Fix the link where science and policy meet

A salmon is seen trying to climb a small waterfall at Quigley Creek near Princess Royal Island, B.C., Sept, 20, 2013. The province’s new approach to managing freshwater resources is under attack.
(JONATHAN HAYWARD/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Fix the link where science and policy meet

Thomas Homer-Dixon, Heather Douglas and Lucie Edwards

Contributed to The Globe and Mail, Jun. 23 2014

Trout Unlimited Canada writes: "No matter what your political stripe, the systematic destruction of environmental science in Canada should concern everyone. It is one thing to reduce capacity. It is another to eliminate it, stifle it and knowingly remove it....it was government scientists that discovered the link between phosphorus and pollution and the impacts of acid rain on our lakes. These created informed policy that did NOT negatively affect the economy, but made all aspects of society more sustainable. Please share this article with your friends."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1nXT81H

Healthy Salmon Go with the Flow

Healthy Salmon Go with the Flow

Via: World Fish Migration Day 2014

World Fish Migration Day 2014 - May 24, 2014

World Fish Migration Day 2014 - May 24, 2014

With the World Fish Migration Day 2014 we want to raise global attention for endangered migratory fish, like salmon, sturgeon, giant catfish, dourado and eel. Migratory fish are particularly threatened by barriers such as weirs, dams and sluices, built for water management, hydropower and land drainage. These fish need free migration routes in order to survive. Water managers, fishery organizations and NGO's are restoring fish migration routes in rivers and between rivers and seas. Dams removed, sluices are managed fish friendly and fishway are built to help fish on their journey.

http://www.worldfishmigrationday.com/

"On World Fish Migration Day, Recalling When America’s Rivers Ran Silver" - By Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, May 24, 2014

Read article here: http://nyti.ms/1otP2hX

"Recognizing World Fish Migration Day in the Amazon’s Waters" - National Geographic, May 23, 2014

Read article here: http://bit.ly/SvXiTr

Dismantling of Fishery Library 'Like a Book Burning,' Say Scientists

Photo, Mike Deal, Winnipeg Free Press

Scientists go fishing for old documents
 
by Mary Agnes Welch, Winnipeg Free Press, Dec 05, 2014

Fish and water scientists turned into scavengers this week, descending on a soon-to-be-closed federal library to salvage hundreds of books, journals and rare reports that are about to be tossed.

The library at the Freshwater Institute on the University of Manitoba campus is one of seven slated for closure by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/18oM2wN

Dismantling of Fishery Library 'Like a Book Burning,' Say Scientists

By Andrew Nikiforuk, TheTyee.ca, Dec 09, 2013

The Harper government has dismantled one of the world's top aquatic and fishery libraries as part of its agenda to reduce government as well as limit the role of environmental science in policy decision-making.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/IN16KB

World Fisheries Day - Nov 21

World Fisheries Day - Nov 21

Learn more here: http://on.fb.me/I427yh

Canada gutting its international reputation along with its environmental laws

Anna Johnston

Canada gutting its international reputation along with its environmental laws

14 November, 2013

West Coast Environmental Law writes: "Protection of fish and fish habitat are not the only things at risk because of recent changes to the Fisheries Act. In a recent op-ed in the Hill Times, West Coast Environmental Law staff lawyer Anna Johnston argues that Canada is gutting its international reputation by gutting its environmental laws."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1idACjr

Scientists say fish habitat no longer protected under federal act

John Post, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Calgary, says the federal government changes to the fisheries legislation have eviscerated the ability to protect habitat for many of the country’s fish species.
Photograph by: Riley Brandt, University of Calgary/Calgary Herald

Scientists say fish habitat no longer protected under federal act

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald November 8, 2013

A new study suggests that federal changes to Canada’s fisheries legislation have taken away the ability to protect fish habitat.

The assessment by scientists at the University of Calgary and Dalhousie University suggests recent changes to the Fisheries Act were political rather than scientific, putting entire ecosystems at risk.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/1aBrQUS

Wild Trout Symposium - Oct 1-4, 2013

Wild Trout Symposium - Oct 1-4, 2013

Wild Trout XI: Looking Back and Moving Forward
October 1-4, 2013
Old Faithful Inn
Yellowstone National Park, USA

The Wild Trout Symposium brings together a broad and diverse audience of governmental agencies, non-profit conservation groups, media representatives, educators, anglers, fishing guides, and business interests associated with trout fisheries to exchange technical information and viewpoints on wild trout management and related public policy. Held every three years, each symposium has led to innovative wild trout management approaches.

Learn more here: http://www.wildtroutsymposium.com/

Bow River fishing industry lacks local support

Bow River fishing industry lacks local support

Ryan White, CTV Calgary, Published Thursday, August 22, 2013.

Fishing guides on the Bow River say the majority of this summer’s clients are coming from out of province, a departure from year’s past.

The Bow River contributes millions of dollars to the city's economy but guides say misinformation about the dangers the river presents has scared Calgarians away from fishing the Bow.

Read text and watch video news story here: http://bit.ly/19MSHn9

Controversial changes to Fisheries Act guided by industry demands

Photo, courtesy Darryl Dyke for Globe & Mail

 Who would have guessed?

Controversial changes to Fisheries Act guided by industry demands

by Gloria Galloway, The Globe & Mail, Aug 5, 2013

The federal Conservative government consulted with both environmental organizations and industry associations before making controversial changes to the Fisheries Act last year, but listened primarily to industry.

When a section of one of the government’s massive 2012 omnibus budget bills limited the scope of the legislation governing the protection of fish and their habitats, some ecologists said it was the biggest setback to conservation law in more than 50 years.

