Bull Trout Species at Risk Listing

[WhitefishLady]

Hi guys

I posted this in the fishing forum as well.

Bull trout are being considered as an addition to the federal Species of Risk Act which would give them additonal legal protection. This is only the Saskachewan basin populations (i.e., Bow, Oldman, Red Deer, NSask, etc).

https://www.registrelep-sararegistry...documentID=881

Just an FYI, they are requesting comments and they are due by July 15.

I don't feel this would impact our ability to fish for them, it is more so habitat protection from industrial/agricultural development (which is the main issue). Angling is more regulated by the province and bull trout are already listed provincially. Could potentially lead to a few more key spawning streams closing for angling but that would be it in my opinion. Westslope cutthroat trout have recently been added to the Species at Risk and as far as I know, there haven't been any impacts to angling. Personally I think this would be a positive thing and is a long time coming.

Not trying to start a debate or anything just letting everyone know so they can comment if they want.

[goldscud]

Good thing they logged in the upper Oldman area already. Might miss out on taking some trees. Too bad the main spawning creek got filled with sediment. Lumber is apparently more important than Bull trout

[Marty S]

But people that fish out west tell me all kinds of tales that the bull trout are out of control and they've eaten all the cutthroats and rainbows. These are the guys that pound the upper "Saskatchewan" waters with their fly rods. So this species at risk business sounds like horse crap.

Let's hear it fly fishers... If so, you better write letters.

[J D]

Bull trout are a species that causes mixed feelings among fishermen. Some enjoy targeting them and respect bull trout as a native species. Others freak out about there predatory nature and the fact they will eat cutties and rainbows. I often find those who proffer to target cutties and rainbows often freak out about systems with healthy bull populations and would like to see a catch and keep fishery or a cull like the old days.

As for a species at risk well bulls inhabited more systems and in greater numbers in the past. But do to habitat destruction, poor management of bulls and eradication attempts in the past they are not as common. I would say some western populations are doing well and have improved. Well, there are other systems bulls in habituated in the past hold very low numbers or they are absent.

I would say provincially they are at risk but in some systems bulls are healthy and doing well. In my honest opinion they are a species that is improving in some areas and struggling in others.

As someone who holds a lot of respect and enjoys this species I would like to see efforts to keep improving there populations. This is a species where man truly screwed up with in the past with big impacts on there populations

[Myles]

Originally Posted by Marty S

But people that fish out west tell me all kinds of tales that the bull trout are out of control and they've eaten all the cutthroats and rainbows. These are the guys that pound the upper "Saskatchewan" waters with their fly rods. So this species at risk business sounds like horse crap.

Let's hear it fly fishers... If so, you better write letters.

http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife...gementPlan.pdf

Marty, the management plan tells a different story. Read the executive summary. The upper reaches represent their last stronghold. We should be thankful they are up there or we wouldn't be catching them at all.

[WhitefishLady]

Bull trout and cutthroat trout evolved together and have lived together for 1000s of years before we messed with things. So they are in no sense "out of control". Did you know that bull trout used to be captured as far downstream as Calgary and Edmonton?

Rainbow trout are not native to most Alberta waters (only native to upper Athabaskan system) so chow down my bull trout friends

I respect people have different opinions on the matter but it is important to at least educate yourself first. Reading the managent plan is a good start. Thanks for posting Myles.

I will for sure be writing in a response.

[goldscud]

Years of poaching have hammered Bull trout stocks in the Highwood and Elbow drainages. They used to be quite plentiful 30 years ago.

[pipercub17]

I would say they are at risk for sure
Like whitefishlady said they used to be found quite often in the lower portions of our rivers near Edmonton and calgary tell the dams went up
If the dams where gone it would sure help them ..logging and oil field work sure hasn't helped them either !

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by J D

Bull trout are a species that causes mixed feelings among fishermen. Some enjoy targeting them and respect bull trout as a native species. Others freak out about there predatory nature and the fact they will eat cutties and rainbows. I often find those who proffer to target cutties and rainbows often freak out about systems with healthy bull populations and would like to see a catch and keep fishery or a cull like the old days.

Not an attitude I like to see, but typical of so many. "I like to hunt or fish for species X, so we must kill anything that competes with me or species X." Kill the bears, wolves, coyotes, crows, bull trout, pike. Create a mono-culture of game animals we like.

I've only caught one bull trout in my life. I wouldn't mind some more. All trout are good trout (and char).

[Bron]

Originally Posted by Marty S

But people that fish out west tell me all kinds of tales that the bull trout are out of control and they've eaten all the cutthroats and rainbows. These are the guys that pound the upper "Saskatchewan" waters with their fly rods. So this species at risk business sounds like horse crap.

Let's hear it fly fishers... If so, you better write letters.

I'm from the Kootenays. The rivers that have the healthiest bull populations also have the best cuttie populations. You do the math.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by pipercub17

I would say they are at risk for sure
Like whitefishlady said they used to be found quite often in the lower portions of our rivers near Edmonton and calgary tell the dams went up
If the dams where gone it would sure help them ..logging and oil field work sure hasn't helped them either !

The dams were a big contributing factor. The NSR is now considered a warm water stream below the clearwater river by Rocky Mtn. House. Before the dams were built the river had more cold water in its lower reaches.