The 2015 salmon season is starting off with worrisome signs for all coastal first nations thanks to an almost snowless winter and a very dry spring season.
As a result, water levels in rivers up and down the coast are low and warmer than usual. These are not favorable conditions for returning salmon.
Luke Swan Jr., Ahousaht Interim Fisheries Manager, says about four boats leave Ahousaht every day to do some home-use fishing. They return with an average of seven salmon each.
“It’s not as good as in previous years,” said Swan.
Ahousaht Fisheries workers swim each of their four major salmon rivers from the top down every year to get an idea of how many fish have returned.
“Coho numbers have been a little higher than last year, so we expect to have more this year,” said Swan. But sockeye numbers are so low that there is not enough to open up a fishery.
Swan says it’s hard when the young fellas just want to get out fishing and the elders want sockeye, but they hope people will understand the need to leave it alone until the numbers are stronger.
“We are looking at what they did in Gold River – closing their river for 10 years – and now their salmon are thriving,” said Swan.
Tseshaht Fisheries Manager and Biologist Andy Olsen reports that the Somass River run size for sockeye is forecasted to be around 900,000, giving Tseshaht and Hupacasath roughly 140,000 sockeye to catch. If the run size increases so will the allocation.
But Olson acknowledges the unseasonably warm weather is a concern, especially with already low water levels on the Somass.
“The fishing plan could be adjusted if there are escapement and migration issues,” he said, adding the goal is to fish while allowing enough fish to reach the lakes to hold before spawning in the fall.
Early season fishing for Tseshaht has been good. Tseshaht families have been able to fill their pantry and make some roadside sales ahead of the sales agreement.
“Fisheries have been good with the first week’s sales gillnet fishery landing around 5,000 fish. The early season price is very high and generating a great deal of benefits for Tseshaht and the Port Alberni economy,” said Olsen.
He estimates the first week’s fishery is probably generating over $125,000 for Tseshaht fishers.
