Minister pours cold water on fears over collapse of salmon fisheries

Robert Matas
September 11, 2009
The Globe and Mail

Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea poured cold water today on widespread alarm over the collapse of the multi-million dollar salmon fishery on the West Coast.

 In a brief interview before a closed-door meeting with representatives of about 20 groups involved in the B.C. fisheries, Ms. Shea said the return of pink salmon to the Fraser and Skeena rivers was strong, although the stock of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River was significantly less than forecast.

It's kind of hard to tell what is happening here,” Ms. Shea said. “Some are higher, some are lower than forecast,” she said. “Some runs are very healthy, so it is hard to point to any one thing as the cause of sockeye not returning,” she added.

While scientists search for why sockeye salmon did not return to the Fraser River, fishery department staff were looking into why forecasts were so wrong. Ms. Shea downplayed the significance of the forecasts, saying the department does not manage the fishery based on forecasts. “We manage the fishery by in-season returns. The forecasts were done four years ago,” she said. “We manage on what actually comes back, not on a forecast of four years ago."

Read the full story in The Globe and Mail

Read related story in the: 

Chilliwack Progress - Minister holds closed -door session on sockeye

The Times Colonist - Head of native aquaculture group barred from federal meeting

Read background news stories on the crash of the Fraser River sockeye