SEHAB Roundtable February 2017

SEHAB Member:  Elizabeth Hardy

Area:  West Vancouver-Howe Sound- Sea to Sky

Community Advisor:  Rob Bell-Irving

Meeting Date:   February 25 & 26 2017

Specific topics from last meeting or between meetings requiring comment	Comments
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.
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.	urgency of adopting all appropriate recommendations of the Cohen Commission want to see habitat brought back into the Fisheries Act, not able to protect sensitive fish habitat.
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 has/is well served by your CA.	CAs very important, duties include:  hatchery activities (egg takes, BMP direction, fry releases), habitat rehabilitation, grant application support, connecting groups to DFO support, assists with interactions with local government, source of information organization & help, create & support partnerships.  CAs only contact volunteers have with DFO.  Without CAs would see significant decline in the volunteer community Would like to see more oversight of CA positions

Identify up to 5 succinct 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?
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Issue 2:
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Issue 5:

*SEHAB Work Plan/Sub Committees are: Wild Salmon Policy (Stock Assessment, Habitat), Aquaculture, and Capacity & Core Funding

Stories: Highlight important successes and challenges in your area that you would like to discuss this meeting. This can also be a place to provide background for the issues listed above.

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Submissions and Comments from Community Groups:

Stewardship Pemberton:

We have the same comments as before really. Our relationship with our CA allows us to dream big. To create, facilitate and grow partnerships and relationships that would take us years to establish without our CA. 

In our last financial analysis as well, we really determined that the PIP support from DFO puts us just past the tipping point of being financially self sustainable as an organization. Without that support, we woudl have to cut much of our free community outreach events....our professional development opportunities would diminish...etc 

Here is a copy of our 2016 Summary report. Without the support of our many partners, including DFO, we would not be able to achieve a fraction of our accomplishments.  (too long to attach here, please check out Stewardship Pemberton on-line to see what this energetic group has accomplished)

Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife:

Elizabeth you will remember this recent email below on the importance of SEP much of which is delivered by Rob our CA.

In addition Rob is our technical support on all activities involved with our hatchery from Egg takes, interpretation of BMP directions, and release of fry to Bowen streams. Rob helps with Habitat Rehabilitation, grant applications and orchestrates reqd DFO resources. He assists with representations to local govt, and for 6 mos of the year we are in contact virtually daily for advice and consultation. Our community volunteer group could not operate without Community Advisor assistance.

Squamish Streamkeepers:

In late January 2017 the Squamish Streamkeepers put out 90 herring spawning nets 3 feet wide and 10 feet deep at False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf A and B Floats which is double what was put out last year. Last year hatched out about 40 million eggs and hopefully this year will expand on that as being our fourth year there should be a big jump in returns. The nets are shaken up twice a week to remove algae and this will be continued until hatchout several weeks after the eggs are laid.

The attached picture shows Marine Biologist Douglas Swanston with a fiberglass tube provided by TELUS to see if herring eggs will spawn on and hatch out from it as they need to rebuild the foundation of Science World and want to do so in a fish friendly manner now that herring are beginning to return to False Creek. We cut it into a number of pieces and hung them at Fisherman’s Wharf where annual herring spawning is consistent in February.

As our CA is about the only local DFO person left he is vital.  Without him there would be a total lack of info, organization, and help.  Our issue is the lack of DFO habitat personal so I 'm shocked that our CA is considered expendable.

West Vancouver Streamkeepers:

I do not have a comment on the letter to the Fisheries Minister except the urgency of adopting all appropriate recommendations of the Cohen Commission.

On the value of CA’s, I continue to stress the importance of these individuals to stewardship groups.  Without CA’s I could see a significant decline in the volunteer community (estimated at 22,000 of us) who devote time to streams throughout the province.   On this point, I had a short chat with Rebecca Reid at the PSF Conservation Stamp unveiling reception on November 14, 2016 and my parting words were - “if you ever decide to reduce the number of CA’s, do the courtesy of giving me a phone call to discuss”.  Her response was - “it wouldn’t be me that initiates that” which I accepted that she supports the role of CA’s.

Attached is the last newsletter published at the end of December highlighting other activities (to be found at http://www.westvancouverstreamkeepers.ca/dox/newsletter31.pdf).

Update on activities since June 2016

In recent months West Vancouver Streamkeepers have met with other salmon stewardship groups (Stoney Creek Environmental Committee and several other Burnaby stewardship groups, Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife Club, North Shore Streamkeepers) - exchange of ideas, update on and visiting projects, creek tours, etc.  This is a new initiative and one that will be continued.

Projects Completed:  Rodgers Creek Estuary Enhancement – interpretive signage installed in July.

Projects in the Works

• Larson Creek – estuary and lower creek enhancement possibilities – test hole in place to monitor ground water for salinity, water table and flow. Report due shortly.
• Lawson Creek fish ladder replacement – completed in September 2016.
• Navvy Jack House to be converted to a Nature Centre – working with District staff to complete a sustainable business plan as required by District Council.
• Lawson Creek – restoration of the lower creek in the area of the proposed Nature Centre – design completed. Funding should be in place soon.  Work to be completed along the shoreline in concert with a BC Hydro power line for Bowen Island.

New Projects:  Hadden Creek at Capilano Golf and Country Club – improved fish passage through a culvert exiting the golf course, naturalizing the stream and planting native vegetation.  Completion in August 2017.  87% funded.  Three more grant applications to complete the funding.

Citizen Science

• Water quality testing and aquatic insect sampling.
• Herring Spawn Enhancement – also covered in the newsletter.
• Temperature logging now in its sixth year.

Membership:   Total members for 2016 was 240.  92 volunteers.

Squamish River Watershed Society:

We would REALLY like to see habitat brought back into the Fisheries Act. Our biggest concern at the moment is the gutting of the Fisheries Act in 2013 and the inability we have to protect sensitive fish habitat.

I would also like to see some oversight of the CA’s role and an increased presence in our community from our CA.

North Shore Wetland Partners:

Our group is winding down but we will still be volunteering for the salmon, frogs and conservation. We have been attending North Shore Streamkeepermeetings the past year or so.