Conservation Measures for Northern and Southern BC Chinook Salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whale

letter-to-the-editor-2828734_large.jpg

letter to the editor

I have watched from the comfort of my home – this from Ottawa and DFO: “Robust, science-based, coherent measures to protect these highly endangered North Atlantic right whales; we’re really playing Russian roulette with the entire future of the Canadian fish and seafood industry,” Mr. LeBlanc (the fisheries minister) was quoted as saying.

Very strong words, but wait a minute – don’t we live in Canada? What about our Charter of Rights and Freedoms? The right to participate in political activities and the right to a democratic government?

In a democratic country, all eligible citizens have the right to participate, either directly or indirectly in making the decisions that affect them.

Here in Nova Scotia, we have a signed memorandum of understanding respecting coastal and oceans management in Nova Scotia with Ottawa. These documents stress the need for collaboration with the Government of Canada and will improve management and protection of Nova Scotia’s coastal and ocean resources.

Also in Nova Scotia there is a Standing Committee of Resources, that considers matters that are under the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. An emergency meeting can be called when an issue requires urgent intervention.

My above few words clearly point out a major decision has been made by Ottawa, DFO, to protect the whales that will have lasting effect, not only on New Brunswick fisheries but Atlantic wide.

For four decades I personally fished for lobster and never witnessed lobster gear tangled with a whale, but more importantly, never have I heard a story or any fisher talk about such an event.

I watched as MFU representatives and fishers in New Brunswick requested that Minister Dominic LeBlanc consider a proposal that would allow fishing close to the shore in northeastern New Brunswick, which he rejected. And on the day I wrote this letter, June 19, I witnessed the first closure of its kind in the Bay of Fundy off Grand Manan.

Let’s break this down: DFO spots a whale, closes the fishery.

People, industry leaders, all government leaders, the Mi’kmaq community and all politicians (municipal, provincial, federal), should take the initiative to stand up and support the fishers effected by these closures.

One of my early leadership lessons was, “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu!”

Local knowledge must play a large part in finding a solution to the whales’ migration patterns. History is clearly on the side of local knowledge and common sense.

The lobster industry in Nova Scotia is the economic engine that drives rural Nova Scotia. If a whale is spotted during open lobster season in early December or mid May, closures will likely happen under the present DFO guidelines.

Think about it – many businesses, the car/truck dealerships, for just one example, will feel it within the first week. It’s time to stand up, shoulder to shoulder, with New Brunswick and Grand Manan fishers.

Fixed gear sectors can co-exist with whales. The solution must be found to allow excess to historical fishing grounds.

The fisheries need to be consulted. The time is now for collaboration. Our constitution sets out the fundamental principles for Canadians in rural Atlantic provinces to have a say in major decisions which impact their livelihood and yes, we can help the whales in the process.

Sterling Belliveau,

Shelburne County,

Former Nova Scotia fisheries minister
 
The Maritimers have always been more active and violent in their protests against Ottawa and FN.
Not that it really solved much, I guess they got a fisheries minister or two.
 
OldBlackDog said:
letter-to-the-editor-2828734_large.jpg

letter to the editor

I have watched from the comfort of my home – this from Ottawa and DFO: “Robust, science-based, coherent measures to protect these highly endangered North Atlantic right whales; we’re really playing Russian roulette with the entire future of the Canadian fish and seafood industry,” Mr. LeBlanc (the fisheries minister) was quoted as saying.

Very strong words, but wait a minute – don’t we live in Canada? What about our Charter of Rights and Freedoms? The right to participate in political activities and the right to a democratic government?

In a democratic country, all eligible citizens have the right to participate, either directly or indirectly in making the decisions that affect them.

Here in Nova Scotia, we have a signed memorandum of understanding respecting coastal and oceans management in Nova Scotia with Ottawa. These documents stress the need for collaboration with the Government of Canada and will improve management and protection of Nova Scotia’s coastal and ocean resources.

