Critics Say DFO missed Fraser Sockeye escapement Target by 20% due to too much Commercial Fishing
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Vancouver Sun] by Joanne Lee-Young - April 14, 2015
There was a large return of sockeye to the mouth of the Fraser River in 2014, but some conservation and First Nations groups say fisheries officials are too focused on commercial interests and allowing more aggressive catches that are causing runs to fail meeting the government's own spawning targets.
The total number of fish that made it back to spawning grounds last year fell short by 1.4 million or almost 20 per cent because fisheries officials authorized overfishing and ignored scientific advice and warning signs, according to Watershed Watch Salmon Society, a Vancouverbased non-profit organization that monitors wild salmon.
Watershed Watch executive director Aaron Hill explained that, during the fishing season, scientists at the Pacific Salmon Commission make twice-weekly recommendations about run size and precautionary measures to the Fraser River Panel, which consists of Canadian and American fishery managers and fishermen...
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