Fraser salmon runs blocked

[Ride Red]

I just couldn't help myself.

" High on the Chilcotin plateau in British Columbia's Interior, the chief of a local First Nation says ⑴the traditional diet of its members is threatened by a landslide more than 150 kilometres away.

Tl'etinqox Chief Joe Alphonse, who also represents five other local nations as tribal chairman of the ⑵Tsilhqot'in National Government, says Fraser River tributaries once teeming with salmon have shown paltry returns since the Big Bar landslide was discovered in June.

"On a good year, you can run across the river on the backs of sockeye, that's how thick our rivers are. And bright, bright, bright almost fluorescent orange colour, it's an awesome sight," he said. Alphonse estimated up to 170,000 sockeye returned to local tributaries this year where the annual average is closer to one million.

While the slide occurred in the traditional territory of the High Bar and Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nations, the Tsilhqot'in are among another 140 First Nations that the federal government has said could also feel the effects.

⑵Members are concerned Ottawa isn't doing enough to prevent further damage to stocks, and that the public may not realize there is still a crisis because salmon runs are finished for the season, he said.

On Nov. 15, the Tsilhqot'in government sent a letter to the office of the fisheries minister requesting an update on the department's progress, including monitoring and contingency plans should mitigation fail. The letter asks for immediate updates when work barriers are encountered, in the interest of a "collective and transparent approach.

"Stocks already faced challenges of historic overfishing and habitat loss and the landslide could prove an extirpating blow, Alphonse said. The possible loss of salmon, combined with a decline in moose populations because of the 2017 wildfires, means wild meats are scarce in region. "A lot of our people live way under what the Canadian society would consider the poverty line, but a lot of our people are able to do that because they can still obtain a lot of their sustenance through hunting and fishing," he said. Fishing also plays an important cultural role in the community, and five months of the local calendar year are named for salmon or trout, Alphonse said. "It's huge, huge, huge, the impact on my community," he said.

The Tsilhqot'in aren't alone in calling for more action.

On Monday, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs issued a media release on behalf of the First Nations Leadership Council asking the federal and provincial governments to declare a state of emergency, and for resources to be prioritized to remove the obstruction within the next 60 days. It also asks the federal government to identify and fund a working group, including representatives from affected First Nations, to monitor the efforts and develop contingency plans in response to the crisis.⑶

No one from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans was immediately available for comment, but it held a media briefing last week updating the progress of federal, provincial and local efforts.The department said water levels are beginning to drop on the river, presenting the only opportunity to remove enormous amounts of rock blocking salmon migration routes before spring and summer runs arrive.Officials warned there's a "high risk" they won't be successful in rescuing the threatened salmon before the 2020 season. "

⑴ Hey Joe, I think the CREATOR is trying to tell you something, doncha think? After all, it was an Act of GOD.
⑵ Hey Joe, You're the tribal chairman of your national government, what are your contingency plans?
⑶ There they go again, asking the taxpaying Canadians for more money yet again.

Since it was an Act of GOD that caused the slide, then it stands to reason that it should be an Act of GOD to remove it, not the Canadian Taxpayer.

#1 problem for salmon declines over the last 30 years; lower Fraser River netting, plain and simple.

[limit time]

They want to control it? They can do it.

[IronNoggin]

https://youtu.be/eiobADnB86c

Dec 13, 2019

Meeting with the new federal fisheries minister and several B.C. Members of Parliament from across the parties, the top priority was to reiterate the need for action now to clear the Big Bar landslide. This is an emergency that requires mobilization immediately, before already depleted salmon stocks start to return next summer. There has not been a crisis like this for wild salmon since the Hell’s Gate slide 100 years ago.

We have included a copy of the letter sent by Mike to all Members of Parliament after the recent election outlining PSF priorities for the new federal Parliament. Visit https://www.psf.ca/document-library/l... to access the letter.

We also encourage you to watch the new interview about Big Bar with PSF Vice President for Salmon, Jason Hwang. This is the second video in a new monthly series called Salmon Matter, filmed in partnership with Conversations that Matter.

https://youtu.be/oPVlaSpu1uQ

Now is the time for all of us who care about Pacific salmon to contact your Member of Parliament and Provincial MLA’s to make sure both levels of government have all the resources and encouragement they need to act now on Big Bar. You are also encouraged to reiterate the need for action on the other key PSF priorities outlined in Mike's letter.

