SKEENA-ANGLER
ROB BROWN

he bombs which hung over our heads

since Hiroshima and Nagasaki no

longer do, but while the threat of

nuclear annihilation has lessened

thanks to profound shifts in world politics, the
population bomb has continued to tick.

Ecologists at a recent conference In San Fran-

cisco struggled to cope with the disheartening

_Tesulls of a year long study by their peers at.

Cornell University, They argued that in the face
of dwindling resources, earth will only be able ta
sustain two billion peaple by the year 2021, four
billion less than the present world population.

Al current rates of growth there will be 15 bil-
lion people attempting to exist in some degree of
comfort on this big blue marble. If this Gightens

_ you, it should, If you think a way to realize this

demographic adjustment is the most pressing
problem facing mankind, you are right.

If you tire of resource conflicts, get used to
them, for the increasing demand on the world’s
resources will ineluctably lead to conflicts grow-
ing in ferocity and acrimony, The salmon crisis in
Skeena is typical: a growing confrontation reach-
ing a pivotal point when we will find out whether
we can manage a critically important resource in
a sensible manner. This logical, eco-centered
management is what the Will Steelhead
Campaigners hope to bring about.

. We in the Wild Stecihead Campaign are advo-
cates for Skeena’s wild steelhead, We are also
the advocates for wild coho, wild chum, wild
chinooks and, by extension, Skeena char and
trout, We believe that the spiritual and physical
health of all the inhabitants of the area fed by the
Skeena and her tributaries depends directly or in-
direclly. upon the vitality of her salmon stocks.
Apologisis for the fishing industry selze every op-

_: portunily to portray the Skeena confilct as a battle

between hard-working commercial fishermen on
one side, and an alliance of a steelheading elite,
and Johnny-come-lately fishing guides who, like
affluent lodge owners, seck to éncrease their earn-
ings with the inevitable increase in fishing op-
portunity attending the collapse of the market
fishery, on the other.

With Alaskan fishermen taking large numbers
of Skeena-bound salmon, the economic testruc-
turing brought on by the advent of fish farming,
and the dramatic resiructuring of the Skeena
fishery that will occur with the settlement of na-
tive land claims, it is not surprising the commer-
cial fishing industry and Prince Rupert city coun-
cil have adopted a trapped-rat attitude. This
defensive posture — the defiance of regulation,
the bluster and bombast in the press — is sad. Itis
a waste of energy. It is unintelligent.

The: Pacific Stock Assessment Review Com-
mittee has reviewed the findings of their fellow
scienlists and agreed that the rale at which sock-
eye are harvested in the commercial fishery is es-
sentially the same rate at which less numerous
stocks are netted. The commercial fishing indus-
try knows that Skecna coho have been in a critical
slate for a number of cycles because of this well-
known aspect of mixed stock fisheries. The
spokespeople in the industry can no longer deny

that the same dynamic is in operation on summer ’

Steelhead, chinook, and unenhanced runs of sock-
eye, and expect to be taken seriously,

Inslead of wasting their energy on ill-considered
rhetoric and illegal actions designed to perpetuate
the status quo, (he leaders of jadustry, manage-
ment and union alike, should be striving to reduce
the number of boats through some form of area
licensing. They should look for innovative ways
to harvest target fish while reducing by-catch. In-
stead of repudiating techniques that offer some
hope of stock sensitivity, they should be embrac-
. ing them and endeavoring to refine (hem. Failure
to da so will only lead to continued strife and the
kind of debacle we have experienced on our east
coast,

The mouthpieces of industry chant the phrase,
“‘Skeena is a problem of allocation nol conserva-
tion’? so often, it sounds like a mantra. They are
only partly correct. On Skeena we have an urgent
conservation problem and an allocation problem.
There should be enough fish to nourish natives,
fill- the recrealional and spiritual needs of
sportsmen as well as suslain a viable sport fishing

industry, If Skeena salmon were anywhere near

their natural abundance, there would be enough.
The lion’s share of the blame for the fact there
aren’t enough is due to a century of over fishing.
In this context, beneficiaries of the resource, other
than commercial fishermen, have a sirong’ argu-
ment for being allowed a fair share of fish, espe-
cially when their endeavours are nol underwritten
with tax dollars, like the commercial industry.
And especially when — in the case of guide oper~
ators on class one steelhead rivers —- one fish
may generate more than $100 In revenue, be
recycled and eventually spawn.

