Sockeye Fishery Goes Commercial

By David Wiwchar PORT ALBERNI — With 450,000 sockeye salmon now in Sproat and Great Central Lake, Fisheries and Oceans Canada says escapement goals have been met and commercial gillnetters and seiners can go after the remaining fish this week.

The allowable catch, which was supposed to be divided equally between commercial, recreational and Aboriginal sectors, has been heavily weighted towards seiners and gillnetters, who will end up with more than 400,000 sockeye.

Anglers like Bob Cole are concerned sports fishers won't have much success this B.C. Day long weekend, after the commercial fishery removes 100,000 sockeye throughout the inlet this week.

Aboriginal gillnetters are also upset DFO capped their low quota and has ordered their fishery closed and their boats off the river.

The Area D gillnet fleet of 60 to 70 boats will fish from 6 p.m. tonight through 6 a.m. Friday morning for 30,000 Sockeye to catch the balance of this week's allocation and possibly more, and the Area B seiners will fish from 4 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) until midnight Thursday for 65,000 pieces or more if the run size estimate goes up Thursday at 1 p.m.

Cole recommends anglers fish in Nahmint or below Pocahontas for best results before Sunday, remembering that Nahmint closes at 12 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Chup to Hocking also becomes non-retention of Chinook for the balance of the season.