Gill Netting For Salmon

You must have some enormous runs to be able to maintain 100% spawning
escapement after using nets to capture fish! Where I live the commercial
fishery was eliminated in 1990 because gill nets practically destroyed our
Atlantic salmon. Fishermen were setting their nets near the mouth of the
rivers and intercepting too many fish. Returns became to low a moratorium
on netting was declared. I'd hate to think how bad it would be if they
netted IN the rivers.

16 years later our rivers are showing recovery. My point being that netting
is a very efficient way to take fish in a river and unless carefully
regulated will be the source of severe stock decline.

I do have a couple of questions...

1) Do you know the stock size entering your river.
2) Do you know the spawning capacity of the river.

Without knowing at least those two factors it doesn't make sense to net the
river. I maintain that a river can't be harvested unless it is known how
many fish are there to manage and maintain the species.

If you do know stock size and how much spawning escapement is needed to
maintain 100% levels, then I can see removal of some salmon as an option
because you aren't depleting the stock.

Will the fish you plan to harvest be used for personal consumption? If so,
how many do you need. Perhaps an in-river trap, where you could control the
removal is an option??

Keith Piercey
Newfoundland
Canada