Alberni carvers display talents at Tofino fest
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Thursday, September 3, 2015
FISHING
CRIME
DFO increases catch limits Not
Daily quota changed as salmon run proves to be better than authorties expected
KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Participants in this weekend’s annual Salmon Festival will be vying for the $15,000 prize purse and the catch is expected to be a large one. On Tuesday, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada increased the daily quota for chinook, which was good news for recreational fishers. Up from a catch measuring 77 cm or less, derby entrants can now bring in two chinook per day of the contest, one greater than 77 cm and one less than 77 cm. Organizers are hoping to spread the word quickly. “Last year we were allowed two (chinook) over 77 cm but this year it is just one over and one under,� said Salmon Festival committee vice-president Paul Dore. “If you enter two over 77 cm on the same day you will be disqualified for both.� Dore expects the turnout to be better than a coho-only derby, which took place in 2013. “The locals will know (about the quota increase) more than others,� he said. “Out of towners usually have to plan ahead but we’re hoping all the regulars show up.� Each year, the DFO releases about 7.5 million fry and numbers of return vary depending on conditions, Dore said. “How many come back is a crapshoot,� he said. “But they just realized there were more than expected.� Dore anticipates the winning fish to be on par with recent years, weighing in around the 30-pound or larger mark. Earlier this summer, the DFO set limits out of concern about decreasing chinook salmon runs in recent years. A two-chinook, under 77 cm per day limit was imposed for the 2015
guilty plea for truck thefts MARTIN WISSMATH ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Dore has been involved in the majority of the local Salmon Festival derbies. He enjoys both the camaraderie and the competition. “It’s the Port Alberni derby,� he said. “There’s the barbecues, good times, friends and then it’s back to work.� The festival opening ceremony begins Friday night at 7 p.m. followed by entertainment and the fireworks show at dusk.
A man accused with two others in a rash of truck thefts in Port Alberni and Vancouver Island pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday. Sheldon James Johanson, 26, is charged with several counts of motor vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, break and enter, impersonation with intent to avoid arrest, mischief and arson. The thefts involved pickup trucks around the Island, some loaded with tools worth upwards of $150,000, that happened in Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach, Parksville and Campbell River in May. Johanson appeared in Port Alberni court on Wednesday via closed-circuit television. Defence lawyer Peter Blokmanis told the court that Johanson pleads not guilty to all of the charges and has elected to be tried by judge alone in provincial court. Judge Brian Klaver adjourned the case to Sept. 9. Johanson remains in custody. Two of Johanson’s co-accused in the case, Craig Hannon and Jeremy Morgan, both pleaded guilty to some of the charges on Aug. 4. Hannon was sentenced to six months in prison. Morgan was sentenced to 50 days in jail.
Kristi.Dobson@avtimes.net
Martin.Wissmath@avtimes.net
Lily Finlayson fishes on the Alberni Inlet south of town. The Inlet’s waters are expected to get busier this weekend for the 44th annual Salmon Festival derby. [CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON FOR THE TIMES]
“How many come back is a crapshoot. But they just realized there were more than expected.� Paul Dore, Salmon Festival committe vice-president
season from Aug. 1 to Oct. 15 on the West Coast of Vancouver Island to protect the female population of salmon in hopes of meeting desired egg targets.
The DFO’s pre-season estimate for chinook returning to the Somass River was 33,000 this year. Dore has been out in both the Alberni Inlet and Somass River recently and said he likes what he sees. “There are so many fish jumping in the river right now,� he said. Recent derby winners have been reeling in salmon significantly smaller than in years past, but the atmosphere on the water remains the same.
DEVELOPMENT
Company blames B.C. regulator for stalled coal mine
ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
A coal port on the Alberni Inlet now seems unlikely as the company behind a stalled mining development is accusing provincial regulators of unfair treatment. The Raven Underground Coal Project has sat with British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment office for years as the regulator weighs the effects of the proposed coal mine planned for the Comox Valley near Fanny Bay. Now the EAO and the project’s proponent Compliance Coal appear to be at an impasse, according to a letter recently sent to the regulator from Compliance president Stephen Ellis. It has been more than three years since Compliance first submitted its Applica-
The Raven project is a proposed mine near Fanny Bay. [COMPLIANCE ENERGY GRAPHIC]
tion Information Requirements to the regulator on June 7, 2012. “We believe however that the EAO is not treating the proposed Raven Underground Coal Project in a fair and transparent manner and that the project would never
be able to achieve an [Environmental Assessment] Certificate given the built-in biases in the review process,� wrote Ellis in the Aug. 25 letter. Compliance’s chief executive also blamed the provincial regulator
for the project losing international investors. The underground mine is planned to produce 1 million tonnes of metallurgical coal annually over 16 years. “I see little merit in sitting down with the EAO to review EA options for the Raven project,� wrote Ellis. “[The application process] has discouraged two major international firms (Itochu and LG), who have involvement in coal projects in many countries, to exit from the project after making a substantial investment in Raven.� Plans for the Raven coal mine include trucking the product along Highway 4 to Port Alberni at a rate of 70 loads a day. The coal would then be placed onto ships for markets in South Korea and Japan. Compliance stated that the development would bring 70 jobs
to the Alberni Valley, with 21 at the coal port and the rest tied to trucking operations. But Compliance’s last submission to the EAO made no mention of these trucking jobs, according to a committee assembled by the City of Port Alberni last winter to inform the coal project’s assessment process. In a critical report given to city council last February the Raven committee’s members identified that coal transport would threaten the Valley’s tourism operations and harm aquatic life in the Alberni Inlet. Compliance withdrew its last application to the EAO in March, citing “misinformation that is circulating in some communities regarding the Raven project,� according to a letter from Ellis. Eric.Plummer@avtimes.net
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ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES VOLUME 66, NUMBER 155
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