This is all a great discussion, but if this is really happening b_man, maybe contacting the fishery department (I assume we are talking about the Provincial Ministry of the Environment) and letting them know would be a good move. Maybe contacting the local media might also be a plan. Getting a few hundred fly fishermen p.o.'ed isn't going to have much impact.
Bragging may not bring happiness, but no man having caught a large fish goes home through an alley. ~Author Unknown
I have to concur with professori.
From a moral standpoint, I think you should blow the whistle. I've lived in Kelowna for 20 years, and I have to tell you, it aggravates me that yet another company has moved into the valley with the expressed intent of exploiting it.
Now then, as to the issue.
In 2005, I gill netted on the beaches of Okanagan Lake with some biologists from a local company under contract with the City of Kelowna. I saw 20 kokanee with two burbot and 50 rainbow of varying sizes in my time on the nets (~ 7 days). Lots of suckers, carp, two burbot, 50 rainbow of varying sizes, chub, whitefish, perch...
The introduction of shrimp has been disastrous because the lake is oligotrophic and has a low capacity for aquatic life. Competition across niches is therefore of high concern for endemic species when one considers the introduction of a quickly reproducing species such as these shrimp. These are also not the only introduction... there are perch, carp, shiners...
We have also seen an explosion in development in the valley which has led to increased sediment loading and flow rates in our local creeks year round. Combine that with the fact that many creeks have been burned out and are suffering extreme erosion because of the massive fires that have been burning on a yearly basis and it's easy to see that these fish are in a sensitive position for their reproduction, maturation and overall survival. When you add in the fact that we have limited enforcement of the fishing moratorium on the kokanee, it just gets worse. I called a friend out last week because he was telling me about how many kokanee he and his friends caught this year.
Guess the extra fish being processed won't be a problem anymore. The troller sank in 55 meters of water on January 1st, overnight while it was moored by paddlewheel park. It is being raised by the ministry of environment and so far no oil or gas leaks have been detected. As for the sinking the reports have been along the lines of "mysterious". I wonder what happend??
Last year I sent copies of this persons (ex mysis harvester) reports of kokanee stock abuse to the conservation office via the Rapp line......to our local member of pariiament......to Robert Hobson of kelowna city council.....to the local newspaper...
The only reply I received from any of them was from the Member of parliament who more or less told me "its not my dog"....?
Robster, if you have evidence to support the claim, I would suggest that you move to involve the local clubs and shops in an attempt to shed light on the situation.
Talk to Savas at Tout Waters about maybe putting together a petition for inside the shop.
Kokanee rehabilitation is a significant issue for the City of Kelowna, and it should be raised with them. My suggestion would be that you send the reports to Michelle Kam at the City of Kelowna's Environment Department, and then look to avenues with the civil servants with CORD. Make records of everyone that you contact and even those that you try. There can be no claims of ignorance that way.
I would sign a petition to open an investigation into the operations of these people that are supposed to be helping the situation.
Forums and petitions are just to make people feel they are doing something and are not effective other than spreading the word and advising others of the nature of the issues. I recommend organizing a public meeting with a newsletter sent to participants as well as other potentially concerned parties giving a summary and direction and asking everyone to get right in their local politician's face and make use of the threat of lost votes.Originally Posted by Steve Zissou
THat is the sole thing most of them fear.
This below is the letter posted last year that started it all.... and this is the link to the forum where "Capt Randy" tells the rest of his story.
http://fishbcforum.com/index.php?sho...1&#entry598943
Regards Rob
Okanagan Mysis Removal Plan , Saving the Kokanee?
by Capttheriault on May 13th, 2009, 12:48 am
I am just wondering if the wonderful people of the Okanagan realize what is really going on in their beautiful Okanagan Lake?
I have not told this before ,for I was made to sign a secretacy contract when I started this job , but now I figure I'll take my chance and let it come out. I was not fired or relieved of my job and I made 70,000+ last year in 8 months , I just don't believe it's right and walked away .
There's currently a plan going on in the Okanagan lake to remove the mysis shrimp (so the public is told)that was introduced there in the 1960's to feed the landlocked Kokannee ,but the plan backfired and the mysis started competing with the Kokannee for their food . In the Idaho lake, Pend Orielle , they will not allow mysis fishing for they believe they do not harm the salmon and the actual fishery would kill more salmon than the shrimp .
I was the Captain in 2008 of the mysis shrimp trawler that lays at Paddlewheel park ,this vessel to start with is over 40 years old and an enviromental hazard waiting to happen ,for it has not been out of the water in 9 years and carries 100's of gallons of fuel and oils .
In this mysis removal ,we towed a net ,connected to a "catch barge" via a large tube with a supposedly functioning excluder ,it's "bull"! ,but,,,
Every night we caught many small and even large kokanee ,,I have seen as many as over 1500 salmon in one night come up the tube and believe me after being hauled thru different depths ,temps ,over conveyors , fish pumps , and setting in the air out of the water ,,most float dead when thrown back . This is not to mention the larger lake cod that dozens are killed .
I complained to the owner and was told I'd be replaced . Observers come out some nights,I was ordered to stay clear of the salmon ,but to do this you have to stay clear of the shrimp . These shrimp retail for $10.99 for a 3.5 oz pack ,60,000-160,000lb yearly per boat and how many 1000's of dead salmon?. So is this plan for conservation or profit.
that boat that sank was a new boat that wasnt there when i worked there.
im not surprized that something sank and im thankfull no one got hurt or killed.
one night when we where heading out and we noticed water in the catch barge, so we went out to see and the barge was about an inch from going under. we put the pumps on just in time or els the barge would have sank lol.
This whole issue is fairly disturbing, as a resident of Kelowna particularly. This needs to be pursued, and should be brought before the city council.
How would that make them look? They're in such a push to become "environmentally friendly" that this would make them look like the fools they are. Drive around the city right now, have you ever seen so many weeds on the boulevards and in the parks? Drive down Glenmore Rd. it is absolutely asinine. They dumped a TON of Natures Gold (or equivalent processed topsoil) down, nearly half of which ended up on the road as I watched them do this from across the street. I'm sure that the remaining material has blown away by now, and if not it will when the dry weather comes.
Nothing to do with your City
Get in your Regional Fishery Biologist face and ask the questions you want. It would be him and DFO that are issuing the permit and failing to monitor their activity.
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