the media and all of us. Why is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) ignoring credible scientific data? This is an ongoing issue that we will be reporting on as the threat of fishing closures arise across the country. Coastal B.C. is only the beginning.
Keep Canada Fishing is the national voice of Canada’s anglers, and we lead the effort to preserve your right to fish. We are your voice on Parliament Hill. If you would like to contribute to our efforts to “Keep Canada Fishing,” you can donate now via PayPal.
We also invite you to review the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association’s document, Elevating Recreational Fishing to a National Priority, for more details about this very important topic.
