Wednesday April 8, 2015 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
All eyes on the egg Jazzlyn Neighbor decorates an Easter egg during Easter festivities at the Mall at Piccadilly on Saturday, April 4. Children participated in a treasure hunt, an Easter bonnet contest and had a chance to pose with the Easter bunny.
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Salmon run lower than predicted Adams River: Environmental groups express concern over plans to increase this year’s catch. By Barb Brouwer OBSeRVeR STAFF
With lower than expected sockeye salmon returns in 2014, some scientists and environmentalists are criticizing the proposal of Fisheries and Oceans canada to increase the catch of Fraser River sockeye in 2015. Jim cooperman, Shuswap environmental Action Society president, says final 2014 estimate totals of 2.3 million late sockeye spawners to the Adams River represent a decrease of 84,000 fish over the last dominant run in 2010. Overall, he says, the South
Thompson run was 94.5 per cent of the average, but was just 30 per cent of the 2010 record run. “It appears that the problems encountered in 2009, which led to the cohen Inquiry, may be reappearing,” he explained, noting the multi-million-dollar, taxpayerfunded report has basically been shelved. Stu cartwright, acting area director of Fisheries and Oceans canada for the B.c. Interior, agrees there are many variables to consider but defends dFO’s plans which, he says, are carefully designed to manage stocks in a way
that supports conservation and sustainability while maximizing fishing opportunities for First nations, commercial and recreational fisheries. He says dFO uses techniques and historical data to collect information based on many variables. “We create models to make the best educated predictions and sometimes we’re going to be right and sometimes wrong,” he says, noting the science is not precise and major collapses such as experienced in 2009 do happen. “I don’t want to debate who’s right and who’s wrong; all I know is our
This week The community is rallying to support baby Ollie before he is even born. Find out more on A3. Matt Mead is headed for the world’s most prestigious marathon. See story on A15.
science people are doing everything they can.” But Aaron Hill, executive director of B.c.’s Watershed Watch, disagrees. He says while the 2014 Fraser River run was still good, dFO allowed very aggressive fishing based on what they thought they were seeing in the mouth of the river. “They saw what looked like big numbers, but they were driven by a few populations,” he says, pointing out 60 per cent of the endangered cultus lake run was captured in fisheries and the run failed to reach
recovery goals. “They have a draft fishing plan that would see harvest rates up again, but this year we’re expecting a much smaller return.” Hill suspects a 1.4 billion pink salmon hatchery that augments pink salmon populations in the Pacific Ocean is also a concern because they compete with the sockeye for a limited food supply. As well, he says a large body of warm water off the coast of B.c., combined with a mild el nino is killing off marine animals and sea birds. See Warm on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Time Out................... A10 Sports................A15-A17 Arts & Events ... A19-A22 Vol. 108, No. 14, 44 pages