SEHAB Member: Jan Lemon
Area: North Coast
Community Advisor: Rob Dams
Date: November 4, 2011
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SEHAB Work Plan 2010-2011 |
Local Issue, Specific Examples |
Actions by Community or DFO |
SEHAB Opportunity |
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Wild Salmon Policy |
Are the CU’s identified in the North Coast and along the Skeena watershed and how is this information going to be distributed to the groups |
Get feedback from local DFO persons regarding implementation of WSP |
Ask DFO wa hat CU’s have been completed to date and put a link on website for volunteers to go to |
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Stock Assessment |
Cubacks on patrolmen time so that coho escapements in coastal rivers are not enumerated |
Local volunteer groups count some of the systems that have easy access but remote rivers are not walked. DFO needs to make sure these systems are couted. |
Continue to press DFO to increase funding for toock assessment |
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Habitat |
Garbage left along Skeena River and tributaries from recreational fishermen is increasing. ATV and fish habitat concerns are still a significant concern with most groups.
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Community groups try to raise awareness of the harm done to spawning beds. Annual clean-ups along rivers carried out by volunteers, especially Terrace Rod and Gun Club |
Look into regulations on the use of ATV’s and see where a public awarenss campaigne might help |
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Enforcement |
Coastal recreational fisheries goes virually unchecked because of lack of funding to keep patrolmen on the waters. I |
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Advocate for more funding |
SEHAB Submissions, Comments from Groups:
Public awareness and Education:
Oona River Resources held an early Rivers Day in August which was well attended. Fry ID, games and a picnic were held interspersed with some trail clearing and a bonfire
Three rivers day projects this year - Terrace Rotary Club Skeena River clean-up, Terrace Rod & Gun Club Hurley Creek clean-up and Kitimat Naturalist Club Kitimat clean-up
Habitat and Restoration:
Terrace Rod and Gun are working on Hurley Creek - did some salmon access restoration work this summer
Kit Rod and Gun and Nat Club are storm drain marking the City of Kitimat
Kitimat - potential RRU involvement in estuary improvements (lead is Habitat Management working with Alcan, Haisla and consultant) - other sectors involved include Kitimat Hatchery, CA (potentially?).
Kleanza chum/pink side channels - proposal to PSC Northern Fund, DFO lead with many sectors involved (Stock Assessment, CA, Habitat Management and RRU-lead).
Singlehurst (just east of Terrace) - ongoing annual maintenance to ensure optimal fish passage at hwy culvert (old project circa 1970's still functioning to provide passage).
Exchamsiks back-channel rehabilitation project (30 km west of Terrace - 5km back-channel re-connected to Skeena for adult passage and juvenile rearing in 2008) - multiple partners (CN, MOTI, Skeena Fisheries Commission, Kalum First Nation, PSC Northern Fund) - funds sought in 2011 for some maintenance work and spawning habitat improvements
Shames off-channel development - connect created ponds on private land to mainstem via intake and outlet structures - feasibility ongoing.
Renovations, Upgrades and interpretive Centres:
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Bear River Interpretive Centre is going well - lots of visitors. Also started storm drain marking the town of Stewart
Eby Street Hatchery has finished shed rebuild
Prince Rupert Salmon Enhancement Society (PRSES) first phase of their extensive facility upgrades are near complete. The hatchery is rather modern now and can handle more enhancement and will host a Salmon Education and Stewardship Centre next year. The next phases are set to begin in spring 2012 with plans to rebuild storage sheds and install 50ft steel walking bridge for interpretive trail.
There is no way these upgrades at PRSES would have or will happen without the following: PSF, PRPA, CN, Shaw, Northern Savings, BChydro and DFO.
Oona River Resources Association installed a concrete paver block floor in the basement of the Resource Centre where the incubation and fry rearing is done. A huge thanks to Pacific Salmon Foundation and PIP funding for this much needed improvement. Also, thanks to the two summer student, Jason and Julian who did the back breaking installation.
Enhancement:
Coho escapements in Oldfield and Hays Creeks in 2010 were the best on record. They are starting to see returns from their "new management" and things are looking great They have been working hard to minimize the major BKD issues a couple of the creeks were plagued with and efforts are paying off. Oldfield Creek Fish Hatchery is now fully science based.
PRSES currently operate at about 186,000 eggs per year and looking at partnering with DFO for further enhancement opportunities. A revitalized, expanding group.
Lakelse Watershed Society continue the fry outplant (yr 5 underway and 6 proposed), enumeration (running a camera on Scully Creek, StAD Williams work), Williams Creek off-channel spawning habitat - one under construction, one proposed and at feasibility stage, Scully habitat improvements also proposed to PSC Northern Fund this year - tons of partners and DFO sectors for all projects. Fry outplant and habitat work likely 'sunsetting' in ~ 3 yrs...after 2 4-yr enhancement cycles and hopefully completion of major habitat restoration work. . Also working on watershed planning, lake stewardship and Sensitive Watershed initiative. 2011 Lakelse sockeye returns (early reports are the best in past 15 years). Could be as many as 1200 fish in Scully Creek and 15 K in Williams - very good news. Also observed spawners for the first time in two small LWS/DFO restoration projects on Salmon Creek and Groundwater Granite. Maintenance and monitoring will continue.
Oona River Resources Association has put 4,500 coho eggs into the incubation box which will be used for the Public Awareness and Education project. They will help Kitkatla with a classroom incubation box this winter and plan for a few school field trips with this neighbouring community. Good coho returns in Oona River and Salt Lagoon but many days of flooding has made it difficult to enumerate returns. Oona River had a very low pink return.
Kumeleon River project has been completed and chum returns were low in numbers but marked fish were present. Report will be completed soon and will be posted through Pacific Salmon Commission web-site.
Funding:
Funding is always a concern with all the groups, especially the ones that continue to grow
The problem of acquiring core funding means groups are unable to plan long term and often the projects they are able to do only reflect the funding trend for that year depending on the salmon “crisis” or issue
Issues from groups:
- Better communication between PIP groups PIP’s not fully funded by DFO) for collaboration, help, support, ideas etc).
- More priority for northern BC habitat projects.