Salmon Enhancement And Habitat Advisory Board (SEHAB) Roundtable
Date: February 2009
Area: Comments and Questions from Fraser River North Vancouver to Maple Ridge
Representative: Dianne Ramage
Challenges/Issues and Opportunities/Successes of the Volunteer Aquatic Stewards
In general, stewards are deeply concerned about the state of salmon stocks, not just the ones in decline but also the ones that today seem strong that tomorrow may not be, especially the stocks of the Fraser and south coast Vancouver Island.More than 12 volunteers from the Fraser River North Vancouver- Maple Ridge area attended the State of the Salmon Conference last week where many speakers presented their research and analysis of what it meant to salmon.
They were glad to go, to be exposed to the amazing information (especially the info from east Asia and Alaska) and to gain knowledge from it, and especially “to talk to others about what they heard.”They expressed renewed commitment to help DFO find the resources to help salmon in the wild.They expressed even more strongly their commitment to make a difference both in their own watersheds and “out there where it needs to change.”
Many of them asked:What do we do differently now we know this?
Management
Stock assessment was raised as an issue again, how can salmon be managed without accurate information, especially if Fraser stocks are managed as run time aggregates.What are the impacts of fisheries management decisions on the salmon we are working so hard to conserve.
Anticipated budget cuts for the 2009-2010 fiscal, how will this effect Fish management.
Aquaculture
Can SEHAB host a public meeting and invite DFO speakers that can explain to the public what is the department’s response to the Pacific Salmon Forum’s Final Report and Recommendations.
Can they also discuss the implications of the BC Supreme Court ruling in the case: Alexandra Morton et al vs the A.G. of British Columbia and Marine Harvest Canada, Vancouver Registry, No. S083198 argued in BC Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Hinkson: decision that theBC government does not have the right to regulate salmon farms - the BC regulation of fish farms has become unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. The fish inside the farm are now considered a fishery, not agriculture and thus the federal government has exclusive right to regulation. The court suspended the ruling for a period of 12 months to allow the federal government to bring in proper legislation.
Transfer of disease: “the efforts that need to be done to keep out emerging diseases like ISA are already underway in BC.”See email chain attached
Fisheries
Habitat
Mossom Creek Hatchery has been a volunteer public involvement conservation hatchery and stewardship group in Port Moody since 1976 working to restore and maintain the native chum and coho runs in Mossom Creek.Their problem is severe siltation from upstream Pinnacle Ridge Development in the Village of Anmore. It is also the lack of enforcement of DFO regulations.
They have contact the municipality (Village of Anmore and City of Port Moody) and federal (DFO - community advisor, habitat biologist, enforcement officer, Minister Loyola Hearn via MP James Moore) and the local newspapers since October of 2007. They have sent several photo files as well as many, many e-mail letters and phone calls, and three delegations to council. A January 7th, 2009 landslide from this huge hillside clear-cut development not only silted the creek and hatchery but deposited the mass wasting materials into roadside ditches and the streambank.
At this time we are preparing for the inevitable debris torrents that will again deposit massive amounts of materials and will pollute our conservation hatchery water supply with sediment which will impact the fish health in our facility and reduce the egg to fry survival rates.
DFO is aware of the ongoing potential violation and by their lack of action are complicit in the destruction of habitat.Partners with perpetrators: what should be done?
DFO should be on site during a rain event and collect the evidence it will take to make a strong case so that charges can be laid against the responsible parties.They have over a year of weekly turbidity reports taken for the developer by a reputable environmental consulting firm. Turbidity has been as high as 1979 NTU's on a random data capture. DFO's Inspector's Directive for this site allows for only 20 NTU's. We are told that these turbidity readings will not stand up in court because of chain of custody issues. A DFO habitat biologist must apparently collect the evidence.Why are they Not!
Stoney Creek Environment Committee has brought to the attention of Environment Canada extremely high levels of leached contaminants in the creek that appears to exceed legal thresholds.En Ca has not responded with an investigation.SCEC is undertaking broader research to help inform both government and the public on the impacts of de-icers and their by-products as a result, see below.
Province of Ontario has new legislation allowing them to write tickets and fine for fish habitat violations: and they are using it!When contacted the province of BC said “unfortunately we don't have anything comparable at the moment.” They are interested though and will be looking into it further to see if it’s the kind of direction they may want to go here.
Habitat, Freshwater
Protection
Impact of de-icers on salmonids is being researched by Storey Creek Environment Committee as they embark on a project to support research on the impact of de-icers on salmonids, from egg to smolt.They are looking at chronic low levels and lethal/sub-lethal pulses.They have 1000s of hours monitoring their watershed at that drains Burnaby Mountain, a snow influenced watershed.
