Federal government urged to restrict jet boats, protect salmon on upper Pitt River

[MontyLake]

https://vancouversun.com/news/federal-government-urged-to-restrict-jet-boats-protect-salmon-on-upper-pitt-river/wcm/c1599d2b-12b8-4873-a7c1-fb9b0f332eed/


Federal government urged to restrict jet boats, protect salmon on upper Pitt River
Several B.C. First Nations are calling on the federal government to restrict the use of jet boats on the upper Pitt River to protect salmon spawning grounds.The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (https://www.lffa.ca/) is in the process of applying to Transport Canada to limit the use of jet boats on the upper Pitt River, said Katzie First Nation Coun. Rick Bailey. The remote river, which feeds into the north side of Pitt Lake from its source in Garibaldi Provincial Park, has become a popular playground for jet boaters who race over the shallow water where five species of salmon lay their eggs.

[Jack Russell]

Step by step elimination of all outdoor activities

[MichelD]

Step by step elimination of all outdoor activities

If it's quads ripping up the alpine meadows that will never regenerate or jet boats ripping up fish-bearing river bottoms, then yes, such activities need eliminating.

[Ride Red]

If it's quads ripping up the alpine meadows that will never regenerate or jet boats ripping up fish-bearing river bottoms, then yes, such activities need eliminating.

I run the upper Pitt and only use the main river channel. How about enforce the laws we already have instead of ****ing everyone.

[keoke]

More rules for me but not for thee

[Jack Russell]

If it's quads ripping up the alpine meadows that will never regenerate or jet boats ripping up fish-bearing river bottoms, then yes, such activities need eliminating.

Please show me the science relating to jetboats and salmon bearing rivers. I will happily wait.

[MichelD]

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00288330.1975.9515566


https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/publications/documents/lakes.pdf

[Fella]

Please show me the science relating to jetboats and salmon bearing rivers. I will happily wait.
Is there science saying there’s no damage that happens when jet boats go over salmon streams?

[Ride Red]

Has anyone looked at the degradation on the Pitt after every rain storm? That river can change from one side of the valley to the other with every rain storm. I’ve been up back to back weekends after storms only to relearn where the channels are. Sometimes the channel from the previous week will be void of water. The amount of rock/sediment that blows down that river after storms certainly isn’t doing salmon any good either.

[adriaticum]

I agree with this. Jet boats have enabled every Tom, Dick and Harry to blaze u rivers snd create turbulence. Why do we have to go everywhere and disturb everything.

[Ride Red]

I agree with this. Jet boats have enabled every Tom, Dick and Harry to blaze u rivers snd create turbulence. Why do we have to go everywhere and disturb everything.

Ever been in a jet boat

[bigredchev]

I feel like one those who have rode up the Pitt should only comment.


they local fishing lodge owner isn’t a fan on jet boats on his river, I wonder if that has anything to do with this?.

also, as we all know once one River is shut down then why not shut down all of them ?




science above Both sides opinions, otherwise everything is arbitrary

[Ride Red]

I feel like one those who have rode up the Pitt should only comment.


they local fishing lodge owner isn’t a fan on jet boats on his river, I wonder if that has anything to do with this?.

also, as we all know once one River is shut down then why not shut down all of them ?




science above Both sides opinions, otherwise everything is arbitrary

Danny from the lodge always tells the media that jet boats are ruining the river, but his hired guides park their jet boats right in front of the lodge. Hmmmm, hypocrite???

[Big Lew]

I haven't been up the Pitt in a Jet boat but I have watched several videos of people doing so for fun and
to see where they can go, including very shallow gravel bedded parts of the river. I've also watched Jet boats
doing the same on the Fraser. Like most things, if people used common sense this wouldn't be such an issue.
"“Jet boats used to be something I could live with,” said Bailey, explaining that in the past fishing guides often
took clients upriver to fish from shore. “But now, it’s just exploded. These aren’t fishermen, they’re thrill-seekers.
That would be fine, but not at the cost of our salmon.” With the exploding population of people seeking places
to play, enjoy the outdoors, including hunting and fishing, while less and less areas are available to them, it puts
tremendous pressure on what's left. So many places have already been regulated and restricted in an effort to
protect the environment. The West Coast Trail and Bowen Lakes are good examples. The Pitt will have to be regulated
and or restricted as well....just too many people with their toys now-a-days!

