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FISHERY
Monday Monday, May 11 11, 2015 MUNICIPALITY
Chinook numbers up with help of net pens The city’s garbage truck; equipped with a Currato Can attachment to pick up dumpsters from businesses; is overdue for replacement. The city is recommending discontinuing the service. [CITY OF PORT ALBERNI PHOTO]
$380K cost to replace garbage truck in review ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Ron West and Sheena Falconer measured fish at the tail end of the Chinook Net Pen Project on Friday before they are let out into the Inlet today. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]
West Coast Aquatics partners with DFO and enhancement association KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
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hinook numbers are increasing with the help of temporary net pens in local waters. The project, undertaken by West Coast Aquatics, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Alberni Valley Enhancement Association, is in its third year. The purpose of the net pens, located at Harbour Quay, is to increase chinook returns to the area to have more salmon in the system in general, and also to enhance fishing opportunities. “Three years ago we saw other communities using the net pens and they proved to show higher returns of chinook,” said Sheena Falconer, salmon initiative outreach coordinator with West Coast Aquatics. “The first year we got started with a small set of frames donated and put it together by hand.” That year, the Chinook Net Pen Project was launched with a modest 10,000 fish at the Water Street dock. Water quality was monitored and volunteers measured dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity. It remained high throughout and the project was a success with the loss of only 12 fish. “The next year we ramped it up to 100,000 fish
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“Three years ago we saw other communities using the net pens and they proved to show higher returns of chinook.” Sheena Falconer, West Coast Aquatics
and it was a success again with very few [losses],” Falconer said. This year, the group raised 187,000 chinook over the two to three week period. The fish are acclimatized in the pen during this time before being released into the Inlet. Coated wire tags are attached to calculate the rate of return. It takes the school three to six years to return and the community to reap the benefits of the project. “The key is to have healthy salmon populations and that will equal healthy ecosystems,” Falconer said. Salmon support eagles, bears, as well as people. By assisting the salmon, we are helping everything.” Volunteers spent Friday morning weighing and measuring the fish and on Monday they will be released into the wild. kristi.dobson@avtimes.net
Facing a $380,000 cost to replace an aging garbage truck, the city is looking to scale back its pickup services for commercial customers. The municipality’s engineering department has recommended eliminating dumpster pickup for commercial customers, a service that affects 215 businesses, schools, apartment buildings and city facilities. A report from city engineer Guy Cicon said a truck equipped with automated arms for picking up dumpsters needs to be replaced immediately for the service to continue. “The condition of the container truck (Unit 432) is poor,” stated Cicon in the report. “It has more than 12,200 hours on it, the packer body is wearing out and the engine and transmission are in need of a rebuild that will cost $60,000 within a short period of time.” Container pickup for commercial customers has been identified as a “non-core” service by the city engineer, as private garbage haulers handle roughly 80 per cent of Port Alberni’s businesses and institutions that use dumpsters. The city introduced the service over 40 years ago when commercial volumes became too great for the residential garbage trucks to handle, bringing in service fees in the early 1990s to cover pickup and dumping costs. But in recent years the number of customers has declined along with revenue, and the service lost $51,000 last year. Cicon’s report states commercial pickup is considered “cost neutral” as the city does not bill itself for handling dumpsters at 17 municipal facilities. Pending council’s approval,
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“It has more than 12,200 hours on it, the packer body is wearing out and the engine and transmission are in need of a rebuild that will cost $60,000 within a short period of time.” Guy Cicon, city engineer
discontinuing the service is recommended this summer. This is not the first time the engineering department has recommended cutting commercial pickup. A proposal to sell the truck and dumpsters, eliminating one full-time position, was voted down by council in 2010. The replacement of the dumpster truck has been delayed since 2013 after a bid came in higher than expected. The city engineer believes municipal facilities can use smaller bins that can be picked up by a garbage truck currently serving neighbourhoods. During the city’s budgeting process last winter concerns were raised as to how the Alberni Valley Multiplex or Echo Centre would dispose of its large volumes of waste; but in his report Cicon said there could be other options. “The larger waste-generating facilities could be serviced with Haul-all style bins that can be collected by city crews with an existing truck in the parks fleet, or dumpster bins could be collected by a private hauler” he said. eric.plummer@avtimes.net 250-723-8171
Inside today What’s On 2 Alberni Region 3
Opinion 4 Living Well 5
Sports 6 Scoreboard 7
Po ort Alberni Mariachi Gala
Fri. May 29 at 7:00pm
Featuring Mariachis: NUEVO ORDAZ (MEXICO) ORGULLO AZTECA (USA) LOS DORADOS (CANADA)
On the Island 11 Nation & World 12
$1.25 newsstand (HST incl.)
ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES VOLUME 66, NUMBER 90
Alberni District Theatre 4000 Roger Street, Port Alberni
Comics 8 Classifieds 9
General: $30 Seniors/Kids: $20 Tix: (at the door, 6pm) or in advance at: www.mariachifestival.ca Info/Tix (604) 338-4064
Enter to win i T ckets to: Friday May 29th, 2015 Frida Name_________________________________ Phone_________________________________ Please drop off your ballot at the Alberni Valley Times office 4918 Napier Ave by Wednesday May 27th by 12 noon. The winner will be announced later that day.