- SSKEENA ANGLER
ROB BROWN

Pogey piece poor

HE MARCH 14 issue of 8C Report

takes a run at the unemployment in-

surance system and commercial

fishermen in its feature article
entitled ‘*On the hook for pogey’’.

“Ul critics,” says the article, ‘‘are bound to
single out the fishing industry as a perfect exam-
ple of where the system no longer provides
workers with insurance against the unexpected
and involuntary job loss, but which has become,
in the words of (Lloyd) Axworthy: 'A perpetual
form of income supplement.’’

The piece goes on to explain commercial
fishermen need only 10 days spread over 10
weeks to be eligible for benefits lasting from May
Day until Nov. 15, that each fishermen need only
return with $156 worth of fish — 20 fish at 38
each — in each week {0 qualify, and fishermen
can still collect unemployment insurance even
though they have netted $100,000 in income.

In its zeal to foster indignation, the article omits
to mention this is allowable under the present
rules, It also fails to offer suggestions for reform.

“Experts,”’ the article goes on to say, ‘estimate
that for every $1 fishermen contribute in the form
of UL premiums, $10 is taken out in the form of
benefits.” Just who these experts are is not made
clear, to be expected from BC Report, a periodical
that can never be accused of balanced journalism.

Similarly, the plece asserts many fishermen do
not look for employment when on UI benefits, but
rather use them as an opportunity to loaf in bars,
ski and teke foreign vacations. This is pretty

. Strong’ stuff, strong enough to warrant some’ ©

specific examples. Yet none are give,

Later, the article concedes gillnet fishermen
average only $30,000 per year out of which must
come maintenance, moorage and other expenses.
It becomes clear the income subsidy of UI is a
necessity if many fishermen are to stay afloat.

The article cites noted economist Peter Pearse
who advocates scrapping UI for fishermen be-
cause there are presently too many boals chasing
too few fish. Pearse, according to the article,
would like to see half the number of boats.

Without the UI subsidy, Pearse predicts, ‘many
fishermen and crewmen would decide the indus-
try wasn’t worth the effort and would move on to
more productive activities.’

This seems awfully simplistic. Dr. Pearse makes
no mention of what those other productive ac-
tivities might be. There just aren’t a lot of
employment opportunities around. It is more like-
ly a lot of these men will wind up collecting UI
until they wind up on the welfare rolls at an even
greater cost to the government.

Pearse’s vision sees fewer, larger, better
equipped boats run by business-minded skippers
exploiting the salmon stocks. But this Darwinistic
outlook does not address the central problem with
our west coast fisheries.

True, large boats are capable of catching large
numbers of fish with greater efficiency and the in-
-comes of skippers and crews of those large boats
may be high, but the number of fish caught would
still be high too and. it would be indiscriminate.
The by-catch problem would still exist.

For the fishery to be economically robust, the
stocks must be healthy. Dr. Pearse took pains to
point this out in his well-known, highly respected
report to the federal government some years back.

To ensure stock abundance, the fishery must be
must be able to target commercially desirable
stocks capable of wilhstanding higher harvest
rates while simultaneously demonstrating
sensitivity to weaker stocks. Only then will the
continuance of the fishery be assured and its long
term economic viability maintained.

The size and harvesting power of boats has little
to do with their ability to fish selectively. How
boats fish, where they fish and when they fish are
the critical issues. It's conceivable a lot of small
community-based boats, using modified gear,
restricted by area regulations and propped up by
income subsidies may be the best way to guaran-
tee a sustainable resource, minimize social disrup-
tion and ensure the needs of all the beneficiaries
of the resource are met.

Author Jerry Collins quotes one Dr. Grubel, a
Reform Party MP, who says, ‘*Let’s admit that
(UT) was a noble experiment that didn’t work.”

I’m not convinced unemployment insurance has
failed, And nothing in this piece convincingly
proves it is unnecessary.

‘There is little room for propping up inefficient
industries”” in our debt-ridden country, says Col-
lins,

I look forward to a piece by him that examines
the massive subsidies, in the form of tax breaks,
stumpage rates and land give-aways, given to
giant corporations that continue to plunder our
resources In so many lucrative but environmental-
ly {nefficient ways: So

1. ? Tefrace Standard, Wednesday, March 16, 1994 - G4

Te arate es

Teryane

1993

A

ag Paton che

SECTION C.

HOCKEY HOSTS. Carrying Terrace’s colours at next week's ‘AA’ PeeWee provincials will be (back row,

left to right) assistant coach Garth Muller, Brandon Smoley, Chris L’Heureux, Thomas Derrick, Clayton
Karrer, Handy Prinz, Wade Stevenson, Thomas Ames, coach Steve Smyth, (middle row) Derek Hadley,
Mitch Armstrong, Blake Wiebe, Travis Lamming, Matthew Thomsen, Lino Osorio, and (front row)) Tyrel
Armstrong, Stavros Darvoudis, Brett Downie and Scott Rigler. They play their first game 11 a.m. Sunday.

