Burnaby Round Table – Jennifer Atchinson
The stewardship community needed an understanding of the bigger picture before they were able to understand and respond to the questions posed by the PSF. I met to discuss how DFO is committed to streamlining referrals to regulatory reviews of low risk works. It is called Environmental Process Modernization Plan. We spoke on how industry is looking at the market place where they can sell fish. Sports fishermen and the stewardship community are the ones interested in wild salmon and the protection of their habitat although sports fishermen can be more interested in certain species of salmon. PSF has funds for the stewardship community to protect wild fish and this is your opportunity to partner with them and others to protect wild salmon.
This set the stage to understand the question that was posed, “what is it that prevents you from planning and implementing goals that you would like to set for your stream and habitat so you can accomplish these goals.” In responding to those questions I found their answers are what SEHAB needs to hear as well.
• Stewardship motivation and support has dropped
• They want to stay interested but motivation has dropped
• Partnerships fall through due to cut backs within those they would partner with
• They have been unable to get support to negotiate with the landowners and right of way holders so they are
unable to promote projects
• There’s more to the problem then money can solve, someone needs to engage the contractors, need to hire and
administer, who is the right person to do the job, where are the resources, what is the liability involved. These questions are not resolvable at this time
• Need encouragement
Reports from stewards as to fish returns, spawning returns and behaviours
• In some streams high ratio of males returned, in others high ratio of females. A number of adult female did not
spawn out.
• Water temperature was up and water levels were down during normal return periods.
• Coho and Chum were unable to migrate into the higher reaches as they did in 2004
• Brunette Basin and Stoney Creek will have a report on spawner returns and behaviour