Also in Nova Scotia there is a Standing Committee of Resources, that considers matters that are under the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. An emergency meeting can be called when an issue requires urgent intervention.

My above few words clearly point out a major decision has been made by Ottawa, DFO, to protect the whales that will have lasting effect, not only on New Brunswick fisheries but Atlantic wide.

For four decades I personally fished for lobster and never witnessed lobster gear tangled with a whale, but more importantly, never have I heard a story or any fisher talk about such an event.

I watched as MFU representatives and fishers in New Brunswick requested that Minister Dominic LeBlanc consider a proposal that would allow fishing close to the shore in northeastern New Brunswick, which he rejected. And on the day I wrote this letter, June 19, I witnessed the first closure of its kind in the Bay of Fundy off Grand Manan.

Let’s break this down: DFO spots a whale, closes the fishery.

People, industry leaders, all government leaders, the Mi’kmaq community and all politicians (municipal, provincial, federal), should take the initiative to stand up and support the fishers effected by these closures.

One of my early leadership lessons was, “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu!”

Local knowledge must play a large part in finding a solution to the whales’ migration patterns. History is clearly on the side of local knowledge and common sense.

The lobster industry in Nova Scotia is the economic engine that drives rural Nova Scotia. If a whale is spotted during open lobster season in early December or mid May, closures will likely happen under the present DFO guidelines.

Think about it – many businesses, the car/truck dealerships, for just one example, will feel it within the first week. It’s time to stand up, shoulder to shoulder, with New Brunswick and Grand Manan fishers.

Fixed gear sectors can co-exist with whales. The solution must be found to allow excess to historical fishing grounds.

The fisheries need to be consulted. The time is now for collaboration. Our constitution sets out the fundamental principles for Canadians in rural Atlantic provinces to have a say in major decisions which impact their livelihood and yes, we can help the whales in the process.

Sterling Belliveau,

Shelburne County,

Former Nova Scotia fisheries minister
Click to expand...

Total nonsense ..... It's clickbait for the website or the opinion of a clueless commercial lobster fisher turned failed politician. Even someone with just a little bit of knowledge of google search can turn up evidence that this is complete BS.

"An unprecedented fifteen North Atlantic right whale mortalities were documented in 2017, representing nearly 3% of the population. This, coupled with the decline in reproductive output by 40% since 2010 (Kraus et al. 2016), threatens the very survival of this species. To date, anthropogenic factors, including entanglement in fixed fishing gear and vessel strikes, have been implicated in seven of the fifteen recent mortalities. It is clear that current management regulations have not been effective at reducing serious entanglement injuries (Pace et al. 2014) and since 2010, entanglement related deaths accounted for 85% of diagnosed mortalities (Kraus et al. 2016). Additionally, entanglements reduce survival probability over time for right whales and moderate and severe injuries from entanglement are increasing (Robbins et al. 2015; Knowlton et al. 2016). Although several large scale management efforts to mitigate vessel strikes, including shifts in traffic separation schemes in the Bay of Fundy (2003) and Boston (2007), the designation of the Roseway Basin (2007) and Great South Channel Areas to be Avoided (2009), and the ship speed restriction rule implemented in 2008, have previously been shown to be successful (Laist et al. 2014), vessel strikes have been implicated in two mortalities in and around Cape Cod Bay, U.S., and at least four mortalities in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, since May 2016. These mortalities call into question the effectiveness of existing spatial and temporal seasonal management areas in the U.S. and suggest the immediate need for vessel strike mitigation implementation in Canada. Timely and effective efforts to reduce both entanglement and vessel strike mortalities must be a priority for both the U.S. and Canada if this species is to survive. "
https://www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2017_report_cardfinal.pdf

If anyone is interested in these whales info can be found here.