[IronNoggin]

The noted letter:

Dear MP,

Congratulations on your election to the House of Commons. My colleagues at the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and I look forward to working with you in the future. I also write to outline several important policy and budget priorities that we ask you to consider in the 43rd Canadian Parliament.

Following a divisive political season, I believe we should acknowledge that Pacific salmon are of concern to a wide spectrum of business, political, community and Indigenous leaders, and their conservation can be an issue of “collective resolve” for citizens and MP’s across partisan divides.

PSF’s vision is two-fold. First, healthy, sustainable and naturally diverse populations of Pacific salmon for the benefit of ecosystems and Canadians for generations to come. Second, effective stewardship of natural resources in B.C. and the Yukon that involve communities in decisions affecting Pacific salmon.

This has been a particularly challenging year for Pacific salmon, leading many to the conclusion that we are in a “salmon crisis.” Sockeye returns to the Fraser River this year are the lowest on record. Certain Chinook stocks from the B.C. Interior were predicted to return in such dwindling numbers that widespread fisheries closures were established in the spring. The tipping point came in July with the Big Bar rockslide in the Fraser River near Kamloops, which obstructed the passage of thousands of salmon trying to return to their natal streams to spawn.

Despite the challenges, there are reasons to be optimistic. First, Pacific salmon are resilient and have been adapting for millions of years. Second, British Columbians are passionate about sustaining Pacific salmon, with more than 35,000 volunteers across the province who regularly volunteer on important conservation and restoration projects. Third, we have a world-class “salmon network” of scientists, conservation organizations and Indigenous leaders with the knowledge and wherewithal to work hand-in-glove with governments to sustain Pacific salmon for future generations.

Recent commitments to Pacific salmon made by the federal and provincial governments, such as the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), represent significant steps forward. Still, what we need now and most urgently is the political leadership to do much more for Pacific salmon. This will mean major increases and on-going investments by the federal government that expand programs like the Salmon Conservation Stamp, DFO’s Salmonid Enhancement Program, and the Oceans Protection Plan, including the Coastal Restoration Fund and BCSRIF that directly support communities and non-governmental organizations like PSF.

It will be up to all MP’s from all parties in British Columbia to make Pacific salmon an urgent priority. We have no time to waste given the state of many Pacific salmon stocks. PSF is calling on our B.C. MP’s to urgently advance federal government policies and a 2020 budget that will address the crisis situation faced by Pacific salmon.

Here are several recommendations for you and other B.C. MP’s to advance in Ottawa.

 URGENT ACTION ON BIG BAR SLIDE: The Big Bar obstruction in the Fraser River is the major and present issue for Pacific salmon in British Columbia. We recently communicated with the Minister of Fisheries calling for continued urgency and vigilance to remove this major obstruction before salmon start returning next spring. Affected salmon stocks that spawn above the obstruction are already of critical conservation concern, prompting significant fishing restrictions last year. The federal and provincial government have worked hard and in a coordinated fashion to open some passage for Pacific salmon. We understand that large numbers of salmon did make it past the rockslide, but that the main factor that allowed passage was the drop in water levels that occurred naturally in late August. While this was good news for a few salmon populations, the impediment to salmon migration during higher flow periods remains and continues to pose a serious migration risk for salmon in 2020. There has not been a problem of this proportion for Fraser River salmon in the last 100 years, since the Hell’s Gate rockslide in 1914! Failure to fully restore salmon passage will have serious biological, economic and socio-cultural consequences that will have repercussions for years to come. This situation should be considered an on-going national emergency that merits every government and private sector resource at our disposal to open this obstruction before winter weather makes such an effort impossible.

 RESTORE ADEQUATE BUDGET FOR STOCK ASSESSMENT: Quality stock assessment data is fundamental in order to properly manage conservation of Pacific salmon and maintain fisheries. Unfortunately, DFO’s ability to meet well-established salmon assessment programs has experienced significant reductions during the last decade with deleterious effect. For example, lack of stock assessment data was cited recently by the Canadian Pacific salmon industry when it voluntarily suspended its Marine Stewardship Council eco-certification of B.C. chum, pink and sockeye, including Fraser River sockeye. Funds have been provided by the current government to restore some of the shortfalls in meeting DFO’s obligations. Still, we estimate that the DFO Pacific region’s current stock assessment budget is down by roughly 25%. The result is a decreasing number of assessment projects and activities further fueling the public unease that DFO is not adequately tracking fish status nor on top of the events affecting fisheries sustainability. Dramatically improving DFO stock assessment of Pacific salmon will also be required for the implementation of the recently renewed Pacific Salmon treaty with the United States.

