The numbers of salmon are getting closer and closer to hitting the trigger mark to open the fishing season at Babine Lake.
According to Tanis Bjarnason from Lake Babine Nation fisheries administration, the recent numbers provided from the Skeena Tyee test fishery indicated 622,000 salmon. In order for Babine Lake to open for Food Social and Ceremonial fishing and be fully operational, they need to hit a mark of 800,000. Bag limits for recreational fishing have been one salmon per day in recent years.
Bjarnason told Lakes District News that Babine Lake expects to hit that mark by late this week, or possibly early next week.
As for commercial fishing, Bjarnason says that the fishing season should start within the next three weeks or so. The official trigger mark to open the season commercially is 1.05 Million.
The expected return of salmon this year is expected to continue to rise. Last years return was also higher then the previous year. Bjarnason says that a big reason for the growing numbers is the high amount of smolt that made it into the Pacific four-five years ago.
As of Aug. 7 the fence on Babine Lake opened for Lake Babine Nation citizens only – allowing 100 fish per status card for food fish only.
In 2013, Lake Babine Nation fisheries program along with Skeena Fisheries Commission re-initiated the smolt counting fence which had been discontinued in 2000. Technicians catch and mark a certain amount of smolt, and then release them upriver, later to be re-caught. This allows them to estimate the number of smolts leaving the Babine system. The program was restarted due to the previous decline in wild stocks.
She also credits the work done by Lake Babine Nation for the continued rise in numbers. “Proper management and a lot of moderation are major keys to the projected improved salmon returns.” she said.
All species of salmon are present in the Babine Lake, with sockeye being the most numerous. There is also a large number of pink salmon present, that spawn directly above the Babine River counting fence.