Read story here: http://bit.ly/13IIDDg

Fish stranded by flooding get helicopter ride to Bow River

Photo, courtesy Gavin Young/Calgary Herald

Fish stranded by flooding get helicopter ride to Bow River

Salvage operation saves up to 1,000 trout and other species trapped in pools of water

By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald July 25, 2013

Read story here: http://bit.ly/12vQQzC

‘Changed’ Bow River still fine for fishing

Jan Cadra casts a line along the Bow River pathway in Riverbend earlier this month. Fishing guides and Alberta Environment officials say there are still lots of fish out there to be caught, but want anglers to catch-and-release until the population stabilizes.  PHOTO:

Tijana Martin/calgary Herald

‘Changed’ Bow River still fine for fishing

Anglers say flood actually had ‘a lot of positives’

By Erika Stark, Calgary Herald , 25 Jul 2013

Although the Bow River has “completely changed,” since the June floods, there’s at least one thing that seems to have stayed the same: The fish are still biting.

Anglers who have cast their lines into the river this month say the floods transformed the Bow into an unfamiliar river with new channels and pools.

For Aaron Feltham, that makes fishing the river all the more interesting.

“It’s fun to learn new water — that’s why you travel to different places,” says Feltham, a guide at Bow River Troutfitters. “Now I don’t have to.”

While provincial officials estimate that the fish kill this year could be significant because of the floods, Feltham says there are still many to be caught out on the river.

“People that have been out have been catching fish in a whole bunch of different sizes,” he said. “They’re really hungry.”

Paul Christensen, a senior fisheries biologist with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, said this initial high catch rate might decrease as the river starts to calm down.

Scientists say fish loss could be significant

Photo, Calgary Herald. A trout lies washed up on Memorial Drive near the Peace Bridge last month. Provincial fisheries staffers and volunteers managed to rescue 5,000 stranded fish.

Scientists say fish loss could be significant

But habitat may improve in long term

Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald, Friday, July 12, 2013

As the flood waters started to recede in Calgary, dead fish were found along Memorial Drive and in other communities along the rivers. Others were stranded in small gravel pits and swales created by surging waters.

Teams of provincial fisheries staffers and volunteers worked for four days to return more than 5,000 fish from 60 sites to their homes in the Bow and Elbow rivers.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1aAIqdR

I want strong laws for fish...

Bow River Shuttles writes:

In the Spring 2013 issue of 'Currents', Trout Unlimited Canada CEO Jeff Surtees writes about the challenges facing our fisheries that have resulted from the downsizing of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the changes to the Fisheries Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Environmental Assessment Act, and (soon to come) the Species at Risk Act.

Near the end of the article, he states: "If you want to learn more about the legislative changes that have take place over the past year, check out the excellent analyses done by West Coast environmental Law (wcel.org) and by Ecojustice (ecojustice.ca)."

WITH THAT IN MIND, HERE IS A POST TODAY (JUNE 18, 2013) FROM WEST COAST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW:

Tell the Prime Minister - Fish Need Protection

Bull Trout/Westslope Cutthroat Trout Fisheries Threatened (Alberta)

Photo, Courtesy Kevin Van Tighem/Calgary Herald

Bull Trout/Westslope Cutthroat Trout Fisheries Threatened (Alberta)

"‘Disastrous’ logging effects spark fears of environmental crisis." By Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald June 12, 2013

Conservationists say a logging operation near Hidden Creek last winter has left a slope at risk of collapsing — potentially causing catastrophic damage.

Read story here: http://bit.ly/11yKW9Y

Looking back along the Bow River - 2012 Season

Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All rights reserved 2012

 

Trout Unlimited Canada Alberta Provincial Biologist Brian Meagher presenting "Canaries in the Creek". May 2012

Learn more HERE: http://bit.ly/13CawMA

TUC - Stewardship License Pilot Project

Stewardship License Pilot Project

Trout Unlimited Canada writes: "The Stewardship License Pilot Project is a collaborative effort between Trout Unlimited Canada and the Fish and Wildlife Division of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources Development. Additional support has been provided by Devon Canada and the Alberta Conservation Association’s Grant Eligible Conservation Fund.

This innovative project builds upon the successes of the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project, using angler education as a management tool for fisheries. For more information including how you can become involved please visit the Stewardship License Pilot Project page on our website."

Learn more here: http://www.tucanada.org/index.asp?p=2167

Fisheries & the Environment - Comments by David Schindler

 

“We're supposed to listen to these politicians and accountants tell us what's happening with fisheries and the environment,” [David Schindler] says. 

“They don't know any more about the subject than the average ditch digger in Canada, so I don't know why Canadians would trust what they say, especially when it's well-known that what they're saying is politically motivated.”

- Experimental Lakes Founder David Schindler

Read more here: http://bit.ly/ZmzEsg

ELA (Experimental Lakes Area) backers question feds’ intentions

Photo, courtesy Mike Aporius Free Press Archives

ELA (Experimental Lakes Area) backers question feds’ intentions

Doubt real effort to get new operator for ELA

By: Jen Skerritt, Winnipeg Free Press, April 4, 2013

The future of scientific research in the Experimental Lake Area remains murky as critics question whether the federal government is serious about finding an outside organization to take over the outdoor laboratory.

Read article here: http://bit.ly/XECCZL

More information here http://saveela.org/news/ and here Save ELA

Experimental Lakes (ELA) Cuts: David Schindler

Photo: Jason Franson/CP

Bow River Shuttles writes: "If you have an interest in the future of fisheries in Canada, you'll want to spend a few minutes listening to this interview of David Schindler by As It Happens Carol Off"

Experimental Lakes (ELA) Cuts: David Schindler

David Schindler is the founding director of the world-renowned Experimental Lakes Area freshwater research facility, whose federal funding will be cut off at the end of March. Scientists will not be allowed to conduct research at the facility this summer.
 
Listen here: http://bit.ly/WK9rTr