 MORE RESOURCES FOR DFO’S SALMON ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: The federal Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) needs a major infusion of new funds to support community enhancement and conservation of Pacific salmon. This program works closely with PSF and focuses on vulnerable salmon stocks, provides harvest opportunities, and improves fish habitat to sustain salmon populations. It does so by empowering people in Indigenous and community organizations across British Columbia. Despite many successes, the SEP budget has had no inflationary adjustments for 15 years, resulting in a loss of about $6M in annual spending power over that time. A ripple affect is that PSF’s network of thousands of volunteer salmon stewards are struggling to maintain stewardship programs and community enhancement infrastructure. More is urgently needed amidst salmon declines to upgrade small-scale community hatchery infrastructure, build more spawning and rearing habitat, and expand low-cost innovative technology and citizen science.

 INCREASE SALMON CONSERVATION STAMP TO AT LEAST $10: An important companion step is to increase the cost of the federal Salmon Conservation Stamp from $6 to at least $10 for the support of community-based Pacific salmon conservation, enhancement and restoration. Funds from this user fee are granted by PSF to a network of 340+ volunteer salmon stewardship groups across British Columbia and every $1 from the Stamp generates another $7 in value with local fundraising and volunteerism! This is a user-fee adjustment, thus no direct cost relative to the federal budget. The minimum $4 adjustment accounts for inflation compounded since 1996, as well as increased demand from community-based grantees. This adjustment will generate another $1 million annually (based on past Salmon Stamp sales), with an expected $6 million in leverage. PSF needs MP support to encourage DFO to proceed with the consultation required by the Services Fee Act as soon as possible. (See attached proposal.)

 MOVE TO CLOSED-CONTAINMENT SALMON FARMING: The new Government has committed to a transition from open-net-pen to closed-containment salmon aquaculture in British Columbia by 2025. PSF called for this transition in 2018 because of the combination of three key considerations: the report of the B.C. Minister of Agriculture Advisory Committee on Finfish Aquaculture; the results of our own research (Strategic Salmon Health lnitiative); and the chronically low abundance of many wild Pacific salmon populations. We look forward to learning more about next steps and, in the interim, will continue to strongly encourage that DFO’s management of aquaculture put the health and well-being of Pacific salmon first.

All of us at the Pacific Salmon Foundation and thousands of “salmon stewards” in British Columbia look forward to your leadership on behalf of Pacific salmon during the 43rd Canadian Parliament. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these ideas and to work with you to urgently address the challenges facing Pacific salmon.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Meneer
President and CEO
Pacific Salmon Foundation

[dougan]

Fish farms are not the issue. There is not one shred of evidence to substantiate it. Just paid for extremists pushing there agendas .

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

I like what Meneer had to say...INCLUDING getting fish farms onto dry land. ( and where have you been Dougan ??? )

[dougan]

I like what Meneer had to say...INCLUDING getting fish farms onto dry land. ( and where have you been Dougan ??? )

Where is evidence fish farms cause harm ? One document please! And not one from David sazuki he’s a twat. The rest of that article I liked . 2300 orcas in Alaska are eating bc salmon by the thousands seals as well. The biggest killer of Chinook salmon believe it or not is grey harrons . Everyone needs to stop buying the bull shit . If you think seals are to blame go kill some and do your part and don’t advertise. If your waiting for government to do it your an idiot. Psf had a presentation where they said society just won’t accept seal cull .... we’ll if that’s what needs to happen who cares what urban city asshole society thinks .... just do it and shut up about it.

[303savage]

Get a high lead logging contractor in there. they could figure out how to grapple the rocks to spread them out a bit.

[dougan]

Get a high lead logging contractor in there. they could figure out how to grapple the rocks to spread them out a bit.

F-18 maybe two let em go hot.

[redhunter]

Almost a year has passed since this slide and DFO are still diddling around. The Hells Gate slide was fixed by US engineers after our federal government of the time ruined the biggest run of sockeye in existence at that time. I have little to no faith in DFO getting this done but I expect to see a bunch of "politicking" on this from the feds and the FN.