"There are 451 North Atlantic Right Whales Left in the World
Started in 1986 as a collaborative data sharing group, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) has grown to include more than 200 individuals from various research and conservation organizations, shipping and fishing industries, technical experts, U.S. and Canadian government agencies, and state and provincial authorities, all of whom are dedicated to the conservation and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale. The Consortium is internationally recognized and has been identified as a model for establishing other species-related consortia."
https://www.narwc.org/


Annual reports are here.
https://www.narwc.org/report-cards.html
 
This thread is dead and has failed to get back on topic more then a few time @Admin can you lock it and or sticky it if you feel people need to read it.

The dead horse has been kick around enough
 
Back on track - this thread is all about conservation measures for SRKW. Potentially coming to an area you fish soon...Fin Fish Closures from Long Beach, South Bank, Big Bank, Rats Nose all the way to Swiftsure.

As everyone will recall, there was an extensive consultation process prior to the Recreational Fishery closures long called for by the Green ENGO groups. Despite a lot of good proposals to create win/win solutions, the Minister moved ahead with closures even more restrictive than was put up for discussion in the public consultation process. Politically motivated!

Now we are being "consulted" again, same process same outcome. They are now talking about designating the area from Long Beach all the way to Swiftsure. So as you can expect, the token consultation process will churn out the predictable end result - expanded area closures. This will include Big Bank, Long Beach, South Bank, Rats Nose, all the way to Swiftsure.

The science they are using to justify the expansion is they have some passive acoustic monitoring data for Swiftsure showing whales are present 43% of the time they were monitoring this area. As for LaPerouse - no monitoring...just an assumption that because these areas are good salmon areas for commercial and recreational anglers they must therefore be of critical importance to whales...the only problem is the scientists can't find much observation data to show whales are there....that is because they are not using this area. I fish there extensively and have only on very rare occasion seen killer whales - they simply do not use this habitat, and yet DFO science takes the "don't confuse me with facts" approach and adopts "assumption based science."

Get ready for area fin fish closures all the way from Long Beach down to Swiftsure.

You can go online and use the feedback form - write anything. It takes no time at all...3 basic questions. Please note - deadline for feedback is JULY 11

Here's some speaking points to consider:


· “B.C.’s tidal water recreational fishery, combined with the freshwater fishery, is the largest and most valuable in Canada, valued at $18 billion annually. DFO issues over 350,000 tidal licences per year collecting $7.3 million in fees and the fishery employs around 8,400 British Columbian’s (as of 2012).”

· Area SRKW Refuge Recreational Fin Fish Closures will cause significant socio-economic harm destroying jobs and economic spin off activities in small coastal communities like Ucluelet, Port Alberni, Bamfield, Port Renfrew, Sooke and Victoria.

· Killer whales are only very rarely present on LaPerouse Bank, and there is no documented evidence from passive acoustic monitoring to clearly demonstrate this is actually critical habitat. DFO science is making an assumption that because areas of LaPerouse Bank are important areas for commercial and recreational Chinook fishing that they area similarly important to killer whales.

· According to Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), killer whales are only present on Swiftsure Bank 43% of monitored days between May to September – broad Area Refuge closures impact recreational fishing opportunity during significant periods where the whales are not present.

· There is no comparative analysis that demonstrates the effectiveness of Area Closure vs a mobile “bubble” strategy

· More effort is required to scientifically determine if indeed there is any less benefit to be achieved using a “bubble” strategy which is less impactful – striking a balance between protection and economic activity

· In the past ______ years, I have fished areas of LaPerouse Bank, and observed killer whales only ____ times. (your observations are very important)

· In the past ______years, I have fished areas of Swiftsure Bank, and observed killer whales only ____times. (your observations are very important)

· Given these observations, there is little scientific data to support expanding the critical habitat areas, especially on LaPerouse Bank where killer whales are very rarely encountered and there is no scientific evidence to support DFO Science claims.




External review of the critical habitat section of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada
Current status: Open
Public consultation opened on June 12 2018 and will be closed to new input on July 11 2018.


