[Tacheeda]

NEw regs are out and sturgeon north of willy's puddle is CLOSED!!!!!!! this is total BS. Just a precursor to the lower river being closed.

 

[PumpingIron]

NEw regs are out and sturgeon north of willy's puddle is CLOSED!!!!!!! this is total BS. Just a precursor to the lower river being closed.

What makes you think that? Are you speculating? Thats Williams Lake, not even close to down here so what makes you think that they are going to shut down the Fraser from Hope and down?

 

[jetboater]

Those are upper fraser fish that we all were aware of closing, it is something that needs to be done to protect them, brobably will happen to the upper columbia/ kootenay river stocks.

 

[fishortho]

I am curious to know whether or not any fish are tagged in the northern waters, and whether the fish we tag here in the Valley ever migrate north?
Can someone enlighten me? It seems to me there were no shortages of sturgeon in the lower Fraser these past few years......Anyone have the latest stats from last year?..Ortho 8)

 

[Fish Finder]

I am curious to know whether or not any fish are tagged in the northern waters, and whether the fish we tag here in the Valley ever migrate north?
Can someone enlighten me?

I've always been under the impression stergys can, and have migrated between systems and great distances.

Finder

 

[Steelie Trav]

Have there not been reports of our tagged sturgeons caught down south?? Will they not migrate in the salt?

 

[GOFISH]

Just some of the info avail. on Sturgeon,

This could have something to do with the population problem in the upper river. ???

White sturgeon (also known as Pacific sturgeon, Oregon sturgeon, Columbia sturgeon, and Sacramento sturgeon) are the largest freshwater fish in North America. They can weigh over 1,500 pounds, grow to 20 feet in length, and live over 100 years. In North America they range from Ensenada, Mexico to Cook Inlet, Alaska. Dams have harmed white sturgeon by landlocking populations and destroying spawning grounds. White sturgeon do not normally use fish ladders, so bypass mitigation measures tend to fail.

(APPENDIX B. Migratory Fish Species in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa)


http://www.frasersturgeon.com/pdf/Backgrounder_FRSCS_Aug%202005.pdf

The provincial fisheries program (BC Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection) undertook studies from 1995-1999 to identify abundance, spawning areas, migratory patterns and habitat use of white sturgeon in the Fraser River watershed. Part of these studies involved tagging fish with numbered, coloured plastic tags and/or a radio transmitter attached near the dorsal fin. As sturgeon are long-lived, anglers may continue to recover these tags for several more years and can assist in sturgeon conservation efforts by reporting tag information.

If you capture a marked fish, before releasing it, please record:

1. location, date and gear used
2. colour and number of plastic tag
3. number of radio tag.

Please do not remove tags. Forward the information to: Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection, P.O. Box 9338, STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, B.C., V8W 9M1, Attn: Dr. T. Down, phone (250) 387-9715.

GOFISH 8)

 

[sage2106lb]

Have there not been reports of our tagged sturgeons caught down south?? Will they not migrate in the salt?

There are solid reports of tagged Fraser river Sturgeon caught,recorded and released in the Columbia river down south.The salt water plays a huge roll in the survival of both Green and White lower Fraser Sturgeon.

 

[pgBilly]

Hey all, new to the board and have a little info on the Sturgeon of the north. I have sat on the Action Planning Group for the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative for about 3 or 4 years now. Over the last 5 or so years a number of studies were undertaken on the stock status of the Fraser & Nechako Sturgeon, I believe that 5 seperate stocks were identified on the system. That said the movement of the Sturgeon in the system or parts of the system were difficult to track. The upper Fraser stock although healthy, is very small and the areas these fish were found were very limited. As for the Nechako, where a majority of work and studies seem to have taken place, the numbers are very depressed. The river was virtually void of fish in the 0-35 year age group, and with the amount of tagging and recapture that took place the numbers were ugly. The resent listing on SARA may have had something to do with the closure of the fishery on the upper Fraser, as I recall some of the tagged Nechako fish had been recaptured in mainstem Fraser as far south as the Cottonwood River near Quesnel. Hopefully with stocking of the Nechako last year we will get to experience the fishery again within our lifetime.

 

[Rick Baerg]

Well said PGBilly! Thanks for your input and welcome to the forum!