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Roundtables-Region 08-Southern Vancouver Island

Roundtable-Southern Vancouver Island - Nov. 2012

SEHAB Member: Don Lowen

Area: South Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands

Community Advisor: Erica Blake

Date: November 3/12

SEHAB Work Plan 2011-2012	Local Issue, Specific Examples	Actions by Community or DFO	SEHAB Opportunity
Wild Salmon Policy:
Pacific Aquaculture Policy and SEP: Annual License/ Permit Review Survey Resourcing
Capacity	As of May 24^th, SCA has not received permission from Regional Staffing Committee to fill vacant Campbell River CA position. Tom Rutherford and Erica Blake continue in acting positions. Adam Silverstein’s position has been terminated. October 23/12 - 50 people turn out for organizational meeting to create new stewardship group for Swan Creek (Drains Swan Lake into Colquitz River). District of Saanich, Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and Peninsula Streams partners in this initiative. Ian Bruce moderator. Above average coho returns to several small south island streams provides incentive and focus for stewardship groups.	SCA is receiving 10 to 12 calls per day from Campbell River stewards.

SEHAB Submissions, Comments from Groups:

Report – Howard English Hatchery (Goldstream River

The Goldstream Volunteer Association has been operating the counting fence on the Goldstream since the last week in September with the first fish encounters (CN) 6 October ’12. As has been the practice in the past, the weekly counts will reflect fence counts for chinook and coho and full river counts for chum.

The activity was quite slow at the fence until the 15th October when a low pressure system brought in a large number of coho. Following are the weekly figures:

17th October:    Chinook – 34 (5 jacks)
                        Coho – 623 (5 jacks)
                        Chum – 1,503 (7 morts)

24th October:    Chinook – 43 (6 jacks)
                          Coho – 823 (5 jacks)
                        Chum – 1911 (76 morts)

The number of coho that have been counted is unusually high for this time of year and the majority are coloured to some degree, which is also noteworthy since the early bump is usually made up of very green hatchery fish.

Another point is the very few Ad/Cwt coho observed (2.48%) so far. This lends credence to our supposition that the majority of the hatchery releases prior to the fuel spill in 2011 were compromised. Not all coho encountered at the fence have been floy tagged due to malfunctioning guns but every fish has been operculum-punched. Our intention is to conduct a comprehensive dead pitch…weather permitting.

Peter McCully
Biotech

October 29/12

Report – JACK BROOKS Hatchery (SOOKE River/DEMAMIEL CREEK)

“We're looking at good returns for chum and coho to the Sooke and Demamiel systems, so far. Estimates are for 20,000 chum, well up compared to the last few years, and around 3,000 coho.

We missed our numbers for chinook, due to a freshet that buried the fence and allowed the fish to zip by and go upriver. We have 54,000 eggs on hand, well below our hoped-for numbers and we didn't get much of a chance to estimate numbers very well.

It appears that there are at least 100 adults in the mid-river zone, but that's our best guess.
Big numbers of cuthtroat at the Young Lake weir, more than we've seen for several years.”

Mel Hull

October 30/12

SIDNEY ANGLERS

“… the spring and summer run Fraser River chinook issues are having a profound effect on the March to mid-July fishery in areas 18, 19 and portions of 20. I don't want to get into the politics of this but the economic impacts on charter skippers, marinas, tackle shops and related business from Victoria to Sooke has been severe.

Nor do I want to get into the pros and cons of the conservation issue or who should be taking the brunt of the regulatory measures. However, this is the important thing. At meetings in Victoria last year DFO staff and biologists for the area were asked what plans they had in place to deal with water extraction issues, water temperature issues and other environmental impacts affecting these stream type stocks and what enhancement activities they had in the works to provide a boost to production.

The answer was basically "blank faces" with a promise to put a plan in place for 2013. This is not acceptable and if allowed to continue will bear a striking resemblance to the Interior Fraser coho problems which started in the mid 90's and have not been resolved to this date.

Both species depend on adequate stream conditions for their period of time in freshwater and both reacting the same way. DFO appears to have walked away from the coho situation and are content to let the long-standing non-retention restrictions serve as their only remedial tool. I fear they will treat the chinook issue the same way.”

Tom Davis

October 25/12

Fresh start for airport creek

Contaminants cleaned up, new path for stream

(Times Colonist October 23/12)

Reay Creek is taking a new and cleaner path through Victoria Airport Authority lands after a portion has been diverted into a manmade channel.

The purpose of the $220,000 project is to reduce heavy metals and other pollutants flowing from the airport's old industrial lands on its east side into the fish-bearing creek, which runs into Bazan Bay. It crosses both North Saanich and Sidney, home of Reay Creek Park.

"The storm water quality will be greatly improved to the rest of Reay Creek and into Bazan Bay," James Bogusz, airport authority director of airside operations, technology and environment, said Monday.

A new, 210-metre-long winding diversion channel mimicking a natural stream was built this year next to the original creek, now a wetland between the industrial area and the channel. 80 tons of contaminated creekside material removed and replaced…..