Observations to date indicate tribs with very high conductivity appear to have difference emergent timing.This led to the development of a working group that is in discussion with UBC and SFU to do the intensive research understand what the impacts are and to develop a relationship/threshold so that stewards can take readings and understand what is happening to the salmonids at any given time in their stream.
They have also requested copies of random municipal salt management plans to review the storage guidelines and application rates to get an understanding of the variability that exists within BC.
They have also sent their data to Environment Canada as the levels of contaminants in the creek appears to exceed legal thresholds.En Ca has not responded with an investigation.
Rehabilitation
Enhancement
Habitat, Oceans, Estuaries and MarineProtection
Rehabilitation
Enhancement
Salmon Enhancement
Hatcheries
The infrastructure funds announced in the federal budget to go towards SEP, is this going to be directed toward major facilities or will it also be used to retrofit/refurbish CEDPs and PIP facilities too?
Steelhead enhancement at federal facilities continues to absorb much needed dollars for federally managed fish production.SEP funding is being eroded by inflation and/or budget cuts.More cuts to projects are expected next fiscal.Can SEHAB continue to bring up the lack of reimbursement for this service from the province, the funds are needed.
Production Planning
Long term, un-interrupted data sets from this service are vitally important to stewards as they work with others to identify, adapt toand mitigate impacts of climate change on their river’s/stream’shydrograph and salmon.
Consultations: Acts, Regulations, Policy
Strategic planning process. Can SEHAB please push for a strategic planning process in the Pacific region at the regional level to ensure community projects are aligned with DFO priorities.
Fisheries Act Will the new monitory government be bringing the renewed Fisheries Act back to
parliament?What stage is it at, will the bill need to be reworded a bit and renumbered
again.Will it go to public consultation?
HMP and EPMP Is there an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the Habitat modernization program and EPMP in its effectiveness in reaching the objectives and intent of the fisheries act
and the Habitat management policy.
Auditor General’s Audit of DFO Effectiveness How do the stewards get copies of the Auditor General’s Audit of DFO Effectiveness report when it is released
Program Development and Implementation
City of Coquitlam and Kwikwetlem FN have started Phase II of a Watershed Management
Planning Initiative.This phase will being the community together to develop a common vision
and to develop guiding principals for decision-making.
Capacity, and Partnerships
National Stewardship Conference, Calgary, July 2009: stewards are wondering if SEHAB
would be interested in chartering a bus from BC and getting folks to conference, in past years
very, very few volunteers were able to attend due to cost barriers
SEP Workshop Maple Ridge May 2009
Local stewards expressing interest in attending, lots asking for the registration packages
State of the Salmon Conference, 13 stewardship from this area attended. See above.
Puget Sound, Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference , look for actins in your watershed coming from this conference
Integration and Coordination
Stewardship and Community
Safe and Accessible Waters
Coast Guard budget, Why does this continue to come from DFO budget and not Transport CanadaCanadian Coast Guard, Navigable Waters, Small Craft Harbours
Environment Canada
Water Quality
En Ca had great presence at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference- A Call to
Action, many good presentations from both Canada and USA that identified actions being taken,
the monitoring of their effectiveness, potential opportunities (new resources, public values,
commitment, human ingenuity), challenges (lack of resources, public knowledge and attitudes)
and next steps, SEHAB will circulate the proceedings when they come out in the next few weeks.
Water quality and quantity, and their impacts on salmonids were discussed by presenters and
attendees- it is a big concern.
Province OF BC
Living waters smart, what are the opportunities to support this positive initiative
Invasive Species, declared the 2nd greatest threat to biodiversity behind habit destruction
Riparian Area Conservation and Protection
Water Licensing
Related Species
Shared Jurisdiction, DFO and MOE
From:Ryall, Paul [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent:October-30-08 1:48 PM
To:Trager, Diana, Area Director, Lower Fraser
Cc:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: FW: Request for rainfall to be included as new metric to determine timing of harvest openings
Importance:High
Diana
I spoke yesterday with Ms D. Ramage regarding the management of the lower Fraser River fishery. MS Ramage requested that I forward her thoughts and request for consideration in the planning of future chum fisheries in the lower Fraser River.
Thanks for looking at this request.
Paul Ryall
Fisheries and Aquaculture Management
Suite 200 - 401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, B.C.
