A local sportfish advocate whose been calling for federal government action on the collapse of the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery is greeting the federal government's 18-month-long judicial inquiry into the issue with enthusiasm.
In August, Squamish Lillooet Sportfish Advisory Committee vice-chair Dave Brown was among those who demanded action on the part of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in response to the sockeye run's collapse.
Only about one million of the projected 10 million fish returned to the Fraser and its tributaries this past summer, raising alarm bells among both native and non-native anglers.
Brown said the inquiry's results should lead to better management of different types of sport and commercial fisheries throughout the Georgia Basin, including the Cheakamus and Squamish rivers.
"Our poor chum returns could potentially be linked to some of the factors that are affecting the sockeye returns," he said. "They could also speak to the lower numbers of pinks and steelhead. I think some of the answers will pertain to some of the factors that are limiting the returns of those other species."
On Monday (Nov. 9), Brown was among those who attended a meeting at Squamish Municipal Hall along with meeting organizer West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MP John Weston, Squamish Nation representatives, Randy Kamp, parliamentary secretary to federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea and Dan Cody, a policy advisor to the ministry.
Another meeting is planned for Dec. 15.
Brown said he came away from the meeting confident that federal officials are taking the issue seriously and will act on the recommendations made by Justice Bruce Cohen of the B.C. Supreme Court, who was assigned to lead a full inquiry into the collapse, with a final report to be presented to the government by May 1, 2011.
Last Thursday (Nov. 5), International Trade Minister Stockwell Day announced the appointment of Cohen to lead inquiry.
"Our government is deeply concerned about the low returns of sockeye salmon to the Fraser River and the implications for the fishery," Day said.
In August, Brown and others pointed the fingerat the B.C. salmon farming industry as the most likely leading cause of the collapse. However, on Tuesday (Nov. 10), he said he realizes that determining the causes and possible solutions won't happen overnight.
"It would be nice if it was before the next salmon returns, but this should cover all aspects that we were looking for, and I guess I'm pleased with that."
The terms of reference for the inquiry specifically refer to sea lice from open-net fish farms as one of the factors to be investigated. Other possible factors include habitat degradation rising ocean temperatures, Brown said. The early part of the inquiry is to focus on the DFO actions and assumptions that led to projections of high returns and why those projections didn't materialize.
"It's not about finding fault, it's about finding a solution, which is one of the things John Weston said. At the end of the day, we don't want future catastrophic low returns of salmon," Brown said.
Brown said he likes to think his committee has played at least a small role in bringing about the inquiry, and he praised Weston for his help in bringing federal officials to the table.
"It's partly a credit to the group, but also, John is to be commended for having brought this forward, calling attention to an issue that at the time, wasn't necessarily a primary concern of the government," he said.
