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[Tylsie]

I know Chris and I put threads under the Fishing Related Issues section but the general section gets a lot more views and I have a few questions. After spending the day reading more and hearing from a variety of people can anyone actually say definitively what has been cut?

I for sure that RRU (Resource Restoration Branch... the biologists who advise community groups, etc) is officially gone. Salmonids in the Classroom is basically dead as the staff was gutted and equipment will never be replaced. Sounds like almost every office in the except 5 will be shut down and more. But I am also hearing that all community advisors will be gone and that they will be shutting down all Federal Steelhead Programs. They have tried to do all of these things before so I would not be surprised if they were trying again but would like some clarification. Does anyone have any ideas where I can see the official budget?

And for those who will say ask the DFO,  I have tried. I know quite a few people there and none will talk as they have very strict (Legal) orders not to and it appears any official mention of it has been removed. Meet the new boss, much worse than the old boss (but about on par with the one before that)

[skaha]

--I would say ask Todd Doherty if he is still official opposition critic... I'm sure Conservatives are now outraged if DFO is being cut..

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose rearranged the shadow cabinet today, giving six MP’s new positions.

Among them is Cariboo — Prince George MP Todd Doherty, who is now the Opposition Critic for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

In a statement on the Conservative Party’s website, Ambrose says “Todd Doherty has been an effective MP from British Columbia and will hold the Liberals to account on the Fisheries and Coast Guard files, including the appearance of conflict of interest by the Minister.”

[Tylsie]

Thanks Skaha! I already have several emails and letters out to everyone involved. After reading the several articles saying the same thing it has become more clear. One of the articles...
http://www.squamishchief.com/news/local-news/fish-programs-cut-1.20241215

I will save you the trouble of reading the whole thing as this is the highlight...

"It was revealed Friday that the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Resource Restoration Unit is being eliminated, along with two other salmon enhancement programs, including the Education and Technical Support contracts and the production of Steelhead and Cutthroat Trout at salmon enhancement program hatcheries."

Even if you are not actively involved in any projects or enhancement groups those highlighted words should concern you! Every Federal (and most non-profit) Hatcheries are part of SEP! Make of that what you will but I can tell you for certainty that when Steelhead became a Provincial matter there was a huge fight to keep the Federal Hatcheries to continue raising them and they have been trying to get out of it since then. This comes on the heels of last years "Provincial Framework for Steelhead Management in British Columbia" that basically states that the province will focus only on wild stocks and will never allow another hatchery to open.

If salmon in the classroom, or habitat restoration do not concern you the end of steelhead fishing should!

[chris gadsden]

http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/fisheries-axe-to-salmon-programs-in-freshwater-alarms-stream-enhancement-groups

[RalphH]

Steelhead have always been a Provincial responsibility.

For better or worse most fisheries biologists have become convinced that steelhead hatchery enhancement produces negative results in the long term. We'll have to wait and see how this work out.

People might be interested in checking out the on going recovery of Steelhead and Chinook populations in California's Eel River that followed the hatchery on the river's destruction by a massive flood.

Since then funds from taxation of medical marijuana were used to improve habitat. Funding will continue to grow as the state is required to direct revenue from the full legalized sale of recreation marijuana to such programs.

See the article in the June July issue of  Fly Fisherman.

[Dave]

Hey mods, time to weld these two posts into one?

[Damien]

Let them hear you!

Fisheries & Oceans Canada
Communications Branch
200 Kent Street, 13th Floor, Station 13E228
Ottawa Ontario K1A 0E6 Canada
Telephone: 613-993-0999

[Dave]

Thanks Damien, as I said earlier, this is going to be huge.  Mods, I again ask this topic be placed into one post where readers can respond appropriately.

[Dave]

I was just informed Community Advisors will not be let go ... very, very, good news.

[Jk47]

So would it be safe to assume that accompanying all of this will be unprecedented sport closures in the wake of reduced resources? Man, I feel like we're watching the complete collapse of Salmon/Steelhead fishing in B.C. as we know it before our very eyes

[wildmanyeah]

Federal government would like nothing more then to see salmon go extinct. The industry is small in terms over their overall GDP. Every special interest group complains like crazy (first nations,commercial,sporties..ect) Never enough fish!.  RCMP want nothing to do with it, DFO officers can bring in 5 guys in on numerous charges and there out the next day or the don't even bring the paddy wagons to pick em up. After fishery management was turned over to the biologist it just took a nosedive to cupcakes. We have a commercial chum fishery during steelhead migration. None of the commy boats have revival boxes on them like they are suppose to. No money to manage the fisheries. Sporties think there some kind of god's gift to the fish and the economy but there rape the resource too.

I have ranted about this on other threads before, Won't be long till the Feds find a way to hand over this to the industry and watch it then turd dive into obless.

God bless the people that volunteer, most of them work their asses of and don't even fish, just like to talk a walk in the fall and see the chum in the river.

[Steelhawk]

Does this mean hatchery enhanced steelhead and/or salmon will be either cut or reduced further? If so, DFO better reduce the license fee and the cost of those so called conservation stamps. LOL. The trouble of elimination hatchery stocks is that poachers will have no hesitation to take the wild stocks, an undesirable consequence to the endangered wild stocks.

Way back when Mike Harcourt & Moe Sihota tried to cut the hatchery steelhead funding, thousands (including myself) sent letters and petitions to them and I specifically pointed out the hidden danger to the wild stocks. They changed course and restored the funding quickly. I even got a reply letter from Sihota that the NDP government was so overwhelmed with petitions that they realize that it is prudent to keep the funding. Now if there is an organized protest about this new curve ball from the DFO, we should all join in and show the politicians our displeasure.

