First Fraser River sockeye commercial fishery in four years opens in Johnstone Strait
By Darah Hansen, Vancouver Sun August 5, 2010
British Columbia commercial fishermen are out in Johnstone Strait today to take part in the first significant Fraser River sockeye salmon opening in four years.
Seiners were approved to beginning fishing as of 6 a.m. this morning and running until 9 p.m..
The opening continues tomorrow with gillnetters expected to join the commercial fleet out in the same area.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials said returns this summer have, so far, been much better than expected. That trend is expected to continue through the summer season with DFO anticipating a total possible commercial catch of three million sockeye.
"At this stage this is a good fishery," said Barry Rosenberger, federal fisheries area director for the B.C. Interior.
"Presumably things will continue to develop and we'll have other opportunities," he said.
The sockeye fishery was last open to commercial fleets in 2006, with a total commercial catch of 3.7 million fish.
A limited fishery opened in 2008 with only 17,000 sockeye caught. The total yield for the most-recent two-day fishery is 150,000.
