Great news for protecting Salmon today

[nube]

Wish it was easier to fight off the Anti crowd to protect species. Glad they are protecting fish. I think more could be done for our fish especially out east when it comes to cod fish


http://nwsportsmanmag.com/columbia-s...DK55VPGe7SmHrQ

[Grizzly Adams]

Son just got back from Harrison Mills, photographing eagles that congregate there to feed on spawning salmon. Must be bout 60 miles inland and they have a large population of harbour seals there. Always thought of them as a Marine mammal.

Grizz

[Flight01]

In Newfoundland and in Labrador seals quite often go up river chasing salmon

[KegRiver]

Nice!

Now if they could do something to bring back the fish populations in the Peace River system I'd be a happy camper.

But that's not likely to happen, no seals to kill here and too much tax money to be lost if they did deal with what's caused the decline.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Keg did we get a major die off in walleye/pike in Peace River after the Bennett dames were built? Thought it just affected Lake Athabasca?

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Keg did we get a major die off in walleye/pike in Peace River after the Bennett dames were built? Thought it just affected Lake Athabasca?

Nothing official, maybe because it was a slow decline.
But for sure there is a problem.

Grayling for example. They used to be common in the smaller rivers feeding into the Peace. So common that in the fall one could hear them splashing in the rapids when they were running.

Now, they have shut down all fishing for them in this area. And almost no one targeted them anyway. No one I know has an explanation for their disappearance. I don't think anyone is looking into it.

It's not a lot better with Goldeye and Walleye. There are seasons for them but for most of the year one can fish all day and not get one bite.

I don't even get Chub nibbling on baited hooks these days. They used to make bait fishing a real challenge.

I've asked fish and wildlife personnel about this and they say there is no difference that they know of. Which may be correct. Most of them don't fish much if at all and none I know have been here more then ten years.

I've been fishing this river since the mid 1960s and I see a profound difference in the fish populations. Even the species that no one fishes for, like Chub and Grayling.

[Unregistered user]

River seals, easy shootin'.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Unregistered user

River seals, easy shootin'.

Son was saying, fishermen hate them. Apparently , they hear the noise of the reel when working a catch and presto, fish is gone.

Grizz

[Big Grey Wolf]

Keg, from what I understand the improper installed culverts in all the creeks by forestry and oil companies destroyed the grayling population. The discharge on culverts to high, would not allow grayling to spawn in the creeks.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Nice!

Now if they could do something to bring back the fish populations in the Peace River system I'd be a happy camper.

But that's not likely to happen, no seals to kill here and too much tax money to be lost if they did deal with what's caused the decline.

I know, I always hear the stories of from my wife and family that grew up on a homestead in hawk hills. I guess you can't change a river that much and expect it to continue to produce the same way.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by nube

Wish it was easier to fight off the Anti crowd to protect species. Glad they are protecting fish. I think more could be done for our fish especially out east when it comes to cod fish


http://nwsportsmanmag.com/columbia-s...DK55VPGe7SmHrQ

Now if they could just deal with the decimation due to by-catch from the commercial fishermen. While we're dreaming we might as well wish for the herring fishery to be stopped.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Keg, from what I understand the improper installed culverts in all the creeks by forestry and oil companies destroyed the grayling population. The discharge on culverts to high, would not allow grayling to spawn in the creeks.

That might explain some of the decline but there are a lot of steams in the area that have no culverts in them.
It also does not explain what happened to the Chub in the main river.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Scott h

I know, I always hear the stories of from my wife and family that grew up on a homestead in hawk hills. I guess you can't change a river that much and expect it to continue to produce the same way.

I suspect that what you say is closer to what the real problem is.

I know that the Bennitt dam has had a profound effect on the Peace River.
I was recruited to sit on a panel tasked with providing input to the government on how to address the effects of those changes on the river and residents living along the river system.

Another development I believe that had a major effect was the pulp mill at Peace River. We know that for the first several years it opened it was dumping toxins into the river.

We know this because shortly after it opened the government imposed a limit on the number of fish from the river that one could safely eat in one week.
After the mill cleaned up it's effluent, the restriction was lifted. No one ever admitted that the mill was the cause but the evidence is clear as to what caused the problem.

I think it reasonable to believe that bottom feeding fish like chub would be the most effected by any contamination and chub are the primary food source for all the predator fish in the river.

If something kills off the prey species what is likely to happen to the bigger fish?

Grayling overwintered in the main river so they too would be very vulnerable to any contamination.

Couple that with lower then historic flow over the winter months and it's not hard to figure out what the likely culprit is.

[nube]

Ive got a ton of Grayling on my trapline. Wish they got to be bigger like North of Alberta! Fun fish to catch!

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by nube

Ive got a ton of Grayling on my trapline. Wish they got to be bigger like North of Alberta! Fun fish to catch!

Is your trapline in the Peace River drainage system?

[nube]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Is your trapline in the Peace River drainage system?

No it is further south and would think there should be less down there? I admit I do not know much about them but I have caught some monsters in my day just not in Alberta...

[Big Grey Wolf]

Nubes line is on the Athabasca/ Little Smokey drainage. The Marshhead a major stream was an excellent fish area in the 60's for both grayling and rainbow. Most of the rainbow are gone now in the Athabasca drainage, nice to see grayling hanging on Nube.

[.257Weatherby]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Son just got back from Harrison Mills, photographing eagles that congregate there to feed on spawning salmon. Must be bout 60 miles inland and they have a large population of harbour seals there. Always thought of them as a Marine mammal.

Grizz

Those Seals have been seen at the top end of Harrison Lake and in Chilliwack Lake as well.
The harvest of these vermin can not start soon enough.
Unfortunately I do not have photographic evidence to back up my comments.
Rob

[wildbill]

Well hopefully mr dressup is out there wearin a sea lion suit fer openin day!!