[dbaayens]

Yeti - Thanks for doing the work to convince yourself that the information used to close our streams is primarily based on a best guess… which is what can be concluded from review of “A Generic Rule Set for Applying the Alberta Fish Sustainability Index, Second Edition.” And for sharing that with everyone here. I think that the FSI is a good start to help determine where to direct further investigation, but it falls short of being convincing enough to determine drastic management options. We are not convinced that closures are necessary and are not at all pleased at the overall lack of consultation.

The way this initiative has been rolled out has caused a lot of undue stress for anglers, biologists and former biologists. These people are generally the strongest supporters of fisheries initiatives. It has gotten to a point where it is disrespectful. When this all started I immediately made a big stink and I seriously thought that those concerns would be addressed at the open houses, but instead the FSI and the closures were defended and attention deflected to habitat – obviously it’s not you anglers, it’s them. But, no it’s all of us and we need to work together to fix the problems. I haven’t got a problem at all with stopping angling in a place where I think I have a significant negative affect. Seriously, no problem, but I need to deal in a world of facts. Fisheries management needs to cut the crap and stop trying to defend the FSI. Mostly qualitative… too much potential for BS. We want the plan for baseline assessments (prior to closing any fishery) and the focus for habitat restoration, so we can help where we can… lots of us are in industry and can make plays… but not when we are being played.

Here’s some food for thought. The first thing I said, was if bull trout are in trouble, why don’t we transplant them over the chutes of the Ram. It’s colder with great habitat, no brook trout and a massive amount of water (probably more than 100 km) which could support a big population that could provide a great deal of recruitment to the North Saskatchewan population. If you did it right you could also ensure genetic variability that has been lost by using source stocks from Rocky Creek (Clearwater River), Colt Creek (Nordegg River), Brown Creek (Blackstone River) and Falls Creek (Ram River). This idea ensures long term sustainability… why is this being ignored? Doesn’t this sound like native fish conservation? Hold the phone, I’m a former fisheries technician so my ideas really don’t count. I’m not doing this because I’m making a point, making a comeback in fisheries, I’m doing it because I try to tell people the truth as I see it and what is going on does not appear to be legit… and it is bad for angling in this province.