Roundtable-South VI-Nov 2011

SEHAB Member: Don Lowen

Area: South Vancouver Island, Southern Gulf Islands

Community Advisor: Erica Blake

Date: November 3, 2011

SEHAB Work Plan 2010-2011	Local Issue, Specific Examples	Actions by Community or DFO	SEHAB Opportunity
Wild Salmon Policy
Stock Assessment	Goldstream River Fuel Spill – Coho and chum are staging in Finlayson Arm. Volunteers concerned that there are few fish in river because of lingering pockets of fuel.	Department participating as a member of a Technical Working Group, including industry, MOE and FN’s. Comprehensive monitoring and remediation strategy. Next TWG meeting November 30^th.	Continue to report updates.
Habitat	Dam Decommission: Demamiel Creek – Bill James Dam valve removed late October. Volunteers (SSES) remain concerned about impact on water levels next summer for 2.5K 2011 coho.*	Sooke Salmon Enhancement volunteers will meet with Erica Blake and Tom Rutherford November 9^th to determine a monitoriing strategy for 2011 brood in Dumamiel Creek, following decommisioning of Bill James Dam. Deparrtment could not afford combined cost of upgrading dam and access road, plus cost of dam safety review. (See July/11 roundtable report)	Continue to report updates.
Enforcement

Roundtable-South VI-July 2011

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Roundtable-South VI-Jan 2011

Salmon Enhancementand Habitat Advisory Board
Roundtable Report Template


SEHAB Member – Don Lowen Area – South Vancouver Island/Southern Gulf Islands Community Advisor – Erica Blake (Acting) Date – January 29, 2011
SEP Program Activity Areas	Community Activity Areas	Issues or Successes	Actions Taken	Next Steps
Fish Hatcheries	Salmon Enhancement or Stock Assessment	2010/11 Escapements San Juan River: Chinook <3K, Coho 4-5K Sooke River: Chinook 200-250, Coho 100, Chum 2K Demamiel Creek: Coho 4-4.5K Goldstream River: Chinook 30, Coho 1K, Chum 3.7K* Shawnigan Creek: Coho 1K Millstream River: Coho 400 Cowichan River: Chinook - Natural Spawners was 2,531 adults and 1,674 jacks. Broodstock capture was 348 adults and 28 jacks (not finalized for ages) Chum - Didson Counts - over 119K, last I heard, probably reached 150K	Cowichan Coho are not assessed. This is a concern - and there has been some dialogue about addressing this. It was thought to be a good year for coho this year.
SEP Program Activity Areas	Community Activity Areas	Issues or Successes	Actions Taken	Next Steps
	Fisheries Management
Resource Restoration	Habitat Projects, Planned, In Progress, Completed, Needed	DFO support of shorekeeper program remains in doubt.	Saanich Inlet Protection Society has requested confirmation from Minister Shea. (Letters attached.)
	Habitat Conservation and Protection
Stewardship and Education	Government Activity Areas
	Your Group Activity	2010 purchase plan – distributed 9 chillers, 12 cabinets to schools in Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Whistler, Nanaimo, Okanagan, Kuper Island, Ahousat, Alberni. Total project value $18.5K.
		General Concerns ·BC Society Require-ment for PIP and PSF grant applications; ·status of Community Advisor position after March 31^st; ·Aquaculture licensing requirements.	Member has discussed with CA a proposed workshop for SVI PIP enhancement groups on licensing requirements and ?

Please provide details:

*Goldstream Coho – 1,000 escapement highest in 8 years, below historical levels of 2,000

**Goldstream Chum – 3,700 lowest return since 1975

January 26, 2011

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister,
Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Dear Ms. Minister:

In reply to the concerns which we raised with you last spring that your Department might be considering eliminating the long-running and successful Saanich Inlet Shorekeeping Program, we received the attached response signed on your behalf by the Regional Director, Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement Branch, Pacific Region. In it, your Department committed to providing short-term funding in 2010 for equipment repair and field supplies as well as conducting our annual training program. Based on this commitment, Tseycum First Nation and Saanich Inlet Protection Society volunteer Certified Shorekeepers spent over 1200 hours conducting our 12th Annual Shorekeeping Survey during the late spring and early summer. That data is now available for input into the DFO scientific data bank which contains not only our findings over the years but also those of other active Shorekeeping groups such as the Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society in Boundary Bay on the mainland.

Of even greater importance, the reply on your behalf stated that "In addition, a DFO scientist is reviewing the 10-year time series observations of Shorekeepers' observation compiled by the Saanich Inlet group, which will inform a strategic review of the initiative". We have learned from sources inside the Department that that review has now been completed and that recommendations concerning the future of the Program have been drafted. It is critical that we be informed immediately what form those recommendations may take. If we are to continue the Saanich Inlet Shorekeeping Program, an application should be made within the month by the Tseycum First Nation for the Native Fisheries funding which has been a mainstay of the Program over the years and we need to begin the logistical planning to launch our surveys in the spring.

