Salmon becoming a rarity on Yukoners' tables

[kickingfrog]

From Yahoo.ca:

 

 

A record low number of salmon in Yukon rivers this summer has hit food retailers in the territory, who say regular supplies of wild salmon have all but dried up.

 

 

Fishing has been banned on the Yukon River system, while the Alsek River system has been closed to sport and traditional aboriginal fishing.

 

 

That has meant dwindling numbers of local fish in restaurants like the Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ in Whitehorse, which has been forced to order frozen salmon from Edmonton.

 

 

"We used to always get it from the Taku River," restaurateur Dona Novecosky Amiot told CBC News.

 

 

"In fact, one of our suppliers, this is the first year in over 30 years that he hasn't been on the river."

 

 

Federal fisheries officials have said the number of salmon coming to the rivers this year has been only a small fraction of what is considered normal.

 

 

Whitehorse fish merchant Mark Richardson said his sockeye currently come from the Stikine River in northern British Columbia. But that won't last long, either, as he said the fishery there has also closed for the season.

 

 

"I mean, I've got my last load here laying on the table pretty much for this year, unless I can get something out of Alaska," Richardson said.

 

 

"But they're flying it all straight to the lower 48 [states], taking it to where they get the best price for it."

 

 

Tourists hoping to see salmon swim across the popular fish ladder at the Whitehorse Rapids have also come away disappointed.

 

 

Hatchery manager Laurence Vano said early forecasts suggest as few as 70 chinook will show up at the ladder this summer.

 

 

"Even if those estimations are 100 per cent off, we're still only looking at 150 to maybe 200 fish returning. So yeah, it's pretty dismal," said Vano, who maintains some optimism about this year's salmon run.

 

"Just because we have a low run this year, I mean, it could be an indication of many different factors: environmental, overharvesting, the pollock fishery, the Alaskans maybe," he added.

 

 

"If we get another year like this one, then I think we should start really scratching our heads, like, what is going on out there?"

 

 

Fisheries authorities say high waters could be responsible for the poor numbers of fish so far in the Yukon River.

 

 

First Nations along the Yukon River have already cut their aboriginal fishing quotas in half, in light of the low salmon numbers.

 

 

As well, the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations in Haines Junction recently declared an emergency closure of their aboriginal sockeye and chinook salmon fishery on the Klukshu River, which is part of the Alsek River system.

 

 

Other First Nations across the territory have reported low salmon numbers this summer. Three chinook salmon have been reported caught in Teslin so far, and six in Old Crow.

[timmeh]

This is similar to what's happened in California, where salmon fishing in rivers is shut down now. It's really a shame. I have no data obviously but i can't imagine that overfishing of pacific salmon is not at least partly responsible for this. Hopefully people wake up before we have the same problems with pacific salmon that happened to atlantic cod years ago.

[Greencoachdog]

I know! They need to put out more NETS... Oh!... but wait, isn't that the reason fish populations are and have been declining worldwide?

 

Ban netting worlwide and watch the fish populations grow again!... instead of dwindle to nothing!

[smbhunter]

Why do authorities seem to act only when it's too late. I'll never understand this.