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June 11, 2014
▼ KOKANEE
Inside
Shorter opening designed to revive Wood Lake fishery KEVIN PARNELL
Go Foodism Jeff Kreklau is the featured chef in Gatzke Orchard’s monthly FLOS dinner, June 29. The flavours of Southwest Blues will be on the menu. ...............................
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Portraiture True portraiture is a rare art form these days. The Lake Country Art Gallery is featuring portrait artists now through mid-July ..............................
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Flyers ■ Bulk Barn ■ Coopers ■ Hometown Furniture ■ Jysk ■ Rona ■ Shoppers Drug Mart ■ Smartsource
A six week kokanee fishing season on Wood Lake, considered Canada’s premier kokanee fishery, saw the number of fish harvested this year decrease significantly from 2013 levels. It was the first of at least three straight years kokanee fishing in Wood Lake will be limited to April 15 to May 31 as fisheries biologists work to try and revive a fishery that began seeing a drastic downturn in the number of kokanee spawners in 2011. This year’s shorter opening was designed to give anglers a chance to fish for kokanee while at the same time collecting data from angler surveys. The 2014 Wood Lake
Creel Survey indicated the catch rate and the size of fish being caught this year was down from 2013 with the average fish caught measuring 13.7 inches (34.9 cm) and weighing 1.14 pounds. The total number of fish caught was down significantly when compared to the same time previous years. “Based on our model for estimating overall angler effort and harvest, the total angling effort during the 2014 kokanee season increased, but the estimated number of fish harvested decreased significantly in 2014,” said Eric Hegerat, a B.C. government fisheries biologist. Hegerat says in 2013 there were an estimated 1,470 fish harvested while 2014’s
CAROLINE BLEACKLEY/CONTRIBUTED
FISHING rods in Wood Lake have been put away with the closure of a six week
opening for kokanee on May 31. Fisheries biologist say the six week opening is designed to help revive the kokanee fishery, which has been in decline since 2011.
total harvest is estimated at 860 fish. The crash of the Wood Lake fishery
began in 2011 when the number of kokanee returning to spawn was just 6,300, well below the
average of about 14,000 fish. The next year was worse with only 2,300 kokanee returning in
2012, the worst result dating back to 1994. In 2013 the numbers were steady with about 2,800 kokanee returning while fish returns were predicted to be low as well this year, prompting the government to limit the fishery to six weeks. “In 2011 poor in-lake conditions led to significantly increased mortality rates for kokanee of all ages,” said Tara White, senior fisheries biologist. “Angler harvest does not appear to be the cause of the downturn, yet with spawner escapement so low, excessive mortality due to angler harvest could extend the period of low abundance for more generations.” White added that a
SEE KOKANEE A3
What’s so great about living in Lake Country? The District of Lake Country has kicked off a campaign to reach out to its residents to find out more about the people who live in the community and how they want to improve the district. Called I AM Lake Country, the campaign is asking residents to make a 30-second video clip answering three questions, including what would make Lake Coun-
try even better. “We have so much going for us: A strong pioneer and agricultural identity, a growing wine industry, fantastic neighbourhoods, amazing lakes, well-maintained walking trails, and hard-working volunteers along with many newcomers that have brought a unique energy and perspective on what they love about our area,”
said Lake Country mayor James Baker. Baker added, with Lake Country’s fast growth rate and one of the lowest residential property tax rates in the Okanagan, the scenic community wants to reach out to old and new residents alike to engage in a conversation on SEE CONTEST A2
CONTRIBUTED
DON ERDELY, developer of LakeStone and The Lakes, with a kayak he donated as the top prize in the I AM Lake Country contest.
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