with the fraser fishery about to get into full swing the usual concerns about garbage and personal hygiene on the river will no doubt be getting lots of attention again. as one who has seen various spots closed because of the filthy attitudes of some people(i refuse to call them sportsmen) i was pondering some solutions. i came up with one i think makes the most sense. with all the money the sportsfishery pumps into the economy up here why doesnt the chamber of commerce and the business community get together and at the more popular fishing spots and boat launches install garbage containers and especially outhouses? i think with all the money they claim sportsfishing brings into the community its the least they can do to help keep the river clean. any comments?
Great idea. Reading the following might give us cause to ask for such useful things that will help keep things clean.
To All:
Many of you who’ve attended meetings with DFO have heard the song and dance routine about NO money for anything.
With respect to the Cheam Indian Band on the Lower Fraser:
a. Cheam fishermen have fought Fishery Officers with fists, feet and clubs;
b. When Fishery Officers did enforce the law, senior DFO officials suspended them;
c. Cheam poachers operated year-round and sold most of the fish illegally;
d. One Cheam poacher admitted in court that he caught more than 10,000 sockeye and 1,000 chinooks with his setnet in 2000;
e. DFO claims that budget problems prevent the department from doing proper enforcement and stock assessment.
What does this have to do with a concrete washroom?
In September of last year, DFO gave the Cheam Indian Band $20,000 to install two concrete washrooms at Cheam fishing sites. I know this is hard to believe, so here is the excerpt from the DFO/Cheam agreement:
“Improvements to Cheam fishing and Catch Monitoring sites $20,000.00"
• Installation of two precast washroom facilities at Cheam salmon fishing sites. One facility will be erected at the CFN landing site located on the CFN reserve on the upstream side of the Aggasiz/Rosedale bridge on the southern shore of the Fraser River. The second facility will be erected on the downstream side of the of the Aggasiz/Rosedale Bridge on the southern shore of the Fraser River. Improvements to specific fishing sites including the Cheam catch monitoring station will increase the use of the sites for landing fish and improve the catch monitoring program.”
Not enough money to put gas in a patrol boat, but more than enough to build washrooms for violent poachers.
This was part of a $60,000 grant to the Cheam. In total, DFO gave the Cheam and the Sto:lo more than $800,000 for the 2004/2005 fiscal year. The lobby group, the BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission received more than $1 million.
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Topic: fraser fishery (Read 2512 times)