Anglers want to save Chinook salmon. Here is how they believe it should be done.

Upper Fraser Chinook salmon are at risk. There are many causes, including increased seal populations, climate change, pollution and the warm water blob. However, many people are trying to save Chinook salmon. These efforts are often led by anglers, who want to see Chinook and killer whales thrive.

For example, the South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition is dedicated to ensuring abundant healthy fish populations for generations to come. They, along with thousands of concerned Vancouver citizens and First Nations, have worked hard to come up with reliable, effective ways to restore B.C.’s salmon fishery. According to Tom Rutherford, a retired DFO Community Adviser, “People need salmon and salmon need people.”

Experts have created a document outlining Recommendations for Restoring Southern British Columbia’s Public Chinook Fishery.

Top three recommendations to save Chinook salmon:

  1. Transition to Marked Selective Fisheries for the Public Fishery During the recovery of Wild Chinook Stocks of Concern
    • The current regulations do not permit the public to keep any Chinook. However, Marked Selective Fisheries allow anglers to keep any sized hatchery-produced Chinook or Coho. These fish are easily identified by a clipped fin. Anglers would release wild salmon from stocks of concern. Above all, this strategy allows recreational fishing to continue successfully, while simplifying potentially complex regional management rules.
  2. Utilize Strategic Enhancement Combined with the Protection and Restoration of Critical Habitat to Reverse Chinook Abundance Trends
    • DFO and the Provincial government must understand that restrictive fishing closures are not successful. Furthermore, they must use new tools and progressive scientific research. Some of these include accelerated habitat restoration, modern Chinook hatchery production technologies and the use of proven over-wintering protocols.
  3. Protect the $1.1 Billion Public Fishery Infrastructure, Sustain Employment and Maintain the Many Benefits that Accrue to Canada
    • DFO has sent out a message that B.C. is closed to fishing. This hurts the diverse recreational fishing industry. Moreover, it hurts many remote communities where survival is dependent on the fishing industry.

You can read the complete document here or on BC Outdoors Magazine.

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.