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- nationality as bad.

| Fishery official rejects claims [itp
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By DAVE TAYLOR
THE FEDERAL chief of fisheries in the north-

west says a Terrace Standard columnist's ac- -

cusations of poor fish management are un-
founded.

David Einarson of the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says Rob Brown is
wrong in recent comments that his department
is doing a bad job of fish conservation.

“| was somewhat surprised by his (Reb ‘“

Brown’s) criticisms,’ Einarson says. ‘They

seemed to be targeted at our management 10°

pressure off weaker stocks. But as of July 30, -
Binarson says the commercial fleet harvested . A
- poor returns earlier in July, Einarson says those

only 17.6 per cent of the coho,
Early steelhead targets have been surpassed as

well. The goal was to take less than 37 per cent -

of the return, but Einarson says the final figure
will be closer to 33 per cent.

The DFO docs not rely on commercial fishers ’
to report incidental catch rates of coho and-—
5 stecthead. Instead, the rates are estimated from.a-

formula based on the number of sockeye caught
and the number of boats fishing. This is the
' fourth year the DFO has used the formula.

years ago and we've changed drastically in the. *

last few years.”’

Einarson says the DFO is seeking a balance .
between conserving weaker stocks while allow-:

ing the commercial sector to harvest a fair num-
ber of salmon,

The fishing strategy this year he says was
based on a scientific review done in April which
involved both commercial fishers, sport fishers
and First Nations, Based on those recommenda-
tions, the DFO decided to conduct a vigorous

commercial fishery in July, then ‘get out of the~.
to avoid fishing when the weaker

water’”
species were minning,

And Einarson’s pretty pleased with the result.
“We've had an above average commercial
catch,’” he says, ‘And meanwhile we will meet
or exceed conservation goals.’’

Einarson explains that the total catch rate of
Skeene coho over the past three years has been
65 per cent - with Alaska accounting for more
than half of that catch.

This year the DFO lowered whe harvest rate to
22 per cent for Canadian boats, to > help take

. curacy,” Einarson says.

“We have to balance the needs
of commercial fishers with con-
servation measures,”
fisheries official David Einarson.
“Look at what wa’ve accomplisih-
ed this year. I'd call that good
« Management.”

“We're quite comfortable with it’s ac-

One of the main reasons for the harvest reduc-
tion was because the DFO canceled the last 24-
hour commercial opening, scheduled to have
been August 3-4,

Ironically, the reason for the closure was be-
cause the DFO’s own test fishery indicated the
coho and stceJhead returas were some of the
‘worst cver recorded,

But Einarson says the low returns could not
have been expected, and were probably largely

Brake Reline Special

A Includes bearing inspection
and drum inspection.

says

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 13, 1997 - A117:

a result of overfishing by Alaska.
And although the test fishery had indicated

figures were not reliable,
*‘Ti's pretty meaningless early on,’’ he says,

“But as tae days go on its more and more ac-

curate. Now it’s the end of the month and we
really have to open our eyes.”

Einarson also says he isn't sure if there is 4
|, Strong relationship between weak early returns

* and weak overall return numbers.

Steelhead Society vice president Bruce Hill
toade that claim earlier in July. He argued then
that commercial openings should be cut back
because there was a strong correlation between
early and overall returns three of every four
years,

The Steelhead Society has been just one of

’ several sports fishing groups to complain that
the DFO tends to put commercial intercsts

ahead of conservation.
Einatson denies that claim. He says he finds

" the animosity between the commercial fishing
, Sector and the sports sector disturbing. And he
Sees the DFO as caught in the middle. -

“‘We have to balance the needs of commercial

__.. fishers with conservation measures,’’ he says.

“Look at what we’ve accomplished this year.
I'd call that good management,”

Sports fishers might disagree, Many see the
commercial gillnet fleet as a ‘‘wall of death”
that kills vast numbers of coho, steelhead and
other fish, mammals and birds. Some think
gillnets should be abolished altogether.

Einarson says a successful commercial fishery
using other methods like seine nets and fish
wheels is scientifically possible, but socially un-
acceptable ight now.

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Sonya Dhaml

Racism
targeted

A GROUP of community
organizations is going to Ict
employers and others know
about racism.

The Colour the Lines
group is doing so through a
federal $9,000 grant.

“Terrace is a very racist
town,’’ says Carol Sabo of
the Terrace Women’s
Resource Centre, one of the
groups behind the project.

Sbe’s heard of cases
where _— people aren’t
promoted because of ac-
cents or denied job inter-
views because of skin
colour.

Sonya Dhami has been
hired to work on the project
sponsored by the women’s
centre, the First Nations
Council of Women, the Ter-
race Multicultural Associa-
tion and the Northwest De-
velopment Education Asso-
cation.

Dhami also wants to talk
at the next chamber of com-
merce meeting to let
employers know their
tesponsibilities.

Toward that end she’s
working on an employer’s
guide to hiring.

In September, Dhami
hopes to go into schools,

Already Dhami says she’s
noticed some resistance fo
the project.

“People's eyes tend to
glaze over — they don’t ,
want to listen,”’

She acknowledges that
some employers might have
had difficulties when they
hired a non-white employee.

But she says they shouldn’t
getieralize all people of that

“Colour shouldn’t come |
first People aren't being
given an opportunity to
prove their worth.”

The first awareness pro-
ject planned is a potluck
dinner called Dine Against
Racism Aug. 20 at the Kin

Hut. Admission is a
favourite dish,
The evening will feature

cultural dance groups. —

#604 +

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