Hi Watershed Watch
I suggest you have
a member who fishes get on the Sport Fish Advisory Board. The purpose would be
to gain knowledge of how things actually work with respect to sport fishing.
Another thing to
remember is that it is primarily sport fishers who undertake the largest role
in putting on their gumboots and going into rivers for freshwater habitat
restoration.
Also, the sport
fishery is far larger than the rest of the salmon sectors in terms of jobs and
revenue. Many of these have failed in the past two years because of closures,
and many have lost jobs.
And, yes, last
summer there were a lot more chinook in the waters than predicted. This led to
distrust of DFO, who many see as the reason for 50 years of mismanagement and
threatening most chinook, and coho in the Strait of Georgia since the 1990s to
the point where many stocks are in crisis.
You might consider
getting a member on the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the most important body for
habitat restoration. Also, with the new structure, the Wild Salmon Advisory
Committee, along with the PSF have the financial muscle to do habitat. This
means that in due course, the province of BC has the basis to get on with the
jobs that DFO has been remiss on.
Just a thought.
DC (Dennis) Reid