[Ride Red]

I haven't been up the Pitt in a Jet boat but I have watched several videos of people doing so for fun and
to see where they can go, including very shallow gravel bedded parts of the river. I've also watched Jet boats
doing the same on the Fraser. Like most things, if people used common sense this wouldn't be such an issue.
"“Jet boats used to be something I could live with,” said Bailey, explaining that in the past fishing guides often
took clients upriver to fish from shore. “But now, it’s just exploded. These aren’t fishermen, they’re thrill-seekers.
That would be fine, but not at the cost of our salmon.” With the exploding population of people seeking places
to play, enjoy the outdoors, including hunting and fishing, while less and less areas are available to them, it puts
tremendous pressure on what's left. So many places have already been regulated and restricted in an effort to
protect the environment. The West Coast Trail and Bowen Lakes are good examples. The Pitt will have to be regulated
and or restricted as well....just too many people with their toys now-a-days!

Sadly we always have bad apples ruining the barrel. Enforcement is needed everywhere but I don’t see that happening much either anymore.

[Big Lew]

Sadly we always have bad apples ruining the barrel. Enforcement is needed everywhere but I don’t see that happening much either anymore.

And that is the biggest part, other than common sense, of the problem. Just look at the way people drive
lately! Excessive speeding is just one issue, so many are purposely running stop lights and signs. As a former
commercial driving trainer and tester I just shake my head at what's happening out there. Even the private
training companies are teaching new drivers both illegal and poor driving habits. Hardly anyone is out there
enforcing even the basic rules which 'John Doe public' notices so it's a free for all and then they complain about
how high our insurance rates are.

[tubby]

This has more to do with two user groups having a complete monopoly of the upper Pitt so the only way to access it will be through them.

If conservation is a concern then there is more avenues to explore, however the clueless general public isnt looking for that.

[fuzzybiscuit]

If there is damage to spawning beds occurring and there is a conservation concern then I'm fine with shutting the river down to jet boats. But it needs to be shut down for all user groups including natives....and like that is ever going to happen.

[Ride Red]

Fisheries spent $2 million on the Upper Pitt River hatchery last year cleaning up and some storage facilities. When asked of what should be done for enhancement; the off the record comment was, Stop netting the rivers.

[knothead]

Here we go again, this was already tried by the lodge operator about ten years ago. I actually made it on global news as I and two buddies went by in our boats, they called us "jet boat rowdies".
Of course that was a business entrepreneur trying to stop them not a native so might be a little different this time.
Why don't they just shut it down to fishing all together then there would be very few boats making that extremely dangerous trip.

[Ride Red]

Here we go again, this was already tried by the lodge operator about ten years ago. I actually made it on global news as I and two buddies went by in our boats, they called us "jet boat rowdies".
Of course that was a business entrepreneur trying to stop them not a native so might be a little different this time.
Why don't they just shut it down to fishing all together then there would be very few boats making that extremely dangerous trip.

It’s only a dangerous trip if you make it one.

[Jack Russell]

Here we go again, this was already tried by the lodge operator about ten years ago. I actually made it on global news as I and two buddies went by in our boats, they called us "jet boat rowdies".
Of course that was a business entrepreneur trying to stop them not a native so might be a little different this time.
Why don't they just shut it down to fishing all together then there would be very few boats making that extremely dangerous trip.

Its only dangerous if you are ignorant of the possibilities and consequences, or try boating well above your actual ability (EGO), and don't care about anyone else on the river, if those kinds of people can even consider that somebody else may be on the water.
Logging in a spate valley has done the damage - thats obvious. Jet boats are red herring, and a lodge owner is looking for a monopolized use of a public area.

[knothead]

Its only dangerous if you are ignorant of the possibilities and consequences, or try boating well above your actual ability (EGO), and don't care about anyone else on the river, if those kinds of people can even consider that somebody else may be on the water.
Logging in a spate valley has done the damage - thats obvious. Jet boats are red herring, and a lodge owner is looking for a monopolized use of a public area.

