A recap of Pacific Northwest Wild Salmon News Items we found of interest the of of July 4 to July 11, 2014
Fishing guide says things looking up in Nanaimo
Robert Barron / Daily News, July 16, 2014
..."We're beginning to see higher concentrations of salmon coming through local waters from the Columbia River as restoration projects on that waterway, as well as in salmon rivers and streams on the Island, are beginning to take hold," he said. "We're also learning how to fish better in that we used to fish shallow but now we find we are having success fishing at 200 to 1,000 feet. There's also the fact that the commercial salmon fishery has been downsized in recent years and that has helped stocks recover."
by Jeff Nagel - BC Local News, Jul 18, 2014
A predicted
massive run of Fraser River sockeye has yet to show up in force, so no commercial salmon fishing has been approved so far.
Fishery managers with the Pacific Salmon Commission said Friday fewer sockeye are coming in so far than expected, although that could change swiftly.
The commission's Fraser River panel has not yet issued an estimate of the run size and said planned openings for seine boat fisheries have been pushed back to at least July 23.
The pre-season forecast – based on the fact this year's return is the spawn of the unusually large 2010 run – projected 23 million sockeye would likely come back to the Fraser this summer, and it might run as high as 72 million.
Other challenges are ahead for the migrating fish if they prove to be merely late, not missing.
Hot weather and a smaller-than-average Interior snowpack is likely to result in more sockeye dying than usual on their journey upriver.
As of Thursday, the temperature of the Fraser was 18.8 degrees – 2.8 degrees higher than average for this date.
"Sustained exposure of sockeye to Fraser River water temperatures in this range may slow their migration and cause elevated levels of pre-spawn mortality," the PSC's announcement cautioned.
River temperatures are forecast to moderate to 17.9 degrees over the next few days.
The amount of water flowing past the gauge at Hope was also 20 per cent lower than usual Thursday.
Pacific Salmon Commission Reference Link: The Pacific Salmon Commission publishes and distributes
news releases and regulatory announcements issued by the Fraser River Panel during the Fraser River salmon commercial fishing season.
You Say Okanogan, I say Okanagan, but Salmon Will Call it Home
NOAA Fisheries, Summer 2014
The Okanagan River springs forth in British Columbia and flows south across the Canada – United States border where it swaps vowels and becomes the Okanogan River… Only remnants of these salmon still exist in three tributaries in the Upper Columbia Basin and were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1999. But for the first time since their disappearance, members of the Confederated Colville Tribes have reason to hope these salmon may once again return to the Okanogan River.
Reference Link: Pacific Northwest Wild Salmon News Watch – July 4 to July 11, 2014
http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/pacific-northwest-wild-salmon-news-watch-%E2%80%93-july-4-july-11-2014
