Kitasoo/Xaixais Perspectives on Herring 2015 Herring Summit June 8, 2015 Larry Greba Fisheries Director
KX Perspectives from Kitasu Bay • Bread basket for Klemtu • Major settlement area for Kitasoo people • Major FSC harvest for KX – produces over 95% for food/trade. Most reliable spawn area on coast. Fished for millenia • A “spring” or “source population” for herring • Fished heavily for RH from mid 70 s to 1990. Avg. 1500 ton/year . Significant conflict and confrontation with FSC fishery. • Used continuously by KX since early 1980’s for commercial SOK • Defended through legal/direct action since early 1990’s (post Sparrow) • In 1990’s KX more active in mgt. diverted herring fisheries to other areas to preserve Kitasu Bay. • Began recording FSC catch in 1993 • From 1993 - 2003 – the 3 significant RH fisheries resulted in major reductions in FSC catch. • Kitasu Bay is a major staging and spawning area (over 10,000 ton on a regular basis)
Commercial Herring Spawn on Kelp Fishing
Relative Herring Catches and spawning abundance in Kitasu Bay herring stock
Herring spawn Timing in Kitasu Bay
KX perspectives on Aristazabal Herring Stocks • Aristazabal stock differs from Kitasu Bay stock in space and time (often earlier). • Difficult area to fish due to weather and rugged poorly charted coastline. • Generally a smaller stock than Kitasu Bay (1000- 3000 t). • 2013 – 950 tons observed spawning • 2014 – Fished by GN – 700 ton (100 ton spawned) • 2015 – Very few fish observed (small spawn)
KX perspectives on East Higgins Herring Stocks • East Higgins stock differs from Kitasu Bay stock in space but usually similar timing. • Unsure if it is related to Kitasu or Reid Pass stock. • Generally a smaller stock than Kitasu Bay but is typically reliable. • KX uses most years for commercial SOK. • Fished heavily by RH prior to 2008. KX diversion. • Stock crashed with almost no spawners from (2008 - 2014) – serial depletion? • 2015 – Spawn finally returned – 9.5 km but some mortality observed.
Kitasoo/Xaixais Management Approach 2015
Summary KX Herring Observations 1. Major Roe Herring Fisheries and FSC Fisheries cannot easily exist in the same space without impact to the FSC harvest. 2. Areas must be set aside as Sanctuaries for FSC harvest. 3. Closed SOK fisheries co-exist well and appear to enhance FSC harvest. 4. Herring in the KX Territory are made up of multiple stocks that differ in time and space. 5. Staging populations/areas often differ from spawning populations/areas. 6. Intermingling of stocks is likely but there are anchor (source) populations. “Herring spring” 7. Persistent gillnet selective harvesting reduces size at age of herring. 8. Serial depletion of herring stocks is a concern. 9. Managing areas 6 – 8 (central coast major stock area) as a single stock may be leading to serial depletion.
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