Friday September 23, 2022
North Delta Reporter —
Rodney Hsu says he has found too many Fraser River sockeye in places they aren’t supposed to be this season — from residential areas to gravel roads, wrapped up in garbage bags and rotting in the open air.
Hsu, the man behind sport fishing website “Fishing with Rod,” is among those who say the dumped salmon carcasses are evidence of illegal sales.
“Usually when you come across a salmon dumping site it could be a dozen fish, a few dozen fish, or even up to 100 fish being dumped in one area,” said Hsu, who is also a member of the Sport Fishing Advisory Committee, a group that advises government on recreational angling issues.
“The conditions of the fish range from somewhat fresh to old and decaying even though they could be freshly dumped. It depends on when you find them.”
Hsu and others are calling for stronger enforcement by the federal Fisheries Department and trying to raise public awareness among consumers about the issue affecting a species already facing threats to survival. The department, meanwhile, says it already has a strong enforcement program in place and needs buyers to do their part to stop black-market sales.