Why we are seeking input?
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) would like your feedback on the revised critical habitat section (section 7) of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) draft Amended Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada.

Who we are seeking input from?
Indigenous peoples, stakeholders, ENGOs, other government agencies, researchers, and interested individuals are invited to provide feedback on the critical habitat section (section 7) of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy.

Key points for discussion
  • The draft Amended Recovery Strategy updates the critical habitat for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales based on new science advice
  • It identifies two additional areas of special importance as proposed critical habitat for Resident Killer Whales. These include:
    • waters on the continental shelf off southwestern Vancouver Island, including Swiftsure and La Pérouse Banks (important for both Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales)
    • waters of west Dixon Entrance, along the north coast of Graham Island from Langara to Rose Spit (important for Northern Resident Killer Whales)
  • The amendment also provides clarification of the functions, features and attributes for all critical habitat identified for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales
How to provide input
The deadline for submitting comments on section 7 (critical habitat) of the draft Amended Recovery Strategy is July 11, 2018. Please note, feedback is only being sought on section 7 (pages 55 to 68); feedback on other sections will not be considered at this time. If you choose to submit comments, please use the online comment form.

After we have received your feedback and finalized the draft Amended Recovery Strategy, a proposed document will be posted to the SARA Public Registry for a 60-day public comment period. The Government of Canada will then have 30 days to incorporate comments before posting the final document on the Species at Risk Public Registry.

Related material
 
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Why do I feel like a mushroom. Kept in the dark and living on the horsesh*t I was fed a month ago.... Unbelievable the lack of communication.
 
what horse **** would u have been fed last month? the total ambush that we got... feel pretty much the same as u like all the rest of us
 
So how do we get info of what’s going on and what kind of action is being taken?

I joined SFI and went to my last local meeting but I have no clue what’s happening and haven’t received any emails.
 
Cryptic messages do not instill confidence. Communication is key to using the collective strength of sport fishers. I am sure the existing organizations are working to address the issues however if we do not know the approach and plan the opportunity for widespread support is not realized. A review of the other groups websites and social media illustrates how their goals and objectives are clearly identified and easily understood by both members and the public. This is not criticism of those who are working on behalf of sport fishers, simply an observation that to date we are not a significant or respected part of the SKRW consultation process with DFO.
 
Well I do hope something is being done but the longer we wait isnt good , businesses are hurting badly now . unless you live here you dont see it our marina is half full . marine shops are vacant tourism is WAY down , and its only going to get worse and worse . The damage has been done and i doubt it can recover, the government really put it to us this time sad...
 
If you guys don’t have faith in the people behind the scenes dealing with this issue as I do should give up all their spare time, roll up their sleeves and volunteer to be part of the process.
Much more effective than whining on a fishing report forum that has zero power in negotiations with DFO
 
Another update, not a killer whale or chaser boat seen yet in Jordan River, there are many hanging around Sooke which will only impact them even more next year on the closures. Who knows, maybe Sooke gets shut right down and they open up Sherringham to Renfrew?????
 
"The science they are using to justify the expansion is they have some passive acoustic monitoring data for Swiftsure showing whales are present 43% of the time they were monitoring this area."

If this is the data they are using it seems this area will be as good as closed. That is a very high % of time whales being there if it is indeed true considering how big their range is. Unlike the present closures, esp the one around Pender where the whales are not present very often, they are there a lot and it could indicate that area actually may be a critical habitat area. It seems Swiftsure is the area that should have been protected originally if they were going to close somewhere, not the JDF and Pender areas. Of course now they aren't going to open up those areas they just closed, just close new ones.

The proposed closure of Langara to Rose Spit will mobilize resources to the fight, so maybe that's part of what Derby is referring to. That area encompasses the largest, richest commercial sport fishing operations on the coast, QCL, WCFC, Langara. I would have the think the limit reductions are already having an impact on them, and complete closures would render their multi-million dollar lodges almost worthless.
 
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