I suspect Lee's statement may be related to the Province's recent decision to support the South Okanagan National Park proposal, which has considerable (but not majority) local opposition. Government's of both parties and in particular the Horgan government has spurned input from the BCWF and it's President Harvey Andrusak. I love the constant use of the phrase "science based approach" we see these days. In the case of the park opposition is more about access, particularly for hunters and opposition to preferential hunting by First Nations. Certainly important community issues but hardly science based.
Steelhawk, East Coast Vanilse steelhead stocks declined dramatically 20 or more years ago . There wasn't even a sufficient return to support an living gene bank program and hatchery enhancement has been pretty much given up. "The Blob" had nothing to do with it. Many anglers don't even bother anymore and returns in the Stamp have tanked in recent years as well.
Like other rivers that run directly into the Pacific, many Olympic Peninsula rivers have fared better but overall Washington and Oregon has seen pretty dramatic declines, the same as in Southern BC
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Thanks JK47