I have tried to keep this information out from under the public microscope, but I have not received a response from Dean Werk regarding the following two emails, as well as online website text communications where I asked that this false information be corrected and removed from his website.
The emails I sent are as follows:
Sent - December 21, 2012
Hi Dean,
I received your email as part of the notification group you have on your web site. To be very honest with you, I am both shocked and saddened to see that you are using "tail length" rather than "fork length" within your advertising to promote your business. While this may be of benefit to your business, there are other very serious implications to consider.
The financial supporters of public sponsored organizations, that are heavily involved within the sturgeon recovery program, have inquired about both your reported 11'6" and 12'4" catch's only to find that they are NOT what you are publicly advertising them as due to the way they are measured. The problem this causes has to do with the credibility of those organizations and what is being reported to them. Some have even threatened to withdraw their support due to, what they consider, false or misleading information.
I would hope that you would correct this on your site immediately to avoid any further need to address this in a more public venue.
Stewart
Sent - December 27, 2012
Hi Dean,
I sent you this email earlier and have no response from you regarding this matter.
If you do not respond to me and correct this matter before 5:00 on Monday I will have no choice but to go public with the correct measurement information as I believe your false advertising does nothing but be harmful to both the industry and the sturgeon recovery programs.
Stewart
What is at stake here is far beyond what most consider just false advertising.
For the record, let me clarify that the Sturgeon caught and reported by Dean Werk to public media as being 12' 4" long was in reality only 10' 8" long. (That is the difference between the proper "fork length" measurement of a fish and the wrongful "tip measurement" used by Dean Werk to exagerate this catch).
This false information not only brings into question the validity of information being recorded and provided by guides, who are a key element in providing both catch and tagging information, but also raisies concern and questions as to the accuracy of the other data collected and made public within the entire sturgeon recovery program.
Although, as noted correctly by Sarah Schreier, Executive Director of the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society, within the news paper article "River Sturgeon Number Decline" (Vancouver Sun dated December 24, 2012) .....
The emails I sent are as follows:
Sent - December 21, 2012
Hi Dean,
I received your email as part of the notification group you have on your web site. To be very honest with you, I am both shocked and saddened to see that you are using "tail length" rather than "fork length" within your advertising to promote your business. While this may be of benefit to your business, there are other very serious implications to consider.
The financial supporters of public sponsored organizations, that are heavily involved within the sturgeon recovery program, have inquired about both your reported 11'6" and 12'4" catch's only to find that they are NOT what you are publicly advertising them as due to the way they are measured. The problem this causes has to do with the credibility of those organizations and what is being reported to them. Some have even threatened to withdraw their support due to, what they consider, false or misleading information.
I would hope that you would correct this on your site immediately to avoid any further need to address this in a more public venue.
Stewart
Sent - December 27, 2012
Hi Dean,
I sent you this email earlier and have no response from you regarding this matter.
If you do not respond to me and correct this matter before 5:00 on Monday I will have no choice but to go public with the correct measurement information as I believe your false advertising does nothing but be harmful to both the industry and the sturgeon recovery programs.
Stewart
What is at stake here is far beyond what most consider just false advertising.
For the record, let me clarify that the Sturgeon caught and reported by Dean Werk to public media as being 12' 4" long was in reality only 10' 8" long. (That is the difference between the proper "fork length" measurement of a fish and the wrongful "tip measurement" used by Dean Werk to exagerate this catch).
This false information not only brings into question the validity of information being recorded and provided by guides, who are a key element in providing both catch and tagging information, but also raisies concern and questions as to the accuracy of the other data collected and made public within the entire sturgeon recovery program.
Although, as noted correctly by Sarah Schreier, Executive Director of the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society, within the news paper article "River Sturgeon Number Decline" (Vancouver Sun dated December 24, 2012) .....
Two sturgeon measuring 3.25 m and 3.21 m were caught and released earlier in the year.
A sturgeon weighing 500 kilos and 3.40 m in length was landed by a sport fisherman near Chilliwack in September. It was the fourth largest sturgeon recorded in the 12-year study period.
..... Dean Werk continues to use this false information today in his advertising and for the sole benefit of his business. Yes, it may be hard for him to explain to these customers that their 12'4" sturgeon was in fact only 10'8" long. There may be a little back pedaling involved. Maybe a bit of explaining to do. But ...........
The BIGGEST QUESTION remains unanswered and that is ................... WHY DEAN, WHY?
Stewart
A sturgeon weighing 500 kilos and 3.40 m in length was landed by a sport fisherman near Chilliwack in September. It was the fourth largest sturgeon recorded in the 12-year study period.
..... Dean Werk continues to use this false information today in his advertising and for the sole benefit of his business. Yes, it may be hard for him to explain to these customers that their 12'4" sturgeon was in fact only 10'8" long. There may be a little back pedaling involved. Maybe a bit of explaining to do. But ...........
The BIGGEST QUESTION remains unanswered and that is ................... WHY DEAN, WHY?
Stewart