Well I have made the trip many times in my boat and as a passenger in others boats and have come back with damage and without damage. I also know several guides that travel that river many times a season so I am not a 'nube' to the dangers.
Many very skilled and competent boaters have lost there boats and some their lives on the river and it happens, so to say 'it's only dangerous if you don't know what you're doing' is ridiculous.
That doesn't mean I think they should be banned but I am willing to accept the dangers and associated costs when I go up there as is my right.
As far as jet boats hurting the river in my opinion thats a ridiculous statement.
If you know anything about that river you know that any hard rain and especially the spring floods that happen up there tear that river apart so to think that a jet boat will do the same kind of damage shows your ignorance of the river.
Also in my experience jet boaters ,unless they have a very specific kind of boat, do no try to destroy their boats by running over gravel beds, they aim for the deepest water they can find.
Guides specifically are not up there to joy ride and test the limits of there boats, scaring the crap out of customers is not conducive to return clients and can consume many thousands of dollars in repair bills.

[Jack Russell]

Well I have made the trip many times in my boat and as a passenger in others boats and have come back with damage and without damage. I also know several guides that travel that river many times a season so I am not a 'nube' to the dangers.
Many very skilled and competent boaters have lost there boats and some their lives on the river and it happens, so to say 'it's only dangerous if you don't know what you're doing' is ridiculous.
That doesn't mean I think they should be banned but I am willing to accept the dangers and associated costs when I go up there as is my right.
As far as jet boats hurting the river in my opinion thats a ridiculous statement.
If you know anything about that river you know that any hard rain and especially the spring floods that happen up there tear that river apart so to think that a jet boat will do the same kind of damage shows your ignorance of the river.
Also in my experience jet boaters ,unless they have a very specific kind of boat, do no try to destroy their boats by running over gravel beds, they aim for the deepest water they can find.
Guides specifically are not up there to joy ride and test the limits of there boats, scaring the crap out of customers is not conducive to return clients and can consume many thousands of dollars in repair bills.
Wow I think you need to read my post. Jeezus.

[fuzzybiscuit]

I went out for a ride one day a few years back on the Athabasca River with a co-worker who just bought a new Firefish. He was hell-bent to pick the skinniest water and slide over gravel bars. Why not...he had a new $100,000 boat with full Teflon on it. We hit over and over and I kept warning him he'd be doing damage. But he wasn't stopping for anything and while I knew he was being way harder on his new boat than I'd ever think of being on my Explorer he wanted to go where he'd watch guys on Youtube go...

Long story short, we pulled the boat out and he needed a whole new Teflon bottom. It was wore right through in spots. fun ride but it cost him over 5 grand by the time he was done...

I don't think there are many guys who rip snort through the really shallow stuff to many times before they learn their lesson and as posted above most learn to pick the deepest water in the river..

[hawk-i]

I went out for a ride one day a few years back on the Athabasca River with a co-worker who just bought a new Firefish. He was hell-bent to pick the skinniest water and slide over gravel bars. Why not...he had a new $100,000 boat with full Teflon on it. We hit over and over and I kept warning him he'd be doing damage. But he wasn't stopping for anything and while I knew he was being way harder on his new boat than I'd ever think of being on my Explorer he wanted to go where he'd watch guys on Youtube go...

Long story short, we pulled the boat out and he needed a whole new Teflon bottom. It was wore right through in spots. fun ride but it cost him over 5 grand by the time he was done...

I don't think there are many guys who rip snort through the really shallow stuff to many times before they learn their lesson and as posted above most learn to pick the deepest water in the river..

Sharp edged bedrock is hard on teflon bottoms, round river rock isn't (only my experience with running a 1775 Extreme duty since 2009 though) :)

[Big Lew]

It makes sense that fishing and wilderness guides would want to keep other's from using "their" river, but
it also makes sense that some of the jet boaters are thrill seekers that do run over the shallow spawning
beds. There are more and more jet boats all through the country looking for places to explore, hunt, fish,
and to seek fun and adventure. Many of these jet boaters don't realize the potential damage they might be
causing to spawning beds. There has been restrictions and outright laws forbidding vehicles from running in
or even crossing fish bearing rivers and streams for many years for the same reason. It's only a matter of
time before rivers like the Pitt will also have restrictions or outright bans....but if so, it should include the guides
as well.