SEHAB Roundtable Pacific Streamkeepers Federation

I Date June 2010 – October 2010

II Area Province wide

III Representative Zo Ann Morten

IV Challenges/Issues and Opportunities/Successes of the Volunteer Aquatic

Stewards

A. Management (Fisheries Management)

Need stronger wording from department as to how decisions are made during fishing opening / why they are closed when they are. Seen as if community could make better decisions (while community is taking) there are groups who determine how much and where / when.

Good article in paper this morning very clear, we are doing this, it isn’t going to interfere with fish (bridge work)  ( we are within rules and we’ll be done by… clear communications

B. Enforcement (Conservation and Protection)

Streamkeepers Federation and Habitat Compliance Monitoring Program fine tuned reporting protocol that will assist Department in knowing where works are underway in community that may be being done under the EPMP operating statements. This will assist in tracking accumulated impacts and opportunities for evaluating the operating statements. As well Streamkeeper groups can read the operating statements and then compare the works done to see how and when they are appropriate.

http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/operational_statements_e.htm

C. Habitat - Freshwater (Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement)

Water Act Modernization held three meetings Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George. ZoAnn attended Kelowna and Dianne attended Victoria. Will update when the meeting notes come out. Not sure they achieved their goals as laid out in the agenda.

Enbridge, forward invites to others who are from the area.

E. Salmon Enhancement (Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement)

Many Community Advisors calling as to Streamkeepers VIP to help groups get this in order to receive PIP grants. Groups are reporting now that although they at first were hesitant to become societies are finding they are understanding benefits from this new role.

G. Stewardship & Community Involvement (Stewardship & Community)

Have been working with the Stewardship Centre for BC on StewardshipWorks! To put on a workshop to bring funders and stewards together in order to entice new partnerships for core funding. Following on the success of Workshop 2009 Barry Peters and groups in Campbell River are busy planning of 2011.

Pat and I have been working with John Barker of the West Vancouver Streamkeepers to produce a new video on storm drain marking school program. Streamkeepers training of Modules 1,2,3,4,7,and 11 conducted in many areas of BC, and Module 12 as requested.

Many requests for PSkF to put in inkind support to a variety of groups who received funding with different windows then when PSkF set up their year work plan and we have our deliverables in place. This is extra work to fulfill “their” deliverables. With time committed at beginning of year it is hard to accommodate requests for involvement.

A question I ask myself. Does fisheries want community to do habitat works? Engineers needed, biologists needed, useful CA’s needed etc

Does dfo know what they want from stewardship community? once there is an understanding as to what fisheries mandates are fulfilled when groups do (……..)  then they can see, where dfo mandates align with community interest in data collection

Has DFO mandate broadened to have a diversity of goals different then the past? With diversity of goals comes the need for diversity of funding.

We don’t just need more tools, we need time, support workers (agency staff) and to know what will be done with this information / need to see change

Funding: due to cutbacks, government is now going to same funders as community, not just in fisheries

Sep review - need to be clear on what we do without limiting innovative thinking from info being gathered

Changes to CSP

H. Consultations: Acts, Regulations, Policy, Program Development and

Implementation, Capacity, and Partnerships (Consultations)

Where does community fit into policy – we need to understand policy processes

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/consultation/cal/2010/index-eng.htm

Noticing the consultation calendar I can’t find anywhere where DFO is meeting with public / stewardship as they have in the past. Roundtables but not open meetings. When does DFO consult with their stewardship community?

Sehab could be asked

Get explanation and consequence of sep review

I.Treaty & Aboriginal Programs (Treaty & Aboriginal Programs)

www.frafs.ca?q=node/32 The Visions Fisheries workshop, chance to share projects, discuss fisheries issues with other technical folks and get up to date information on programs, funding, and ongoing initiatives.  (Stock assessment)