The fate of the species that defines Rupert in the summer time is up for debate as the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council looks for contributions at a public forum on Thursday night.
The organization is looking to discover first-hand accounts of challenges and concerns surrounding local salmon stocks in order to present their findings to government on conservation and ecosystem issues.
Thursday’s gathering takes place at the Crest Hotel with an open house at 6 pm and presentations and discussions taking place from 7 to 9, there’s no charge for the evening of information and exchanging of ideas. They have more details on the purpose of their organization and what they hope to achieve on their website.
The Daily News featured details of the Rupert portion of the tour in the Wednesday paper.
Group fishing for answers about state of our salmon
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
An advisory group with a pipeline to government is looking to collect first-hand accounts of challenges and concerns surrounding local salmon stocks.
“We think that salmon is extremely important and we’re out on a tour for public consultation,” said Dr. Paul LeBlond, Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (PFRCC) chair.
“We believe that it is important to hear from people in the communities where they live about the problems of salmon stocks and salmon habitat — not just to work in an office in Vancouver.”
The PFRCC, an independent advisory body to government on salmon conservation, is inviting people to talk to them Thursday evening and outline their concerns, including: how wild salmon stocks are doing in the area relative to other parts of the province; how changes in aquatic environments are affecting salmon stocks in the area; what impact forestry, mining, development and agriculture are having on salmon stocks and habitat; and what these changes mean for salmon management and what needs to be done to adapt.
“Climate change is the big bear in the room, it’s something that’s happening but we don’t know exactly what it’s going to do,” said LeBlond about one of the group’s chief concerns. “It seems to be more of an issue right now in the Fraser area and the south than it is up north, but there are freshwater issues with climate change like warmer rivers and … there are issues about what happens in the ocean in terms of productivity and survival of salmon.”
The PFRCC will then take the feedback they receive from the meeting —entitled ‘What’s happening to wild salmon in your community?’ — and report back to lawmakers with recommendations for government policy.
“We want our advice to the minister to reflect the problems that people perceive in their communities,” he said.
A year ago, council members hosted four evening meetings in Port Hardy, Campbell River, Duncan and Port Alberni. Last fall, the PFRCC team visited B.C.’s Interior, with a meeting in Kamloops, and another co-hosted with the Okanagan Nation Alliance in Penticton.
This part of the tour will see visits to Smithers and Terrace as well as locally. Future sessions are planned on the Central Coast and other B.C. locations.
The PFRCC is an independent body that reports annually on the status of British Columbia’s salmon stocks, their habitat and related ecosystems. PFRCC reports advise the public and governments on salmon conservation issues, and, where appropriate, will provide recommendations with a long-term, strategic focus.
The federal and provincial governments and First Nations — through the Aboriginal Fisheries Commission — may also appoint a representative to the group.
PFRCC council members and staff will talk informally with members of the public who are interested in the council’s work. There is no charge to attend the meeting which begins with an open house at 6 p.m. and a presentation/discussion from 7 to 9 p.m., all at the Crest. For more information visit www.fish.bc.ca.
The organization is looking to discover first-hand accounts of challenges and concerns surrounding local salmon stocks in order to present their findings to government on conservation and ecosystem issues.
Thursday’s gathering takes place at the Crest Hotel with an open house at 6 pm and presentations and discussions taking place from 7 to 9, there’s no charge for the evening of information and exchanging of ideas. They have more details on the purpose of their organization and what they hope to achieve on their website.
The Daily News featured details of the Rupert portion of the tour in the Wednesday paper.
Group fishing for answers about state of our salmon
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
An advisory group with a pipeline to government is looking to collect first-hand accounts of challenges and concerns surrounding local salmon stocks.
“We think that salmon is extremely important and we’re out on a tour for public consultation,” said Dr. Paul LeBlond, Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (PFRCC) chair.
“We believe that it is important to hear from people in the communities where they live about the problems of salmon stocks and salmon habitat — not just to work in an office in Vancouver.”
The PFRCC, an independent advisory body to government on salmon conservation, is inviting people to talk to them Thursday evening and outline their concerns, including: how wild salmon stocks are doing in the area relative to other parts of the province; how changes in aquatic environments are affecting salmon stocks in the area; what impact forestry, mining, development and agriculture are having on salmon stocks and habitat; and what these changes mean for salmon management and what needs to be done to adapt.
“Climate change is the big bear in the room, it’s something that’s happening but we don’t know exactly what it’s going to do,” said LeBlond about one of the group’s chief concerns. “It seems to be more of an issue right now in the Fraser area and the south than it is up north, but there are freshwater issues with climate change like warmer rivers and … there are issues about what happens in the ocean in terms of productivity and survival of salmon.”
The PFRCC will then take the feedback they receive from the meeting —entitled ‘What’s happening to wild salmon in your community?’ — and report back to lawmakers with recommendations for government policy.
“We want our advice to the minister to reflect the problems that people perceive in their communities,” he said.
A year ago, council members hosted four evening meetings in Port Hardy, Campbell River, Duncan and Port Alberni. Last fall, the PFRCC team visited B.C.’s Interior, with a meeting in Kamloops, and another co-hosted with the Okanagan Nation Alliance in Penticton.
This part of the tour will see visits to Smithers and Terrace as well as locally. Future sessions are planned on the Central Coast and other B.C. locations.
The PFRCC is an independent body that reports annually on the status of British Columbia’s salmon stocks, their habitat and related ecosystems. PFRCC reports advise the public and governments on salmon conservation issues, and, where appropriate, will provide recommendations with a long-term, strategic focus.
The federal and provincial governments and First Nations — through the Aboriginal Fisheries Commission — may also appoint a representative to the group.
PFRCC council members and staff will talk informally with members of the public who are interested in the council’s work. There is no charge to attend the meeting which begins with an open house at 6 p.m. and a presentation/discussion from 7 to 9 p.m., all at the Crest. For more information visit www.fish.bc.ca.
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