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Angela Kroning-South Coast and Howe Sound

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SEHAB Roundtable Template–– November 2017

SEHAB Member: Dianne Sanford

Area:  Sunshine Coast

Community Advisor:  none locally.

Date:  November 3-5, 2017

Key Issues:

What top three points can you distill from community input to take to DFO RHQ?

1. Major water issues – Chapman Creek facing immense pressure from increasing human water consumption and low instream flows during the summer and early fall. Resulting concerns from these two stressors are inadequate spawning passage, diminishing salmon stock numbers, and reduced rearing habitat for wild salmonids. The hatchery would like to supplement Coho eggs this year as they have next to none, but are told the creek has to be barren before introduction of Coho eggs.
2. Due to “gap” in communication beween DFO and the Province, sensitive shoreline zones are being lost to development of docks and other ventures. For example, the Province approved a very large boat dock and floatplane dock within a federal RCA this past May. This is an area with eelgrass beds and is a known feeding area for the SARA listed Marbled Murrelets. DFO needs to be included in such decisions, and the public expects that it should exercise the authority to protect the commons over a private development.
3. There is still a great need for an on-the-ground DFO presence on the lower Sunshine Coast. There are ongoing challenges with regard to developments as well as issues of enforcement of fishing regulations on day-use visitors from the Lower Mainland.

Stories:

A few examples of successes, failures, challenges.

1. Salmon in the Classroom (Stream to Sea Program) has been a successfull program for many years on the Upper (Powell River) and Lower Sunshine Coast, with all schools participating over the years. Chapman has always been a reliable source for eyed Coho eggs, and dissection fish. This is no longer the case.

2. Without DFO Resource Restoration Unit, where will guidance for restoration projects come from? Students and community groups rely on DFO for technical advice. Ruby Lake Society is looking for a long term project and have earmarked Anderson Creek, but the present water intake for rearing channels is improperly placed and needs correction. Will there be DFO advice available for this project?   Chapman also has rearing channels that are not functioning.

• Major gravel extraction project at McNab Creek in Howe Sound is at the final public input stage for the province with comments due November 27th on their proposed conditions for the environmental certificate. In the 1970’s the Creek was identified as one of three more gently sloping streams on the west side of Howe Sound with a significant estuary (there being none on the east side) and therefore had significant capabilities, along with the Squamish River, for supporting a recreational and commercial fishery in Howe Sound. The proponents believe that they can remove the aggregate without negatively impacting the water balance for McNab Cr and the salmonids including Cutthroat and Steelhead that use the waters and estuary.

Issues Specific to SEHAB’s Work Plan:

Submissions, Comments from Groups:

Powell River Salmon Society– no comments

Sunshine Coast Salmonid Enhancement Society –

Water issues are ongoing, human consumption is prioritized over fish survival, and fish numbers are down.  Chapman does not supply enough water for the hatchery to maintain rearing the numbers of salmonids to maintain runs.

Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

Gravel mining operation application at McNab Creek is at the final provincial public input phase. The project was turned down twice by DFO before the proponent took DFO to court to demand that the project be allowed to be evaluated by the (pre 2012) Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Under that legislation the province is conducting its own environmental assessment.  The mine expects to remove 20 million tonnes in 16 years. The resulting pit located downslope of the dog leg of McNab Creek will be fresh water-filled.

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SEHAB Member: Dianne Sanford

Area: Sunshine Coast and Powell River

Community Advisor:  NONE

Meeting Date: Feb 25,26 2017

Identify up to 5 succinct issues that  you or your community would like SEHAB to take to DFO?

*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.

Topic/Issue:

Successes:

Challenges:

Topic/Issue:

Successes:

Challenges:

Topic/Issue:

Successes:

Challenges:

Topic/Issue:

Successes:

Challenges:

Submissions and Comments from Community Groups:

Powell River – no comments

Sunshine Coast Conservation Association – concern that there is no Community Advisor

or any DFO presence on the Sunshine Coast, southern area.

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SEHAB Roundtable Template–– February 2016

SEHAB Member: Dianne Sanford

Area:  Sunshine Coast

Community Advisor:  none locally.  Rob Bell-Irving closest.

Date:  September 28, 2016

Key Issues:

What top three points can you distill from community input to take to DFO RHQ?

1. Total lack of DFO presence – NO CA, NO FISHERIES OFFICERS, more pressure for local hatcheries to speak to public about fisheries issues.
2. Major water issues – Chapman Creek facing immense pressure from human water consumption and flows are inadequate for salmon passage and to keep water temperatures down.

Stories:

A few examples of successes, failures, challenges.

Frustration within community, inadequate regulations, tours coming to coast (and travelling on up to Powell River)  which focus on harvesting shellfish.  For food, not just shells. Questions about possibility of changing regulations or having seasonal closures to take pressure off popular areas.

ESSR license for Chapman Hatchery denied this year – hatchery says it will cost them up to 10,000.00 which is needed to assist running the hatchery.  Query as to why the denial this year elicited the response that as long as the creek is closed for recreational fishing there cannot be fish sold.  (Chapman is closed until Oct. 15)
Last year the hatchery received an ESSR license even though the creek was closed at the time.  Inconsistency in regulation?

Issues Specific to SEHAB’s Work Plan:

Submissions, Comments from Groups:

Powell River Salmon Society is inundated with calls and queries about salmon – what species, where, numbers coming in, etc. Can’t keep up and they need to focus on their hatchery operation.

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Sunshine Coast Roundtable Report – Dianne Sanford

Not much to report as of yet, this is my first meeting.  We have lots of retired volunteers on the Sunshine Coast, the age dynamic here is one of the oldest in the province. Eelgrass mapping in partnership with the Seagrass Conservation Working Group has been going on here for many years. Applications and granted permits for commercial seaweed harvesting are very disconcerting – not enough study (if any) has been done on impacts. Publicity not to collect seaweed during herring spawn has been an annual event on the Sunshine Coast, and education on the importance of eelgrass. Development pressure, especially along shorelines, is increasing steadily

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SEHAB Member:  Dianne Sanford

Area: Sunshine Coast

Community Advisor:  Grant McBain

Date: November 2015

Key Issues:

What top three points can you distill from community input to take to DFO RHQ?

1.  Increasing concern over lack of planning (development plans)  and regulation in marine areas and along shorelines.  Natural and sensitive habitats seen by developers as “threats” to proposed development. 

2.  Questions still arising about how DFO comes to decisions and does assessments, especially with no staff.

3. Lack of enforcement (same old story)  Increased poaching, no monitoring.  People don’t bother to call in, feel there is no use in doing so. 

Stories:

A few examples of successes, failures, challenges.

Chapman Creek Hatchery was very happy to report that there was a Pink salmon fishery open in Chapman Creek for the first time ever this year.  Mid August to mid September.

Powell River Salmon Society had no comments.

Story about Eelgrass Restoration

Eelgrass restoration projects have been ongoing on the Sunshine Coast for several years, particularly in areas where old log sort and dump sites are adjacent to eelgrass, indicating that a continous bed has been impacted by the human activity. 

This summer the dive crew was approached by a person telling them to “cease and desist” as the area is a private water lease and the lease owner did not want eelgrass in “his lease area”.  The property manager was told by the lease holder that in Vancouver, developers have been prevented from proceeding with developments due to presence of eelgrass.

When asked if there could be a meeting with the lease owner, particularly to discuss the fact that eelgrass and development can co-exist, the response was no, the owner has a property manager because they do not want contact with local people. 

Eelgrass is perceived as a threat to development.