[chris gadsden]

Does this mean hatchery enhanced steelhead and/or salmon will be either cut or reduced further? If so, DFO better reduce the license fee and the cost of those so called conservation stamps. LOL. The trouble of elimination hatchery stocks is that poachers will have no hesitation to take the wild stocks, an undesirable consequence to the endangered wild stocks.

Way back when Mike Harcourt & Moe Sihota tried to cut the hatchery steelhead funding, thousands (including myself) sent letters and petitions to them and I specifically pointed out the hidden danger to the wild stocks. They changed course and restored the funding quickly. I even got a reply letter from Sihota that the NDP government was so overwhelmed with petitions that they realize that it is prudent to keep the funding. Now if there is an organized protest about this new curve ball from the DFO, we should all join in and show the politicians our displeasure.

The Fraser Valley Salmon Society sent in a lot of letters in when the previous cuts were being planned to the hatchery steelhead program. Letters were  gathered from concerned anglers and each was sent in to Victoria, in an individual envelope.

I was talking to a good source today and I was told the steelhead fry from this years run is the last year it will be done at the Chilliwack River Hatchery, maybe someone else can confirm this.

Maybe the Freshwater Fisheries Society should consider taking this over?

These cuts donot make much sense to me and I am sure many others when the government spends millions of dollars on other program not to mention all the dollars spend in foreign aid each year. They never seem to understand the millions and millions of dollars sports fishing puts back in the economy.

I imagine there will be quite a 

[Tylsie]

The Fraser Valley Salmon Society sent in a lot of letters in when the previous cuts were being planned to the hatchery steelhead program. Letters were  gathered from concerned anglers and each was sent in to Victoria, in an individual envelope.

I was talking to a good source today and I was told the steelhead fry from this years run is the last year it will be done at the Chilliwack River Hatchery, maybe someone else can confirm this.

Maybe the Freshwater Fisheries Society should consider taking this over?

These cuts donot make much sense to me and I am sure many others when the government spends millions of dollars on other program not to mention all the dollars spend in foreign aid each year. They never seem to understand the millions and millions of dollars sports fishing puts back in the economy.

I imagine there will be quite a

Yes, unless things change no Federal Hatchery will no longer be rearing steelhead or cutthroat. I have not been able to determine if community hatcheries will be allowed yet if they are able to provide independent funding but as they are all licensed through SEP I have my doubts. They are allowing any fish/eggs currently being held at these facilities to be raised until targeted release dates (which is much nicer than last time when all the eggs were destroyed), but that is all. Unfortunatley, there is no way for the FFSBC to take it on. Most of their facilities are at max capacity as it is and it is highly unlikely that the Federal Government is going to allow them to use there facilities. If anyone wants to fish for steelhead than they should be writing a letter to anyone and everyone.

I know that once the reality of the situation sinks in people will be most outraged by this, but to me the termination of the Salmon in the Classroom program is much worse. I firmly believe that if enough resources are put back into habitat restoration steelhead can be brought back. Will we ever be able to take one home again... no, but with enough work we will be able to fish for them. Other jurisdictions have proven that populations are able to recover if given the choice. However, nothing will ever be able to make the kids appreciate salmon, want to get involved, engage their parents, and grow up to be fishermen and women as seeing those fish in there classroom. When everyone is upset and writing letters to bring back the steelhead also ask to bring back salmon in the classroom!

[RalphH]

Does this mean hatchery enhanced steelhead and/or salmon will be either cut or reduced further? If so, DFO better reduce the license fee and the cost of those so called conservation stamps. LOL. The trouble of elimination hatchery stocks is that poachers will have no hesitation to take the wild stocks, an undesirable consequence to the endangered wild stocks.

Way back when Mike Harcourt & Moe Sihota tried to cut the hatchery steelhead funding, thousands (including myself) sent letters and petitions to them and I specifically pointed out the hidden danger to the wild stocks. They changed course and restored the funding quickly. I even got a reply letter from Sihota that the NDP government was so overwhelmed with petitions that they realize that it is prudent to keep the funding. Now if there is an organized protest about this new curve ball from the DFO, we should all join in and show the politicians our displeasure.

DFO does not determine the cost of freshwater angling licenses or the supplementary stamps - that is Provincial.

The Mike and Moe show was cancelled 20 years ago and since then there has been a lot of research that contrary to your statement hatchery programs are actually a danger to wild steelhead . That's been widely accepted among fisheries biologists. Some could argue that hatchery enhancements actually offers a massive subsidy to the Sport Fishing business sector. It could be tough for many to cope with the tackle, access cost and harvest limitations a wild fish only strategy may impose but there's no evidence that in it itself poses any danger to wild stocks. Quite the opposite.

There are community hatcheries that raise both steelhead and cutthroat; locally the ARMS/BC Corrections hatchery does or certainly has in the past; The Semiahmoo hatchery does as did the hatchery on the Coquitlam. There may be others.

 The Province provides the supervision & paid staffing for the ARMs hatchery. Steelhead and trout have been a Provincial responsibility since 1918 when the Federal government divested itself of responsibility for Inland Fisheries. The Province should be paying for their enhancement.
If it has it's been getting a free ride for 40 years. That's pretty typical though - the Province goes out of it's way to claim credit for the expenditure of Federal money in BC for a long time & then whine it's doesn't get enough from Federal handouts.

It wouldn't surprise me if this announcement was timed to coincide with the current confusion following the Provincial election.