Bull Trout and Athabaskas
 

Folks,

Copied this from the fishing section.

Alberta's Provincial fish, the Bull Trout, and the only species of Rainbow trout native to Alberta, the Athabasca Rainbow, are both listed as 'Threatened' by the province. On March 23rd the federal Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans announced that, on the advice of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, it would propose the addition of these species for addition protection under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) depending on input from the public. Listing under SARA would add federal support for their recovery with a focus on habitat restoration. A number of angling and wildlife organizations are looking at sending letters of support, some with conditions attached, but numbers matter to politicians and emails from individual anglers are sometimes as or more effective.
There's a deadline for comment - April 22nd - and a requirement: "Interested persons may make representations concerning the proposed Order within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be addressed to Julie Stewart, Director, Species at Risk Program, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6 (fax: 613‑990‑4810; email: SARA_LEP@dfo-mpo.gc.ca)"

The proposed Order can be found at:

http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2019/2.../reg1-eng.html

The proposed designation poses a number of questions:

1) will there be closed waters
2) in waters where these trout exist, will fishing and not retention be allowed
3) incidental catches may occur causing harassment or death
4) what effect will the listing have on other users like forestry, drilling, quads
5) what efforts will be undertaken to rectify past issues like hanging culverts and the like.
6) will Anglers be allowed to target these species.

Lots of things to think about.

Don

Agree re. questions, Don, but there won't be an answer for at least a year. The process, as I understand it, is that after taking into consideration comments received in this final opportunity for feedback, the Governor in Council will publish the final order to Canada Gazette II,(probably about June) after which it will immediately come into force. I don't have any doubt that it will happen. DFO then has a year to develop a recovery strategy for each species in conjunction with the province, any affected landowners, etc. Then there's a 60 day period for public feedback on the strategy. After that there should be answers. Hopefully there will opportunity for anglers and others to provide input in developing those recovery strategies. Think it's worth requesting that if nothing else.

Ah ha, the process of Govt.
so in about <> 2 years something may happen.
Oh well, the Bulls have waited and waited..... 25 years since they were officially recognized as in trouble.


http://www.calgaryherald.com/technol...094/story.html

Thankfully Fisheries doesn’t run the fire department.

Don

This is great but a little worrisome because of what other parties can and may use something like this as ammunition for.
If it gets the fish more protection without taking more rights and fishable locations away from fisherman, i'm all for it. I know my particular view won't be popular on this, but as far Bull's and most waters around here go, I think the trout keep should be cut to 0, and the whitefish keep cut by half. With the rest of the closures in the province, I think our rivers in the West Country are going to get smashed up hard.
If it doesn't get more protection from Bull poachers, we're going to have a situation like the '80's of beautiful, crystal-clear, fishless friggin' water.

In some jurisdictions they will prohibit targeting a specific species. Alberta will just shut them all down like the Pembina. The managers here dont care two whits about the recreational angler.

Make sure to let the feds know what your opinion is and why, otherwise it won't be considered in the decision. The Governor in Council on the advice of the Minister has the power to exempt angling (with certain conditions) from specific prohibitions in the Act. Let him know why you think he should!

I’m caught on the horns of a dilemma.

On one band Anglers should lead the way in the protection of our fisheries.

And on the other,

Anglers have paid the price through reduced limits from 15>10>5>2>1> 0. So where do Anglers go after 0.
In contrast, the others users of the land base have increased their activities.

So, do Anglers continue to get punished while others get a bye.

Still pondering.


Don

It’s a problem with a basket full of causes. The solution is multi-faceted and not easy. Restrictions on oil and gas, forestry and agriculture have been heresy to a province hungry for growth. It sucks that our fisheries are collateral sacrifices. What does it gain us to increase GDP and lose an irreplaceable resource and a heritage in the process? On the other hand, what’s to be gained by fishing for remnants? Don, you say we’ve been asked to give up a lot. Perhaps. Or perhaps we really got our cake and have eaten it too. Maybe the real, hard losses are still to come.

