Disappointing returns mark start of salmon season

The fate of the North Coast fishing
season depends on the results coming
forward from early returns

The first look at the returns for salmon season are offering up hints that 2016 may not be a bountiful year for the fishing industry both on the North Coast and southern regions.

A Friday report from radio station CFNR highlighted the declining nature of the returns on the Skeena in recent weeks, noting that to this point the returns are down more than half of the estimate of 3 million.

Skeena Sockeye return estimates down by 1.6 million

Similar concerns are being noted for the Fraser River fishery, where returns are feared to be so low that there may not support a commercial or recreational fishery on the major river system of Southern British Columbia.

Fraser River Sockeye returns predicted to be dismal - again - this summer

The early returns also made for a reduction for the Metlakatla Fish distribution program last week, with a notice posted to the First Nations Facebook page July 15th.

The low returns to this point could have a significant impact on local processing on the North Coast.

With the Canadian Fish Operations in Prince Rupert already having seen the elimination of the canning lines at the George Hills Way location, any reduction in the supply of fish will only make a tough year for local shore-workers and the fishing fleet even worse.

DFO continues to monitor the state of the North Coast fishery through a range of observation programs and test fisheries on the North Coast.

You can review some of that work conducted from the DFO website.

Of interest to those fishing the Skeena River system, the findings of the Skeena Tyee Test Fishery are available here.

While other stock assessments for the Nass, Babine, Dooce, Kitwanga and Meziadin regions can be found here.

More on the fishing industry in the Northwest can be found on our archive page.