Governments have a difficult time getting their good deeds recognized. That's because when they issue news releases, jaded observers start looking for the negative news not reported in them. In the alternative, spouting good news about government often leads the opposition party to say the party in power is misusing its power over the bureaucracy to benefit itself politically.
So I would like to take this column to single out some good news from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Two documents arrived in the post this past week: 2009-10 Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement Branch Directory; and; Streamtalk. You can receive the first document from Jeff Jung in Vancouver at: [email protected]; the second can be received by e-mail from Joanne Day at the DFO in Vancouver: [email protected].
The directory lists the stewardship, Streamkeepers and education projects in B.C. and the Yukon. Its main purpose is to bring every project together in one booklet with contact information for each. If you have an interest in helping out a particular stock of salmon, I'm sure a local project in your area would love to hear of it. Volunteers willing to don rubber boots and work in the rain are highly prized.
The directory lists about 500 projects across the province, a large and positive number indeed. All those beach fisheries between Qualicum and Campbell River that draw hundreds of anglers each summer are here. As are the expanded pink salmon net pen projects that are headed Victoria and Sidney way in the near future; Cowichan Bay should have its first pink returns this summer, and Nanaimo Harbour its third return. There are more than 40 projects in the CRD and north to Duncan, including more than 80 classroom incubators in the Victoria area alone. Impressive.
The Shawnigan Creek project moved more than 300 coho up above the falls from a zero start. Sooke Salmon Enhancement has been going now for more than 30 years; the same can be said for the Cowichan Tribes: Cowichan River Hatchery. The Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society for the diminutive Douglas Creek actually got some coho strays to move in and set up shop after cleaning up the creek bed and removing blockages on the beach access.
Unlike the directory which is a cumulative list, StreamTalk is a quarterly newsy publication that updates various projects around the province. At the moment they are featuring the B.C. Marine Mammal Response working to ameliorate threats to large marine mammals, and are looking for volunteers. Contact Lisa Spaven at: 250-756-7230; or, [email protected].
One of the articles notes that some volunteers go on to give huge service to the public. One such individual is: Grant Anderson. He began with a volunteer hatchery for coho and chum on Monkey Creek in 1985. It was expanded to include the Mahatta River and Klootchlimmis watershed. After five years Anderson joined the North Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Association; this supported enhancement in the Quatse, O'Connor Lake netpens, Cluxewe, Waukwaas, Washlawlis, Stephens, Nahwitte and Keogh. Handling a cumulative annual budget of $500,000 the association has produced more than 65 million salmonids since 1983. Then Anderson and his wife, Debbie, took over management of the Marble River Hatchery, and then supplied Quatsino Lodge with springs in a netpen operation. Lodge clients now feed the springs they will catch three years down the road.
One program in the current issue of StreamTalk that looks very cool is the Salmon Enhancement Program workshop on the May long weekend in Maple Ridge. This three day event costs a measly $35 registration and gives you free meals. The website is: workshop.pskf.ca, with workshop information from Dave Smith at: [email protected]. The workshop is for both kids and adults and has activities of easy interest to both, along with more workshop presentations for adults than you can possibly attend.
Everything here is laudable; these are positive ways to use public taxpayer dollars. The DFO has gotten the news out about its good things. Please do your fish-catching karma and our salmon a favour, and get involved.