V6C 3S4
604 666-0115
-----Original Message-----
From: Dianne Ramage [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 1:55 PM
To: Ryall, Paul
Cc: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: Request for rainfall to be included as new metric to determine timing of harvest openings
Importance: High
Paul, thank you for your time today to listen to my concerns about the potential impacts from today’s commercial chum opening to the chum and coho returns to my stream, Maple Creek, trib of the Coquitlam River.
I appreciate your position and understand how difficult it is to balance the variables to allow for sustainable harvest and yet meet conservation targets.
My concern today is based on the monitoring we do of our adult returns and the trends we have observed over the past 15 years.
In years when there is low rainfall during peak migration of chum we have observed great reductions in the numbers of both chum and early coho that escape to our watershed.
This is a concern, as we have been working as SEP partners for 30 years to conserve the oquitlam River gene pool of both of these species.
Although the WSP CU has identified this as being too fine a filter for fisheries management and has indicated that this is not a genetic depletion concern at this level, it is a huge concern for us, the stewards.
Today I am NOT asking for closures, NOR suggesting that the harvest numbers you have developed are inappropriate, what I am asking for is a new metric to be added to your decision matrix:Rainfall.
DFO has strong indications that there are about 2 million chum returning and that the peak was a week early, about October 16, 2008.
Today Oct 29 is the first in-river commercial chum opening, with the potential for 393 commercial license holders to fish in the Fraser, and though you are aiming for 15% harvest pressure, far more chum and early coho may be harvested because the fish are holding in the Fraser because it has not rained.
If you had waited to have this opening because rainfall was a consideration, the commercial harvesters and FN would still have their opening, but it would be quite possibly in 48 hours from today.
The rain event predicted for tonight would have allow fish to pass upstream of the dewatered confluences and though the estimated 1250 flood gates currently shutin the lower Fraser because the river is higher than the creeks.
We as stewards ask you to include rainfall in your decision-making as an increasing more important metric as our rainfall patterns continue to change in response to climate change and other global factors.
The decision to include this will not prevent harvesting, but may delay it some years or conversely allow for earlier openings based on natural regimes.
We ask you to include this factor as a Precautionary Principle to reach FOC Mission #2 and #3:
"It is our mission, as DFO employees, to deliver to Canadians the following outcomes:
#1Safe and Accessible Waterways;
#2Healthy and Productive Aquatic Ecosystems; and
#3Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture.
In working toward these outcomes, the Department will be guided by the principles of sound scientific knowledge and effective management."
Also I don’t think coho resuscitation boxes and no legal retention is going to help my coho either.
Thank you Paul.I look forward to your response.I will share both my letter and your reply with SEHAB as I am the volunteer representative for North Fraser to this Advisory Board and this concern has been raised several times in the past.
Dianne Ramage
Volunteer
Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers
Coquitlam River
604 317 2974
From: dramage [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: January-25-09 12:53 PM
To: 'MacWilliams, Christine'
Cc: 'Jones, Simon'; 'Riddell, Brian (Pacific)'; 'Folkes, Michael'; Maurice Coulter-Boisvert (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Subject: RE: Impacts of Aquaculture to Wild Fishes
Attachments: FW: viral hemorrhagic septicemia destroys tissue of vital organs causing lethal internal bleeding in millions of fish
Good Morning Christine,
Thank you for this very informative response. Over the years I have had questions about the transfer of disease from farmed to wild species, not just salmon but ungulates, bees, fowl and a few other species as well. A small volunteer hatchery on Vancouver Island has had to raise thousands of $ to build a new road the land owner is demanding to reduce potential risk of disease transfer as part of the biosecurity measures he is implementing.
I will take your answer to the the upcoming SEHAB meeting in February where questions on challenges to the long term success of salmon in the wild are brought for discussion and answers - if they exist. I had sent a question on the above to Jeff at VanAqua. If you want to elaborate on this answer please do.
I participated in your fish health workshop at the SEP workshop in Williams Lake and am looking forward to taking the 2009 version at the SEP workshop coming up in Maple Ridge in May.
Thanks again.
Dianne Ramage
Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers
From: MacWilliams, Christine [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: January-07-09 4:06 PM
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cc: Jones, Simon; Riddell, Brian (Pacific); Folkes, Michael
Subject: RE: Impacts of Aquaculture to Wild Fishes
Dianne,
I was forwarded your questions regarding ISA. I’m the fish health vet for DFO’s enhancement hatcheries in BC. I'm not sure if you've been answered already, but here's my kick at it. Sorry it took me so long to respond.
