Hyack Hyack:
Sorry andy, the fish spawning this year won't be coming back to spawn themselves for something like 4-7 years. Sockeye require a lake nearby to rear in. Once hatched, juvenile sockeye stay in their natal habitat for up to three years. They then journey out to sea, where they grow rapidly feeding mainly on zooplankton. They stay in the ocean for one to four years before returning to their native streams.
Yes, you're right, the spawning cycle of salmon is longer than one year. So redact my post to read - 4 - 7 years. The fishermen are still making the argument that DFO was way too conservative and allowed too many fish to escape, thus reducing future catches. I don't know the merit of that, since salmon did just fine before the white man came along. But then they would have had cyclical populations too, and maybe competition for spawning grounds is one reason. Certainly not the only one, since between last year's very poor run, and the bounty of this year, scientists have had to admit there is a lot they still don't know what happens with the salmon out in the ocean.
After last year, people were saying the salmon fishery was doomed. After this year, I'm sure they'll all be gung ho about it again. We have very short memories.