SEHAB ROUNDTABLE CONTRIBUTION - CENTRAL VANCOUVER ISLAND REPRESENTATIVE – JACK MINARD
6963 Railway Avenue
Courtenay BC
V9J 1N4
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O – 250.337.5077
C – 250.897.4670
H - 250.337.2190
COMMUNITY ADVISOR – DAVE DAVIES
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O – 250.339.0431
FEBRUARY 18, 2006
General:
There are a lot of good things going on in this area - Community Education, stock assessments and enhancement as well as habitat work.
The Tsolum River Restoration Society asked six questions of the North Vancouver Island federal candidates and their responses can be viewed at www.tsolumriver.org
One of the most significant issues that has arisen in our area is about the sanctity of OCP’s and LAP’s. It would appear that after huge community consultations to find out and duly record the community’s vision of what they want their community to look like, developers and planners with the support of elected officials can change these without further community consultation. There is a gathering force that is holding officials feet to the fire and demanding that OCP’s and LAP’s be enforced and upheld or they must go back to the electorate for changes.
SEHAB Roundtable Issues Raised:
• Some positive Bouquets:       CA program, especially Dave Davies
Excellent local DFO enforcement officer (Sandy Lochbaum).
The singlemost important issues surround the breakdown in protection of the work we do. There is a cry coming up from the trenches that says “All our work could be in vain!”
• Rapid development and environmental impacts
• Breakdown of communication/monitoring/environmental protection of construction/development projects
Millard/Piercy Estuary – City engineers working with developers to encroach seriously into both TNT protected land and completely mapped and established estuarial area. No Government involvement to protect the environment. TNT upset but too late to do anything.
• City Engineers/developers/resource extraction “fighting” for less environmental protection
So much of work and communication seems to be with "the converted".   Does your mail list include representatives of local government, MLA's, MP's, board members of professional organizations?
I just got off the phone with the City Engineer for Parksville and I will tell you "we have much work to do".
The following debacle is the “violation of the Month” on Salmonopolis
The creek has not been moved during the Intrawest Craig Bay Estates development process.  What has changed, is the developer (Intrawest/Intracorp) with the City of Parksville's approval, has changed their development of cluster 2-3 story town homes with a small golf course to a more spread out, single level configuration which has pushed the limits of this land and definitely encroached on the Craig Creek riparian zone.  The photos in Salmonopolis were taken in December 2004 when there was a significant amount of sediments entering the stream from this development.  Intracorp has accepted environmental awards for some of their Whistler developments, unfortunately there has been no attempt to protect the sensitive Craig Creek riparian habitat and floodplain.  The sediment laden storm water from the CB Estates is now directed into Craig Bay causing a major algal bloom in early summer and water flows are redirected from the lower Craig Creek system.  Some awareness of this problem and good will from the developer to replant the west side of the creek and donate to a conservancy the east remnant forest lands is the best solution at this point.
The greatest impact today is coming from the Timberstone development across Northwest Bay Road directly upslope to the estuary, their settlement ponds failed yesterday and dirty water has been running across the road into the estuary for months, with yesterday likely the worst event.  You could report the habitat violation of the month regarding this development as it has been impacting the lower estuary for months and now is a good time for the photos. 
Where is the RDN, DFO, MOE etc?  I will do what I can, hopefully more pressure can be brought on to rectify these issues.
Michael Jessen, P.Eng.
Director of
French Creek Residents Association
Friends of French Creek Conservation Society
Arrowsmith Watersheds Coalition Society
Member, Parksville Streamkeepers
• Stewardship groups need to think/know that somebody else (with some authority or mandate to assist and protect) cares about their streams
• Sudden changes to existing programmes/projects without notice or consultation
• Programs that start and then disappear (water quality monitoring e.g.)
Our group was wondering why D.F.O. wouldn't support our group after enhancing the Gold and Burman Rivers for the past twenty five years. (Gold River Chinook Project) Our eggtake  targets were set at 250,000 Gold River coho, 500,000 Gold River chinook and 500,000 Burman River chinook. We are of the under standing that no coho eggs were taken and only approximately 110,000 chinook eggs were taken from both streams combined this past fall. Our contract was given to another group with out any consultation from D.F.O. Why break something when it doesn't need Fixed? Our group always obtained eggtakes greater than 500.000 eggs. D.F.O. should reconsider its position and let us get back to enhancing Nootka Sound chinook and coho..
Sincerely yours Dale Frame
• Seal Predation
What bugs me is the predation of salmon by seals. I have been writing to Fisheries Ministers and  deputy's for years about the over population of seals in Georgia Straight, DFO by their own figures over 10% of  fish hooked by sportfishers are lost to seals and I don't  understand that something is not done when are DFO biologists going to recommend a seal fishery? There is also a large predation of Ling Cod by seals,  especially while the male is guarding the eggs I am told . A seal cull is a bad word, A seal harvest on a small scale to control the population in  some areas, if done properly, it may create a small industry .We have created a imbalance in nature, we must harvest in equal manner, I feel it is our responsibility to recreate that balance.
One thing that really upsets me is the Vancouver Aquarium spends close to 300 thousand dollar's a year on  seal rehabilitation, same time trying to reclaim a creek in the park for coho.  Would really like your thoughts on this and pass it on to the group?   Thanking you in advance  James Mc Ginnis – Fanny Bay Enhancement Society
• DFO Supports stretched too thin
Sandy Lochbaum Nanaimo Habitat Branch Mel and Russ and Doug Doug Swift
Not enough habitat personnel
Need more enforcement officers
• East Coast VI coho returns
• Forestry, particularly logging in headwaters/loss of riparian
• How DFO allocates its budget - a cry for more money where the fish are
• Individual Transferable Quotas for West Coast Fisheries - the further privatization of the People of Canada's resource
• Fisheries act renewal - What does it mean?
• Aquaculture vs Wild fish
DFO science questioned - politics or fish?
• Climate change/global warming