No Kokanee Fishery This Year

The government has decided to not re-open the Kokanee fishery on Okanagan Lake.

Fisheries Biologist Steve Mathews says the idea was contemplated but decided against it.

"We were considering having a small limited opening of the fishery, but upon further review of the information we decided that it's a little bit too soon," says Mathews.

Instead, Mathews says there will be a test fishery this year to collect samples.

Fishing for Kokanee in Okanagan Lake was banned in 1995.

The number of Kokanee hit an all time low in 2000 when there were only three million of the fish in the lake.

Mathews says the number has steadily climbed to 11 million.