I don’t know how hard we’re going to have to work to reverse the trend. What I do know is that I’ve never heard of a fishing club staging a protest at a hanging culvert or blocking a sediment-puking lease road, but I’ve heard lots of complaints about reduced bag limits.

Winddeoft,

You are bang on right. Watching the posts on forums give a real clue of Anglers thoughts. As I pointed out to a friend the day, the real concerned in Alberta couldn’t fill a school bus.
The rest seem to be all excited by the newest fly/lure, access, new spot to plunder and on and on.
The Anglers attitude has allowed the god awful situation we have today.

Don

This link is from 2012, maybe nothings have improved, lets hope

Angler's Attitude
 

100% agree, Don!

JP

Angler apathy
 

There's a bit in Jim McLennan's book Trout Streams of Alberta about when he went to New Zealand and it was an eye opener. The guides weren't obsessed with the latest gear or pattern, their first love was still with the rivers and the trout in them.
Maybe this has changed as the book is from a different Era of fly fishing, but what would it take to get back to that sort of attitude?

Old timers versus new comers. I noticed a real bad shift after the movie River Runs Through It. Suddenly the rivers became choked with people flailing away trying to cast 100 feet, all dressed like extras from a bad movie, Twins go Fly Fishing or something.

Ah yes, the classic "back in my day" and "a river runs through it ruined fly fishing". Younger generations are doing more for the rivers and getting involved into protecting our environment than ever before. Open your eyes.

Sick of your crap Don. Anglers are the only ones who have lost anything, while others get to do whatever? Give your head a shake. Your nonsense is getting old...

Lmao. Go get some help for your mental health dude. Must have to get this guy and a few others on here a " Hurt Feelings"form.

Huh? Sorry I had to put ya in your place buds.

That movie was 28yrs ago lol

You read that and drew that conclusion? Huh?

When looking at the damage it has primarily been caused by poor regulations, enforcement and angling. Next is logging and agriculture/grazing and then oil and gas.

Regulations for ever were all about the meat and not about conservation and longevity of the fish resource. I know because I was in that circle for a time.

Enforcement is a joke. Not the boots on the ground but rather lack thereof. Sure it sounds great having a report a poacher number but who doesn’t find bait packages in bait free areas?

Angling...over retention when people see the decline is greed pure and simple. We have to burden some responsibility.

Logging time and time again releases soil into streams and rivers. Opens up areas to illegal off-roading and gives access everywhere to fishing. Higher fishing pressure destroys fisheries when regs don’t account for it. People are lazy and rarely walk far to fish. Road culverts need to be installed properly to prevent migration blockages.

Agricultural runoff is horrible to fisheries as are cows walking in streams and rivers. Seen it. Gross and destructive. Only fencing helps mitigate cows.

Oil and gas same as logging for opening up access. Same as logging for culverts.

Blame game is great on this thread but people is the root cause. I hope catch and release is the most restrictive this issue gets.

Can you read? How is your comprehension of what you read? Seems a bit slow to me...

Don has stated many times that anglers constantly lose out while others get to do whatever they want. Anglers are not the only ones who have lost out, period. Everyone who enjoys the outdoors is losing, and losing rapidly.

Don’t care if you can’t understand, Don’s crap is getting old. Sick of these “higher than everyone” fly fishermen’s attitudes, it’s getting old...

Elitist nonsense like Don’s hurts us all...

Whoo there Crazy,


Bull Trout were in difficulty as evidenced by the regulation changes in 1984.
Since 1984, quads showed up in mass and two major Forest Agreements covering nearly all of the southern Eastern Slopes were put into place.
So from the early ‘70’s to 1984 a number of fishing regulation changes occurred.
And you are right. Impacts on resources cause all of us to lose.
The Pembina and Falls Creek are now closed to angling. Other user groups are still there.


Don

Couldn’t agree more. This right here is what’s wrong with conservation in Alberta!

BW