PeeWees primed for ©

AA provincial title bid -

“JUST BECAUSE they’re
from the big smoke doesn’t

mean they’re better,”’

That’s a reminder coach Steve
Smyth will be giving Terrace
PeeWee players as they enter the
‘AA’ provincial championships
starting here Sunday.

The other will be ta stay loose.
Understandably, the team is
prelty excited about ihe event,

~ *"but we don’t want them too

keyed up,’’ he pointed out.

Although he’s not about to start
predicting where the team will
finish, Smyth is confident it has
as good a chance as many of its
opponents,

While there. were a lot of
tookies on the local squad, he
was pleased with the way they
had come together over the
course of the scason,

Tetrace’s last outing, a two-
fame zone playoff series against
Kitimat, had also been im-
pressive.

Terrace dropped both games but _

Return o

THE SPIEL for Wheels is back at
the Men's Loggers Bonspiel.

As if $11,000 of prizes weren’t
enough, organizers of the March
30 - April 3 event are once again
giving curlers a chance to win a
new Car.

Introduced last year, the Spiel
for Wheels was an instant hit with
players and spectators allke.

Every team entered in the Log-
gers has a shot at the car or cash
prizes of up to $1,000.

Each member of the team
throws one rock, no sweeping,
and tries to cover the pin hole in
the centre of the bution with part
of the running surface of the rock.

If they all succeed in doing thal,
every member of the tcam goes
home ina brand new car,

This year it will be a 1994
Cavalier RS 4-door complete
with air conditioning , AM/FM
casselte, power door locks and
more provided by Jim McEwan
Mators, joint sponsors of the
_event in conjunction with the Ter-
race Standard.

‘But there’s more than that one
way to win a car.

If only three of the players
cover.the pin they each win a car,

If only two, they've automati-
cally won $1,000 and still have a
chance at a car.

Bach of the two successful
shooters gets another rock to
throw and if elther repeats the
feal, they both get a new set of
wheels. Se

Even If only one of the players
sueceeds at his. first attempt,
there’s money to be.won, He’ll be
given two more shots and if cither

cheque for $500. .

covers the tole, he'll pick up a:

‘Come down and watch tomorrow’s
super stars today.” ....00.00 Steve Smyth

only by a single goal scored in
the final minute of play, ¢n-
couraging results since Kitimat is
ranked near the top of this year’s
championship crop.

The draw has.put Terrace in the —

five team B division where every
opponent is an unknown quantity,
“We've only played against

100 Mile (House) and Kitimat,” .

Smyth explained, both of which
are on the A side.

However, that lack of first hand
knowledge cutis both ways, he
pointed out,

And Terrace could have a slight
edge from being the home team.
“Ts add to be at home,’ Smyth
admitted, adding the much
travelled local PeeWees know
only. too well the potentially
draining pattern of long journey,
living out of hotel rooms and

eating out all the time,

However, when ‘the whistle
goes, it'll still be the quality of
hockey that’ decide the game.

The schedule has Terrace being.

thrown in at the deep end’ right
away with a-game against Daw-
son Creek, one of the top-two
tanked teams. —

We'll find out where we stand
in that game,” Smyth said, ad-
ding a big home-town crowd
cheering the ttam on could pro-
vide an important lift

Terrace seems assured that kind
of support for their second game,
against Winfield. The puck on
that one drops at 8:30 Sunday
evening, immediately after the
opening ceremonies.

They then get a full day’s rest
before tangling with Seafair 7:30

p.m. Monday and wrap up the
round robin Tuesday afternoon
against Port Alberni.

Playoff games takes place Wed»
nesday wilh the third place
decider and championship game
scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Thursday, respectively.

Will Terrace fans be cheering
on thelr own in that final?

**A Jot of odd things can hap-
pen in. a. short .tourmament,”
Smyth said, Hot goal tending ora
ron of inspired play could make
any team a Teal contender.

One thing is certain, however.
‘People will see clean, fast hock-
ey and a lot of skillful young
players.”’

With body checking prohibited,
Smyth sald the emphasis was on
skating, passing and shooting.

His final.message to Terrace
residents: ‘‘Come down and
watch tomorrow’s super stars
today.”’

It'll be a lot of years before we
host another
championship, he added,

LCOLM BAXTER 638-7283
AE Ee ea er ae -

provincial |

f the wheels deal

ae:

Me

MIXING IT UP. Bobbie Phillips keaps a close eye on the incoming reck during 'B’ event quarter

fina! action at this year's Totam Mixed bonsplel, the penultimate major event for this curling season.
All night leagues are now golng into playofts with finals set for Friday, March 25, The '93-’94 finale
takes place a week later whan men's teams gather for the Loggers, the northwest's largest ‘spiel.

And the bonspicl organizers

have decided to add one more -

way to wit, .

Anyone who covers the pin will
have their name go into a hat for’
~ a draw for $100 cash, enough to -

cover their Loggers entry and
then some.

The: McEwin Mators/Terrace
Standard. Spiel for Wheels will
take place during the traditional

“Saturday “aftemoon: break: from

curling, oo a
There is no additional. charge {to -

enter the. event. but the team: that. -

takes part must be the same aa the
one entered In the Loggers. ‘In:

- other words, no stacked rinks. ©.