Government too slow in cleanup of the Cowichan

Sushihunter

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Thursday » July 17 » 2008

Government too slow in cleanup of the Cowichan

D.C. Reid
Times Colonist


Thursday, July 17, 2008


Question: What's happening with the diesel spill in the Cowichan?

Answer: it is being dealt with -- but too slow for some. It is amazing to see how quickly the feds and province have jumped in, bellowing and ringing their hands over the issue, when you consider the other massive problems around the province that are not being dealt with. Gordon Campbell's Liberals are presiding over the near extinction of steelhead in the province, the fish of legendary mystique -- and a true calamity. And DFO should be putting millions and millions into habitat for salmon spawning to save them. And, of course, the Cowichan River process for Chinook will take years to get anywhere.

Question: What about the 30,000 escaped Atlantic salmon?

Answer: The province says it is federal jurisdiction but fails to acknowledge that it licences the salmon 'farms'. Though the feds like to use the precautionary principle (i.e. lack of scientific evidence is not a reason not to deal with problems) when it serves their interests, they like to say that the science isn't in on this one yet. Brother, you should read about the economic boom and bust and destruction of pristine bays in Chile right this very minute. There is only one acceptable solution is: the fish should be in closed containers on land with proper sewage treatment along with removing all the chemicals put into the fish before the water is sent back to the ocean.

Question: What's this about DFO squashing a deal to allow sport fishermen to buy commercial halibut quota?

Answer: This is one of those subjects that has so many twists and turns you can hardly follow it. In summary, DFO gave halibut quote to more than 400 commercial boats for free. The industry, as economists like to say, became an oligarchy (like OPEC on oil), down to 232 boats, with many operators renting their free quota out to other boats for six figure incomes and working on their tans in Hawaii. The public who own the fish were ratcheted down to a 12 per-cent allocation, and the economists in Ottawa opined that we could get more by a market mechanism.

Because there is no group through which the money could flow from, say, individuals, there is no market mechanism, other than Ottawa deciding to hold the money, and getting whip sawed by commercial squabbling. It finally dawned on stakeholders, along with the Sport Fish Advisory Board, that buying up quota made a lot of sense, with the aim of acquiring more, and leasing it back to the commercial sector, and using that to buy up even more quota, a practice that would be win win win. Surprisingly, during report writing asked for by DFO, the commercial halibut fishermen felt this was a great way to move forward from this tricky argument-filled issue. Aboriginals are on-side, too.

So, what's the problem? Before receiving the requested report, ADM David Bevan rejected it. In other words, the senseless war among sectors resumes.

Question: I have a friend arriving in September. What fisheries are available?

Answer: September is a good month. Any resort on the west coast will be fishing for coho, springs and halibut, and there will be little traffic as after Labour Day, the fishing is hot but the crowds are not. Try Port Renfrew, Ucluelet, Tofino and Nootka Sound. The beaches from Naniamo to Campbell River will have pinks and coho. I have a new book that will help you, too.

The big rivers are the Campbell, Nitinat and Stamp. The latter two will be plugged with big springs and the first of the coho.

Question: George Bielay: what's a good fly line for summer?

Answer: The current Snowbee XS extreme distance floater is fabulous. Sixty foot head and a line as limp as it gets. If you can't handle such a long head, put out 40 feet and cast away. The new Beulah is also a stunner. Also purchase a quad system. Rio, Loop, Airflow, and now Sage (bought Rio) all have good quality quads. Buy expensive line: it delivers.

dcreid@catchsalmonbc.com

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Copyright © 2008 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.


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