The State of BC Herring – Jan 28, 2025

Written by Save the Herring

25 January 2025

There is tonnes of news on Herring so let’s just begin.

The DFO Data Summary published in July shows a poor spawn at Comox, Lazo and Hornby Island. There was no spawn at all in Baynes Sound. The bulk of the spawn was on the east coast of Denman, Mapleguard, Bowser and Qualicum. There was poor spawn south of French Creek and no spawn in Nanoose and Nanaimo.

The DFO Integrated Fishing Management Plan (IFMP) was published last month and it shows that the Total Allowable Catch has been increased since last year. The very destructive Food and Bait Fishery has also been vastly increased to 7000 tons from 820 tons last year.  That’s right, an near eightfold increase, to 7,000 tons.

The Food and Bait Seiners are harvesting right now and as of Jan 20 have harvested 1302 tons from Nanoose and Northumberland Channel. We have heard that the Seiners are also harvesting near French Creek. Will they move northwards and harvest Qualicum Beach next? Call me if you see Seiners.

In 2014 the Food and Bait Fishery started to harvest 7,000 tons a year south of Dodd Narrows. By 2020 all herring fisheries south of Nanaimo were closed due to lack of spawning herring.

The elected councils of the six First Nations of the southern Gulf Islands have published on the web that the Food and Bait Fishery was responsible for the extirpation of their herring. There is still no herring spawning in the southern Gulf Islands.

How long will the north of Nanaimo stocks last? The south of Nanaimo stocks lasted 6 years.

What the heck to do about this herring trouble??!!??

The Wsanec Hereditary Chiefs have called for a Moratorium on herring fisheries to preserve stocks.  They have asked for volunteers and attendees to come forward to Let the Herring Live Forum, Feb 13th at Tsawout First Nation in Saanichton.  Keynote Speaker is Ray Harris from Stz’uminus First Nation, and MC is Adam Olsen from Tsartlip First Nation.  The University of Victoria is sending a large contingent of students and Conservancy Hornby Island will be showing their latest film.  

There are other campaigns underway as well, this is a great chance to come out and be part of the solution, to be the one volunteer that pushes a Moratorium over the top and we can once again manage herring from a position of abundance, to the betterment of all.

Jim Shortreed

Call or text me at (250) 937-9475

PS, Why the large increase in Food and Bait?  Are the fish farms getting our herring?

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