We trust you will understand the urgency of this request for confirmation that this Program, which is of such importance to the Saanich Peninsula First Nations and the environmental community, will receive continuing funding and departmental staffing support both for this year and for the foreseeable future. We look forward to your prompt reply.

Respectfully yours,

Denis Coupland, Chair                                      Chief Vern Jacks
Saanich Inlet Shorekeeping Program       Tseycum First Nation

cc: Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Hon. Gary Lunn.
Prime Minister of Canada Member of Parliament
Saanich-Gulf Islands

I hope Fisheries upper management and bean counters get time to read this article between meeting about metings or planning good will visits to other troubled fisheries in warmer parts of the world.
I think somebody in the federal government should develop this idea. Perhaps meet with the public or something.

Trevor. (Trevor Morris, CA Retired)

Roundtable-South VI-Feb 2008

SEHAB ROUNDTABLE CONTRIBUTION - SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND 1
Representative – Don Lowen
Community Advisor – Tom Rutherford
Community – South Vancouver Island from Cowichan to San Juan River, and Southern
Gulf Islands
February 3, 2008
Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society Cancels 2008 Fundraising Derby
As you know, SSES has cancelled its August salmon fishing derby, thus forfeiting the opportunity to
raise $20K in funds for core expenses. The media release issued in early January bases this decision on poor chinook returns to the Cowichan
River, and calls on other organizations to reconsider their 2008 derby plans. The media release and SEHAB’s written response are posted at www.sehab.org
The community response to date has been mostly positive. In fact, the response has become a
potential impromptu fundraising strategy. Unconfirmed total donations to date is about $5,725.
Report on SFAB Cowichan chinook meeting – 28 November 2007
About 120 people attended an evening meeting in Cowichan Bay to discuss poor returns of Cowichan
chinook. The Sport Fishing Advisory Board organized the event.
Moderated by South Coast Area Director Wilf Luedke and SFAB member Paul Ricard, the agenda
inlcuded:
1. Opening statements by Larry George, Cowichan FN and Wilf Luedke, South Coast Area
Director, DFO.
2. About 75 minutes of presentations by Wilf Luedke, Arlene Tompkins, Dick Beamish, Tom
Rutherford and Brian Tutty – all DFO staff. Here are some of the points made:
 Luedke – interpreted large turnout as an indication of support to put “more resources” into
Cowichan River.
 Beamish – Climate Change has huge effect on salmonid marine survival in Georgia Strait.
Historical survival rates at sea of 10-15% are now 1% or less.
 Tompkins – Using CWT assessment strategy, Department has found that Georgia Strait
chinook survival to age 2 in late 1980’s was 6%, now is 1%.
 Rutherford – Cowichan Band Hatchery has been strategic enhancement facility for chinook
and coho for 30 years. Goal is increase in returns of wild stock. In spite of existing strategies, including intense assessment, there is a decrease in survival, especially of early releases. Net pen releases showing some survival rate increase. Recent $150K funding increase after budget frozen for 10 years.
 Tutty – Reviewed Tom Rutherford’s successful project to shore up Stoltz bluffs and reduce sedimentation.
3. Table discussions – Groups asked to formulate questions for the panel – ones that were not answered during the presentations.
Participants expressed a broad range of opinions. Another public meeting is planned.
SEHAB ROUNDTABLE CONTRIBUTION - SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND 2
Representative – Don Lowen
Community Advisor – Tom Rutherford
Community – South Vancouver Island from Cowichan to San Juan River, and Southern
Gulf Islands
February 3, 2008
Friends of Mt. Douglas Park Streamkeepers
“The burning issue for us is stormwater management. We can, year by year, tinker with the ecology of
Douglas Creek; what we can't do is to control the upstream processes that poison and tear apart Douglas Creek and other Creeks like it.
It may seem a long stretch from habitat units and fry output to PAH’s and PAB’s, but as you know stormwater lies at the heart of every urban stream restoration.
I don't think for a minute that this information is any revelation, but I do think that it is time we raised and re-raised the stormwater issue - it is global.
I won't bore you with what the Fisheries Act says about deleterious substances - you know all of this. Again I think that stormwater needs to be raised whenever and however. So ... our two cents and please raise the issue.”
- Bob Bridgeman, January 13/08
Education
Local Stream to Sea
Local coordinators have recently completed egg delivery to about 120 classroom incubation projects in
Tom Rutherford’s area, which includes 5 public school districts.
Regional Stream to Sea
I am currently working on two committees for the Regional education program.  The strategic planning committee meets monthly by phone as it moves toward the creation of a
strategic plan that will guide the program through to 2012. The group is considering changes to the structure of the Regional Education Steering Committee and of the Working Group model that was created to address action items between conferences. The strategy continues as a systems-based collection of human and curriculum resources that adapts to the needs of many Pacific Region communities.
 The training and support working group is organizing the August 2008 annual conference to be held in the Fraser Valley.

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