IS8 IHf SK)RI I ISHI RV 



lo reduce the sp<.>rt catch ot wikl chitiiK)k. salmon, these, 

 and the cnsiimj; heated debate amoiii; s[-K)rttishing urgan- 

 izatu>ns, created an unsettled climate throughout the year 

 and adversely ad'ected participation in the fishery, partic- 

 ularly the nonresident component. Moreover, in this first 

 year ot" licensing, compliance was likely less than full. 

 Judging from the licensing experience of the provincial 

 Fish and Wiidhte Branch, the impact of new licensing or 

 fees is greater in the first year than in following years. 



For these reasons, the 1981 licence sales may under- 

 represent the normal level of angler participation. &irly 

 sales of licences this year appiear to be substantially 

 higher than in 1981, but in the current depres.sed eco- 

 nomic conditions 1982 licence sales may not be typical 

 either. 



Sportfishing Kffort and Catch 



While licence sales provide information on numbers of 

 anglers, they do not provide accurate measures of 

 sportfishing effort or catch. Estimates of these, for 

 salmon, appear in Table 15-2. The differences in the esti- 

 mates in this table are the result of independent studies 

 that differ in scope, the period covered and the statistical 

 methods used. 



covered only the Strait of Georgia (as far west as Beechey 

 llcail). and relates to the 12-month period following July 

 198(J which, as I have already noted, was a period of 

 some turmoil. I do not hold much confidence in the other 

 two .sets of statistics which are based on weaker statistical 

 methods that may well bias the results. Moreover, the 

 Tidal Diary Program excludes substantial numbers of 

 nonresidents and fishermen less than 18 years old. 



The Creel Survey indicated 1.8 million angler days in 

 the Strait of Georgia alone during 1980, and this proba- 

 bly approaches 90 percent of the total coastwide 

 sportfishing effort. It is directed mainly at coho and Chi- 

 nook .salmon, and accounts for a significant catch of 

 these species, as shown in Table 15-2. 



The Creel Survey indicated a total sport catch of just 

 under 900 thousand salmon. Since the catch outside the 

 Strait of Georgia is believed to account for something 

 more than 10 percent of the total, the coastwide sport 

 catch was probably about 1 million fish, of which two- 

 thirds were coho, most of the rest chinook, with pinks 

 accounting for a little more than two percent. This is 

 significantly less than the Department's earlier estimates 

 but may be roughly consistent with the estimates from 



Table 15-2 Recent estimates of tidal water salmon sportfish catches and angler effort 



' Statistical areas 13 to 20, 28, 29, A. B and C. 



" Includes only Bntish Columbia residents over 18 years of age. 



' Includes Johnstone Strait (statistical area 12) as well as the areas described in (a) above. 



'' Includes areas in (a) above, except area 20. 



' Based on Creel Survey estimates and average commercial landings in 1979 and 1980. 



' Includes catch of salmon other than chinook and coho. 



Sources: Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Exhibit #172. 



M. MacGregor, "The Tidal Sportfishing Diary Program Report on the Pilot Years 1979-80." Prepared for the Department of Fisheries and 

 Oceans. 1982. 



DPA Consulting Ltd., "1980-81 Georgia Strait Sportfishing Creel Survey Summary Report." Prepared for the Department of Fisheries and 

 Oceans, April 1982. 



The Creel Survey undoubtedly provides the most accu- 

 rate data. It is based on rigorous statistical sampling of 

 sport fishermen, coupled with overflight surveys and boat 

 counts, and includes all categories of fishermen. But the 

 findings should be interpreted cautiously. The survey 



the Tidal Diary Program, taking into account the 

 differences in coverage. 



Table 1 5-2 also indicates the fraction of the total catch 

 of these species in the Strait of Georgia that is taken by 



