Former DFO Managaer Fears the Worst!

[Little Hawk]

Otto Langer was one of the 'Good Guys' in the DFO, that's why they got rid of him.
Now, qualifications for the position he held in such high esteem include - having no passion or attachment for/to Pacific salmon.

Rafe sent me this and I am compelled to pass it on.



RAFE HERE - below you will find some very sad words from one of Canada's most respected fish biologists who, for many years in the Department of Fisheries ands Oceans fought to save our precious salmon. PLEASE READ AND PASS ON

Re: New DFO Cuts - Otto Langer.

We knew this was coming but I felt it would be better sugar coated and hopefully not be that severe. The naive belief that DFO is moving to an ecosystem approach is to let the naive believe that it will then be more efficient and more effective. DFO has never really shown that they can relate to an ecosystem approach with the expertise, resources and legislation they have let alone do it better with less (the promise they made when they implemented their new EPMP policy to protect fish habitat better with less resources back in 2006). Also referring to cuts as "a dynamic change agenda" is another line of absolute rubbish. The problem with DFO is that they have been playing musical chairs for many years and it has been too dynamic and they have lost sight for their basic reason for existence ie its the fish and fish habitat stupid!
What DFO requires is a major decentralization from Ottawa and more local decision making and a major cut in overly highly paid managers.

When I was DFO head of habitat protection in the Frase River, Northen BC and the Yukon I did it as a Biologist 3. That same area is now divided into 4 areas and is run by no less then 4 Biologist 5 positions and they have many more bio 4 under them and the pay these bilogist now get is greatly improved over what we got back in 1990. The cost in terms of management staff to just run habitat management is now four times greater than it was just 20 years ago and that is to now probably do less with less working staff. This is cruel to employees in that they are already on their knees and do not have the will to do a good job with the resources to to support them and as we have seen in the Cohen Commission a many DFO employees know where their pay cheque is coming from and will do almost anything to keep Ottawa happy. Its too bad the CCG is part of DFO - would have probably done better in the Armed Forces or MOT.

I do not believe Deputy Minister Claire D (of BC MOF and MOTH highways background!!) or anyone else in DFO has a grasp of what are the real ecosystem issues and how you put that into government policy and action. This is why government now hires higher level managers with no experience in the field they are to direct so they will not be attached to the resource. When I left DFO Fraser River Habitat Head position in 1990 the basic qualification for my replacement was - you were to have no background in habitat protection! They said Otto Langer was too attached to the resource! DFO has now perfected that hands off - do not care approach to a job that most Canadians feel has to be done better.

We are now nearing the death watch phase of DFO and this will not allow Cohen (in the most sunny and positive day) to say much to change anything to give the salmon a better chance of survival. The future of the environment certainly does look dismal under the Harper government.

 

[IronNoggin]

We are now nearing the death watch phase of DFO...
The future of the environment certainly does look dismal under the Harper government.

Know Otto and agree strongly with pretty much all he has to say.

For those who haven't seen the Memorandum circulated to all DFO employees in this regard, here's the Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/nl-dfo-memo-20111013.pdf Full of a LOT of BS IMHO! And apparently Otto concurs. No surprise.

I actually hope he is right in that we are witnessing DFO circling the drainpipe. Their top-heavy form of Political Mismanagement is LONG overdue to go the way of the Dinosaurs! Hopefully it will die a painful death, and we will witness a kind of Phoenix Resurrection of a new, streamilined and Regionally Focused Ministry actually focused on the welfare and sustainability of our marine resources!!

As for the final statement there though, DFO plods along under it's own mindless steam, regardless of who may be In Power for the moment. The Minister doesn't actually run anything, he is simply a figurehead with little to no impact. The functions of The Beast are always run by those "Senior Bureaucrats" firmly entrenched in the system, completely unaccountable to no-one but themselves, and who survive changing governments time after time. Thus IMO, it is time for them to join in the extinction of this corrupt and incredibly inefficient Ministry which pays but lip service to it's very own mandate.

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Clipper]

Maybe it's time that BC took the bit between our teeth and told Ottawa that we are now fully responsible for the management of OUR saltwater resources and that DFO will no longer be needed. It seems to me that local or regional government(s) will have a greater interest in protecting regional resources than a bunch of mandarins in Ottawa. We really need to be looking after our own interests here.

I have no idea what would be required to accomplish a power shift of this type but I'm sure it could be done if we have the political will to do it.

 

[chris73]

Clipper I very much doubt that anything like you suggest will happen anytime soon. BC government is trying to downsize with all might and not take on new tasks. And currently there is no ministry in BC set up to take on the ocean, neither brains nor bodies.

 

[Little Hawk]

Okay, here's a thought I'm going to put out there: What about a 'Joint Management' venture between First Nations & Ottawa?

Equal partners, equal say on all issues concerning Pacific salmon & halibut, including: conservation, allocation, habitat restoration/enhancement etc.

Before you tear me a new asshole, please give this a moments thought.

In my view, Ottawa has failed miserably as stewards of the resource and although there are some 'bad-apples' among them same as any other group, tell me who cares more about the welfare of Pacific salmon than the Indians? They already have a track-record in some hatchery programs. Thousands upon thousands could be put to work province-wide on stream & habitat restoration projects. A great sense of pride could be restored among many poverty-stricken tribes.

They could be the only entity to have any hope of getting their foot in the door.

Okay, 'fire when ready!'

 

[chris73]

So far the theory, Little Hawk. Makes good sense there. But when you think a little further, and exactly because there are so many poverty-stricken tribes - they would be way to easily influenced by other interest holders with very simple candy stick methods. And since there is very little accountability for First Nations to anyone and because there is very little unity among themselves - I think this nobel idea would miserably fail.
I think the only truly fair and functioning solution would be a roundtable committee with equal representation of commercials, recreationals, First Nation and government. And since salmon don't stop at national borders, put the US on the same table. Similar to the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

 

[Little Hawk]

I hear you Chris. My problem is I have zero-confidence in Ottawa's fisheries managers and bureaucrats. ZERO!

 

[Clipper]

If our saltwater resources continue to be mismanaged by Ottawa then we are truly screwed. We here in BC need to look at ourselves as a "Maritime Nation", for lack of a better word and take full responsibility for all our natural resources, on land and at sea. We know that our federal government is more interested in protecting the profits of foreign owned fish farm companies than protecting the wild salmon (and other fish) that are such an integral part of BC history. If we allow them to continue in this fashion then will lose everything. We've seen how Ottawa can manage a fisheries resource to extinction and I don't want that to happen on this coast.