First some background on ISA:
Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is an economically important viral disease of marine farmed Atlantic salmon. ISA is characterized by severe anaemia (Hct <10) indicated by pale gills; other clinical signs of this disease include: darkened livers, fluid-filled abdominal cavities and enlarged; pinpoint haemorrhages in the abdominal fat and darkened foregut; and popeye and haemorrhages around the eyes. Cumulative mortalities during an ISA outbreak can be highly variable, ranging from none to more than half the population. It was first detected in Norway and Scotland in the mid 80’s; in New Brunswick in the mid 90’s; in Maine in 2000. Currently, Atlantic salmon are the only species of fish that have developed disease in a natural setting (i.e. outside a laboratory). The virus has been detected in other species during wild fish surveys (brown trout, sea trout, rainbow trout, herring, eels, etc), but never associated with signs of disease. The virus was isolated from Coho salmon in Chile in 1999, but the clinical signs were unlike the classic lesions seen in ISA outbreaks in Atlantic salmon and the role of the virus (causative agent or incidental finding) in the diagnosed condition Icterus Syndrome is unknown. However, this was the first detection of the virus in the Southern Hemisphere. The first outbreak of ISA happened in Atlantic Salmon in Chile in 2007 with high mortalities and classic clinical signs of disease. The virus isolated in this outbreak is closely related to the strains causing disease in Europe which is not unexpected as Chilean farms import high numbers of fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs every year from Norway and there is evidence that the virus may be vertically/transgenerationally transmitted.
Now to answer your questions – risks of spread to BC and how can we prevent it?
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is an intergovernmental organization which tracks and disseminates information on animal disease globally. Canada is a member country. ISA is an OIE listed disease, and its occurrence is tracked very closely. Its detection in a new area results in immediate notification to the OIE. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is developing a National Aquatic Animal Health Plan (NAAHP) following the international standards set by the OIE in preventing and controlling aquatic animal diseases. Part of this includes import/export regulations and health certification requirements prior to any fish transfer; disease surveillance of both wild and farmed stocks, local disease control, and risk analysis and mitigation efforts to prevent the spread of diseases to new areas. So the efforts that need to be done to keep out emerging diseases like ISA are already underway in BC.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/aqua/aquaproge.shtml
What can the Chileans do to address ISA?
There has been a lot of research done to identify the risk factors associated with this disease. Many procedures are routinely used in ISAV endemic areas to help prevent the disease from occurring or from spreading if it does occur. Mitigation strategies include: broodstock screening, egg disinfection, single year class sites, ensure distance between farms > 5km, ensure distance between farm and processing plants > 5 km, avoiding sharing equipment (divers, harvesting well boats, etc.) between farms unless there is adequate disinfection between uses; disinfection of wastewater from harvest and processing plants; manage boat traffic to and around farms (i.e. processing boats or feed delivery boats), provide good husbandry for the fish including vaccinations and routine health testing for early detection and treatment of any kind of infection, including sea lice, and allowing for the early detection and swift eradication or harvesting of ISAV infected fish, etc.
So the take home messages from all this would be:
§Since there are few diseases that don’t eventually become global, BC Atlantic salmon farms are at risk for ISA. However, mitigation efforts are in place in Canada following the international standards set by the OIE to prevent the introduction and spread of this virus to new areas.
§Risk to native BC stocks - Pacific salmon are considered to be relatively resistant to ISAV. Some species can carry the virus but there has not yet been an outbreak or illness attributed to it. This may not always be the case, as this virus is from the Orthomyxoviridae family (same family as Influenza viruses) which is known for frequent reassortment of gene segments resulting in emerging virulent strains (Avian Influenza for example). The literature already demonstrates a broad range of genetic changes among ISAV isolates, and variable pathogenicity among isolates (from nonvirulent to extremely virulent) as the virus continues to evolve. But so far, so good.
§Since the virus is now established in Chile, it is unlikely they will ever be able to eradicate it. However, adopting the best management practices used in Europe and Eastern North America will allow continued farming of Atlantic salmon and there is still no demonstrated risk to native Chilean finfish species.
Hope that helps answer your questions,
Christine MacWilliams, DVM
Habitat and Enhancement Branch/
Direction de l’habitat et de la mise en valeur
Fisheries and Oceans Canada/Pêches et Océans Canada
3190 Hammond Bay Road /3190 route Hammond Bay
Nanaimo, BC (C.B.), V9T 6N7
Tel/tél 1-250-729-8377
Fax/facs 1-250-756-7053
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
From: Dianne Ramage [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Thu 20/11/2008 9:48 AM
To: Folkes, Michael
Subject: Impacts of Aquaculture to Wild Fishes
Good Morning Michael
The front desk said that you were the “salmon vet” at PBS.
