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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
POACHING
More needed to protect wildlife: NTC Recent illegal elk hunting charges represent a small part of the multiple carcasses found south of Alberni ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
A court case of the alleged poaching of elk south of Port Alberni currently represents a small fraction of a disturbing trend affecting herds in the region, says the Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council. Timothy Wilson Jack was scheduled to appear in Port Alberni Law Courts today and on Sept. 2 for one infraction of killing a Roosevelt elk out of season on Nov. 1, 2013 and the illegal possession of dead wildlife. Jack is a member of the Ucluelet First Nation, one of the 14 communities served by the Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council. While the NTC hopes the court proceedings will shed some light on recent waves of elk poaching south of Port Alberni, the government body’s vice-president Ken Watts stressed that investigations continue into the numerous carcasses found in the region. He
WATTS
believes at least 23 Roosevelt elk have been poached on Nuu-chahnulth territory in recent years. “There’s still a lot of elk that have been poached and slaughtered,” said Watts. “There’s various reasons. I think that some people might just be doing it out of sport. “We’ve heard from conservation that some of these people . . . might
have other issues too in terms of other mental health or drug and alcohol issues. We don’t really know until we actually find them.” The discovery of eight carcasses in late 2013 prompted the NTC to issue $25,000 in rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the illegal elk killing. B.C. Coastal Outfitters added $5,000 to this reward, as did the B.C. Wildlife Federation and the Pearson Kal Tire, who pledged $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. These funds won’t be released until a conviction is made, said Watts. Roosevelt elk are on the Provincial Blue List, meaning that harvesting is limited to 300 hunting permits a year from the typical volume of 15,000 applications. While Roosevelt populations on Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland’s south coast have grown from 2,550 in 1986 to over 6,900, elk distribu-
tion south of Port Alberni remains as low as one animal per 10 square kilometres or less, according to a provincial management plan for the animals drafted in July 2014. “Roosevelt elk are vulnerable to hunting because they are highly visible and in some areas relatively easy to hunt,” stated the document. “Demand for hunting opportunities is high . . . because elk provide a high reward value to hunters in terms of both meat and trophies.” The elk management plan added that usually half the permitted harvests are granted to First Nations, but in some areas the “demand for ceremonial, cultural and subsistence use exceeds sustainable harvesting opportunities.” The NTC has expressed a commitment to working with conservation officers to preserve Roosevelt elk and other wildlife on its territories, but Watts said better reporting is needed from the public to help pro-
tect the animals. “People that provide information haven’t given sufficient information,” he said. “It needs to be really concrete information in evidence, otherwise it’s really hard to prosecute people.” Watts plans to lobby for more conservation officers in the region during a meeting in September between the NTC, other First Nations and the province. The lack of resources has made enforcement a challenge, he said. “There’s actually one conservation officer from Nanaimo to Tofino,” Watts said. “Say there was a wolf in Tofino and there’s a cougar in Port Alberni, but there’s also some poaching going out near Bamfield, how is one person supposed to cover that area?” Poaching can be reported to authorities at 1-877-952-7277. Eric.Plummer@avtimes.net
FISHING
Chinook derby makes event ‘a real salmon fest’ KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Waterbomber’s contract expires The province lets a one-month agreement run out after deploying the Hawaii Mars aircraft on several supression missions. » Alberni Region, 3
Liquor stores chilling chill charge With liquor stores fiercely competing for the loyalty of their customers, the decades old “cold charge” is history, at least for the moment. » Taste, 10
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The winning catch might be smaller this year, but there is still a big jackpot up for grabs at the 44th annual Port Alberni Salmon Festival. The warm weather means lower returns of large salmon coming home to spawn, which has affected the chinook fishery. In 2013, festival organizers were forced to hold a coho-only derby, which brought about its own challenges. Weights of winning fish varied little, being only ounces apart, and the number of entrants was lower. Last year saw a return of chinook, as well as a boost in participation. This year expects to be no different, according to Dan Washington, Salmon Festival president. “It will definitely be a salmon festival,” Washington said. Within the derby boundaries from Cape Beale to Amphitrite Point, derby entrants can weigh in chinook measuring 77 cm or less. “That could be a 15-pound fish,” Washington said. Combine that with the coho available, it could be a contending competition. In the 2013, coho-only derby, the top two winners hit the scales at 17.10 pounds. and 15.45 pounds. “It is better when it is open for everyone,” Washington said. He said the method of fishing for each species and the gear used is different, so it draws in greater participation. With a $15,000 prize purse for the largest fish, Washington said it is definitely worth the $40 entry fee. A further incentive for all entrants is an additional draw of $1,000 following the derby. See SALMON FEST, Page 3
Jarred Stevenson cleans a fish caught during the coho-only Salmon Festival in 2013. The inclusion of chinook fishing could bring larger catches and more interest in this year’s event. [KRISTI DOBSON, FOR THE TIMES]
Inside today What’s On 2 Alberni Region 3
Opinion 4 Island & B.C. news 5
Sports 6 Scoreboard 7
Comics 8 Classifieds 9
Nation & World 9 Taste 10
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