Commercial and recreational fishermen and women wont be serving up freshly caught Fraser River sockeye salmon at the dinner table this season, as the industry wont open due to a bad season.
We had talked about these low levels before the season opened and knew itd be a challenge to open up any type of recreational or commercial fishing for the Fraser sockeye, said Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) director of resource management Paul Ryall.
However, Ryall did say the return was more than the preseason forecast, reaching 2.3 million sockeye, while predictions were set at 2.1 million.
The number of sockeye that return each season is part of a four-year cycle, which alternates between dominant and non-dominant years, Ryall explained.
Approximately 550,000 sockeye salmon spawned in 2008, which then, expectedly, produced the 2.3 million for this year. In comparison with other years, 2008 was particularly low, making 2012 a nondominant year as well.
Its been a lost season, said Bob Baziuk, general manager at Steveston Harbour Authority, who had been expecting a low return due to the cycle.
Its pretty bleak for the sockeye, but that doesnt mean other types of salmon fishing wont open up. Were expecting something for the chum season.
The DFO predicts next year to be better, with 2014 expected to be the best year of the cycle due to a high spawn count in 2010.
