SEHAB Member: Janet Lemon

Area: North Coast

Community Advisor:  Rob Dams

Meeting Date: Feb. 24-26

 

 

Possible change to SEHAB contract/role as described by Adam and Tina at last meeting.  Please describe how you see SEHAB now and where would you like to it go in the future.

See SEHAB, as the voice of the volunteer, s as a board that is able to bring the big picture province wide into focus and flesh out the issues that are key in most areas.  The board needs to continue to follow our vision statement and mandate, it needs more funding to be able to ensure all the areas are fully represented. and it needs to continue to work unfettered by political or bureaucratic agendas a shared commitment of ensuring functioning ecosystems supporting viable,

Letter to Minister LeBlanc re: Fisheries Act Review.  Please provide specific examples of failure of the new Act or things you would like to see changed. 

The Fisheries Act is a complex document and one that I need to study in depth to be able to comment.

CA Staffing. Please provide input as to relative importance of CAs to community groups in your area, their priority in terms of SEP funding constraints, and whether your area h ensuring functioning ecosystems supporting viable, genetically diverse and abundant indigenous fish

Our CA plays a huge role on the North Coast area  He  keeps  us informed, supplied with expertise and help if we require it.  He has been able to keep us abreast of changes in the funding and its constraints.  Our CA is familiar with all the areas and constantly advocates genetically diverse and abundant indigenous fish populations while helping to do long term planning.  The Skeena River Watershed is one of the things our CA spends a great deal of time ensuring that groups understand the complexities and solutions to  ensure that it remains a functioning ecosystem

 

 

 

 

 

Issues that  you or your community would like SEHAB to take to DFO?

Issue

Where should SEHAB direct this concern?

Actions already taken by Community or DFO?

Possible solutions?

SEHAB opportunity and Work Plan fit?

Issue 1:

Funding for SEP and habitat  groups are shrinking and requirements are more stringent

 

 

To the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans

 

Government either needs to pick up the pieces and do the work at the watershed level or else ensure that groups have the necessary core funding to do the work

Continue to push for better communication between community and the Government

Advocate for more resources for the groups that are now doing the work

Issue 2:

Wid Salmon Policy and Cohen Commission recommendations do not seem to be happening

 

 

When and how will this happen and will it ever be implemented or is it just being swept away like so many other commission reports

 

Continue to communicate with personal in DFO who are dedicated to  WSP

Issue 3:

Development of big industrial projects can have serious impact on North Coast salmon runs and the entire environment

 

Conservation and environmental organizations are continuing the pressure to ensure the future of salmon and their ecosystems

 

Continue as a board to look at the big picture and use the collective wisdom to find some solutions to offer to provincial and federal ministrieswho are caretakers of the land,  resources, air, fish and oceans

Topic/Issue:

Ongoing controversy regarding energy development footprints in the North (Kitimat and Rupert LNG, Port Expansion, increased train and highway traffic along the Skeena)

Successes:

Groups involved in negotiations and planning are fully aware of the environmental issues and want a win win situation

Challenges:

Talk is easy but will the large companies doing the development actually do what they say they will   .  Al governmental bodies need to hold industries  feet to the fire with contracts that ensure development while maintaining environmental integrity

Topic/Issue: Terrace Rod and Gun and other groups  continue to manage fish passage problems due to active beaver dams on local streams

 Challenges:

Can groups continue to get enough volunteers to do this type of work.  DFO has fallen short of its obligations to beaver control

Feb. 2017 Updates from North Coast Groups :

Oldfield:  New Coanda intake now finished.  To be installed by a fabricator in March 2017.Cold weather has given volunteers a huge job to keep everything going.

A  fish health course-  (with Paige from PBS)  for North Coast  Volunteers is in the planning stage and will be held  at Deep Creek Hatchery in Jan 2018.

Our Community Advisor, Rob Dams, is organizing a  Volunteer Appreciation award dinner in Aug 2017 at Lakelse Lake.  Hope to have PSF reps present.

Lakelse Watershed Society are continuing with baseline water quality and sockeye monitoring around the Lakelse watershed (includes live stream underwater camera on Scully Creek)

Eby St Hatchery: 

 First Zymchord Coded Wire Tags coho returns in the fall of 2016.  Adult sampling indicated a 22% mark rate in 100 fish sampled.  Prelim tag returns showing more than 150 fish harvested in SE Alaska in 2016.  Canadian catch not yet available.

Although 2016 coastal coho returns were much better than 2015, they were still poor overall.  2016 Skeena test fishery indicated chinook returns were the second worse in ~60 years

Smithers CA – Natalie Newman was recently hired to replace Brenda which is great news for our area as we were worried Rob would have to fill in part time.

Kitimat Rod and Gun working on Duck Creek and plan on  more riparian planting for  spring 2017

Kitimat Naturalists plan to complete habitat signage for local stream crossings

Terrace Rotary Club completed the Skeena River Clean-up on Rivers Day 2016 and again were amazed at the amount of garbage left after the sport fishing season was over.

BC Steelhead Society plans to reconstruct Simpson Creek chinook spawning platforms