I have forwarded you this email with a question: what are the risks in BC of this happening. What options do the Chilean people have to address this.
If we are at risk here, how can we prevent it.
Thank you.
Dianne Ramage
Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers
604 317 2974
From: g p dalum [mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 1:40 PM
Subject: Clips -- More fish farm destruction -- Morton to Campbell Ltr.
ISA spreads to Chile's freshwater lakes, trout
The infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus has now been detected in freshwater lakes and hatcheries in Chile, marking a new stage in the country’s battle against the virus that is causing massive production cuts in its famed salmon farming industry.
Interfish
***************
Subject: Dear Gordon Campbell your pink slip
From: Alexandra Morton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
To: <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
November 7, 2008
Dear Gordon Campbell:
Your government is not responding to British Columbians’ demand to protect our wild salmon from salmon farmers. Your salmon farm regulations are NOT adequately protecting wild salmon. The anti-louse drugs are not doing the job you had hoped. In case you are thinking, “so what,” I would like to point out that your job is up for renewal, you have a serious louse problem and the world is hearing more and more about it.
In the past 12 months I have:
Co-published in the worlds’ highest impact science journal that BC salmon farms are driving wild salmon to extinction (SCIENCE 2007).
Petitioned BC Supreme Court on the legality of the BC government regulating salmon farms,
www.adopt-a-fry.org - decision pending
Filmed documentaries with NBC, New York Times and Cousteau showing the world that Norwegian-
owned Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg - aided and abetted by the BC Government - are killing off BC
wild salmon, thus harming our whales.
Alerted the United Nations that BC salmon farms are violating the 1995 United Nations Code of Conduct
for Responsible Fisheries www.ourglobalocean.org
Published in a US journal that farm lice are infecting the Fraser River migration route and young Georgia
Strait herring – two of B.C.’s most important fisheries.
Appeared in "Dear Marine Harvest" http://www.callingfromthecoast.org/?page_id=38
And "A Message for Cermaq" http://www.callingfromthecoast.org/?page_id=44
My fish farm work was featured in Vancouver Magazine “Into The Wild”
http://www.vanmag.com/news_and_features/Environment
Ran the Annual Gordon Campbell is Killing Our Wild Salmon Run organized by a Port McNeill logger
Appeared in the New York Times Science Section/video Saving Wild Salmon in Hopes of Saving the Orca
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/?8dpc
Spoke for the 2008 collapsing salmon runs http://saveourrivers.tv/glendale_grizzlies2.html
William Shatner as Denny Crane on Boston Legal also spoke about the need to protect BC’s wild salmon
from farm lice. (Nov. 3, 2008 Boston Legal episode)
With this escalating disclosure, Mr. Campbell, your government becomes as vulnerable to farm lice as the
wild salmon. As you stand for re-election in May, farm lice will be re-infesting young wild salmon. Consider
that the tiny pink salmon, which fuel our coast, hold the power to hand you the pink slip. Farms can come
and go, be put in tanks, restructured, but wild salmon are a planetary legacy and a power cord to the BC
economy. Remove salmon farms from wild salmon migration routes for the good of all including you, now
before your government and wild salmon face the challenges of the next spring.
Alexandra Morton
www.adopt-a-fry.org
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14:24/05. SALMON FARMING BROUGHT TO THE UN: The fight against salmon farms is nothing new, but as the world shifts towards a broader environmental focus, the voices speaking out against the industry are becoming louder, more aggressive, and more effective. Our Global Ocean has submitted an International Declaration Against Unsustainable Salmon Farming to the United Nations, noting that salmon farming practices violate the UN's Code on Responsible Fisheries. The declaration calls for a global moratorium on salmon farming. So far over 300 people have signed on, including representatives from Canadian First Nations, non-profits, and chefs. The declaration details the destruction the salmon farms have on local and worldwide ecosystems, native populations, and communities. Interested individuals are encouraged to sign the declaration themselves and find out more about the unsustainability of salmon farming at http://ourglobalocean.org. The 11 November 2008 Environmental News Network has additional information on both the declaration and salmon farming at www.enn.com/wildlife/article/38619.
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14:24/09. PACIFIC MARINE EXPO: Pacific Marine Expo is the largest commercial marine tradeshow on the West Coast. Serving all aspects of the market, including commercial vessels owners, commercial fishermen, boatbuilders and seafood processors, this annual event covers it all. The event will take place from 20 to 22 November at the Qwest Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington. For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.pacificmarineexpo.com.