BON CHOVY CHARTERS

“DFO ignored pleas from scientists, altered report to downplay risks to imperilled steelhead: docs” It’s a double day today. Thx to @Sevawood for covering this important topic. Keep up the great work. #csas #cosewic #endangeredspecies #sara #bcpoli #cdnpoli #ifs #steelhead

This was yesterday, pretty rare to get a daytime look at a wolf, always cool to see one on the cruise.

Deep water lingcod and salmon fishing in Georgia Strait youtube.com/watch?v=d6gMoV… @IslanderReels @Bonchovy @ScottyProducts @TourismVI @HelloBC

Concerned about about the future of B.C.’s public fishery? Jason Assonitis of @Bonchovy shares his thoughts about closures and more with @bobzimmermp: #cdnpoli youtube.com/watch?v=TVD20T…

Data or politics for 2021? facebook.com/19838013052771…

Data driven fisheries to protect stocks of concern and protect Canadian Socio Economic values are the way forward. Does the Minister understand the issues in BC?

Another 14 #endangered #sturgeon caught in ONE abandoned net on the Fraser River. DFO says nets are not a problem. Some were still alive and returned to the water. It’s time to ban nets in the Fraser. #nomorenets

@FishFirstBC Thanks Greg.

@Bonchovy We need to ask someone who knows more than me. I know when assessing sockeye both are considered as they can have different catch rates. I am guessing they use Albion on Chinook because of the ‘relative’ measure it provides across years. But we need to ask

How unusual is it for only 7 endangered Fraser R. Chinnok to be caught in the Albion Test fishery by July 2nd? Only other year is 2012. Fisheries continue & fish must still negotiate the Big Bar slide. DFO not considering any mgt actions. How 2020 compares to recent 5 yr averages

@FishFirstBC Interesting for sure. Thanks for feedback. Why is Whonnock exponentially more than Albion? On June 24th, in one day the Whonnock netted as many as the Albion caught since it started in April? Seems flawed. Certainly not saying that the runs are in good shape by any stretch.

@Bonchovy I don’t have any ‘take’ on it. Unlike for sockeye, where both test fisheries are used to assess run strength. I have not seen Whonnock used for Chinook. Interesting, and hopeful, observation though. It would be interesting to know how FSC fisheries for these Chinook are doing.

@FishFirstBC What info do you have on the recovery plan/if any for early timed 4-2 and 5-2 chinook?

Wild Salmon Policy published in 2005. Nothing done for 12 years. In 2018, an Implementation Plan was published. 1/2 way through 3rd yr & this is all DFO can say about the progress made, and being planned, for the WSP’s primary objective: Maintain and Rebuild Stocks. More planning

@FishFirstBC DIrected effort from the Public Fishery/MCC to pressure for change or would be a start. Marine Fisheries restrictions have done nothing to recover IF coho, chinook or steelhead. Time to have meaningful conversations and make meaningful change. Inquiry to missing chinook?

@Bonchovy Again, I can’t defend the 17%. But your thesis is correct. Until there is a recovery plan, targets, and the feds and BC buy in with directed resources; harvest will remain the focus as it is the only tool anyone has to maintain the species while the endless deliberations unfold

No problem here. Why not role over failed 2019 management measures?

@FishFirstBC Political context indeed. With the environmental and political firepower that the MCC has, the 5 percent seems insignificant to the 17 percent going missing? Instead, micromanaging the public fishery gets headlines, not recovery.

@Bonchovy The only current recovery target is the Minister’s requirement that TM be limited to around 5%. C-68 requires a recovery plan and targets consistent with Canada’s SFF. This work has yet to begin. Hence, we are left with the arbitrariness of decisions taken in a political context

@FishFirstBC @FishFirstBC When is the MCC going to step up and publicly raise the alarm bell on the alarming numbers. Combined missing fish plus in river harvest must average between 20 and 25 percent. #smokinggun?

@Bonchovy Continues...’To date there has been little effort to quantify this discrepancy or identify what may be contributing to this discrepancy: IUU, FRIM, or warming Fraser River migration conditions....

@FishFirstBC What I would like is a commitment to collobaritive data collection, refinement of FRIM and the acknowledgement from the MCC that the 17% is a significant issue and publicize it and act on it.

@Bonchovy You might connect with Jesse. He and I have been discussing it. Zesse also has some good contacts in what is happening right now. You would like him.

Pretty darn good weekend of fishing! Excellent numbers of chinook caught and released in the Gulf Island's and a strong local showing of coho out in the deep water off Bowen Island! Things are looking good!

@FishFirstBC Enjoyed the conversation . Have a great weekend

@Bonchovy This is where your knowledge greatly outpaces mine - thanks

On May 30th, 2018 DFO announced ‘a precautionary 25-35% reduction in exploitation rates’ for Fraser River chinook. Actual 2018 harvest rates increased, in some cases nearly doubled. Harvest rates do not fully account for fishery related incidental mortality (FRIM)

@FishFirstBC Yed, given that area 20 has had zero retention of unclipped fish over 67 cm for 10 plus years and area 19 has has allowed retention of 1 unclipped over 62cm, the sample size in recent years is likely small and variability is significant. March to July mgmt actions

@Bonchovy DNA data suggests, in May, June & July, (June highest) the prop. of 4-2 and 5-2’s is surprisingly high in Areas 19 and 20 rec catch. This is based only on retained catch. Releases could be higher if DFO’s logic is correct, and the larger released fish tend to be from these pops

@FishFirstBC Thanks for that. Not sure that these numbers should be considered as accurate. With such low interception of ETF stocks especially in the rec/commercial how much is the expansion factor playing into these results?

@Bonchovy I referred to DFO’s table which notes harvest rates almost doubled in some cases. Catches, as you say, did not. This likely reflects that catches did not change much while abundance dropped