Roundtables-Region 09-Sunshine Coastand Howe Sound
December 2021 Roundtables-Region 09
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November 2022 Roundtables-Region 09
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Angela Kroning-South Coast and Howe Sound
Region 9 February 2021 Roundtable
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Region 09: Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound
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Jun 2020 Roundtables-Region 09-Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound
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Feb 2020 Roundtable Sunshine Coast
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Nov 2017 Roundtable Sunshine Coast
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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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
SEHAB Work Plan |
Local Issue, Specific Examples |
Actions by Community or DFO |
SEHAB Opportunity |
Wild Salmon Policy (Stock Assessment, Habitat) |
No Community Advisor on the Lower Sunshine Coast, no DFO presence. Habitat improvements are needed to provide rearing habitat. DFO guidance would be valuable
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DFO has promised a replacement CA, there may be an interim assignment.
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Aquaculture |
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Capacity & Core Funding |
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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.
Feb 2017 Roundtable Sunshine Coast and Powell River
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SEHAB Member: Dianne Sanford
Area: Sunshine Coast and Powell River
Community Advisor: NONE
Meeting Date: Feb 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. |
SEHAB’s role is to be the voice of the community that each member represents, and it should remain so.
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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. |
Habitat destruction in riparian areas occurs frequently with no reporting. The “self assessment” format of reporting possible destruction of fish or fish habitat does not work. |
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. |
WE HAVE NO CA! A presence of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is crucial to our communities. Without a CA, there is no human face to DFO, and no-one to call when there are questions or concerns. A CA is essential to support community groups and guide them in their endeavours in preserving and restoring our streams and salmon. A help line cannot provide advice to a group on how to approach a project, or where there may be others who have done similar things.
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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? |
Issue 1: Areas in the province that have no CA’s need to have them.
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The Minister |
Many requests to DFO and |
Hire CA’s for these areas. |
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Issue 2: Trudeau needs to keep his promises
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Issue 3:Enforcement cannot carry on in the “self reporting” method. |
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Issue 4: |
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Issue 5: |
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*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:
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Successes:
Challenges:
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Successes:
Challenges:
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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.
Nov 2016 Roundtable Sunshine Coast
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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?
- Total lack of DFO presence – NO CA, NO FISHERIES OFFICERS, more pressure for local hatcheries to speak to public about fisheries issues.
- 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:
SEHAB Work Plan |
Local Issue, Specific Examples |
Actions by Community or DFO |
SEHAB Opportunity |
Wild Salmon Policy (Stock Assessment, Habitat) |
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Aquaculture |
“Seashell Tours” placing pressure on shellfish resources. Even with strict adherence to catch numbers, sheer numbers of collectors in specific areas causing depletion. |
Consider seasonal closures for shellfish harvest? |
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Capacity & Core Funding |
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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.
Roundtable-Region09-November 2012
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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
Roundtable - Sunshine Coast
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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.