The Wild Steclhcad Campaign will continue to
push for visionary management regimes that put
the tteeds of the-resource first: a fisheries practice
- code. that emphasizes biological diversity because
bio-diversity. means healthy, sustainable resource,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 9, 1994 - C4

SECTION Cc.
MALCOLM BAXTER 638-7283

Grapplers in top rank

THE REPUTATION of local
wrestling took a big step up at
this year’s High School provin-
cials,

Providing the boost were Matt
Kerby and Greg Buck, both
finishing sixth in their weight
class.

And that eamed the duo a walk
to the presentation podium to col-
lect ribbons recognizing their
achievement.

Emphasizing that means there
are only five better in the pro-
vince, coach Reiny Dusdal said
the result spoke well of the pair’s
prowess.

Kerby, he added, was un-
fortunate not to have done better.

Fighting in the 84kg division, he
tacked up four straight wins be-
fore running into the eventual
gold medalist.

Unfortunately, he alse injurcd
his knec in that match and it
ended up costing him.

**He would have had a good run
at third if it hadn’t been for thal,’ ,
Dusdal said.

Greg Buck, up agains! “really
tough competition” in the 7Okg
class, found the luck of the draw
wasn’t with him. |

Suffering a loss in his second
match, Buck went to the B side
under the double , knockout
format.

Unfortunately, his winning run

there was stopped when he ran
into the same opponent with the
same result.

The resulis were especially en-
couraging since both wrestlers
sill have another year of high
school championship eligibility

- Teft. ;
Dusdal also noted many of the

wrestlers who finished ahead of
the Terracites were grade 12s and
therefore will not be back in 95.

However, he added, that doesn’t
mean Kerby and Buck can resi on
their laureis.

*There’s always more good
wrestlers coming up,’ Dusdal
cautioned.

He said the expericnce of being

in (he provincials was as impor-
tant as the result.

“The compelilion’s not too
tough for them up here a lot of
the time,” he explained.

“Tt was good experience to see
what they are up against.”

Also delighted with the result,
co-toach Joe Murphy pointed aut
a tibbon placing ‘‘puts them into
the record books.’’

The results would also give
Kerby and Buck a lift. ‘They see
that they’re right up there. With
another year left, it’s excellent.’’

And it would give a similar lift
to the local wrestling program as.
a.whole by showing what could’
be achieved.

Tourney off to controversial start

SHARP GOALTENDING is as important te to success in floor hackey as in its icy equivalent, Above,
Richard Kriagl of the Blue Whilties is seen in action during last week’s opening round robin action.

The Blue Whities lost the game but Kriegl’s play earned him the game’s second star award.

Players
to cue up

WHAT'S RED, yellow, brown,
green, blue, pink and black?

Snooker bails, and they'll be
crashing around the lables this
Saturday at the Low Budget Pool
Tournament.

Though competition will be
fierce, organizer Glenn Grieve
emphasized it’s a friendly tourney
with the accent on having fun.

And if entrants improve their
Slandard of play along the way,
that’s a bonus, he added,

Underlining the friendly nature
of the competition is the way the
major prize — a two-piece cue
and case -- will be awarded,

“Everyone who enters has an
equal chance of winning the
cue,’ Grieve said, explaining
there will be a draw Grom the hat
from among all entrants.

The tourney .winnor will have
his/her name engraved on 4A
trophy to be on permanent dis-
play al Gus’s Recreation Centre,
venue for the tourney,

The entry fee is $20 which pays
for the prize and all-day use of
(he tables. Maximum entry is 16,

A single knockout format will
be used, the first two rounds
being best-of-three and ihe semis
and finals best-of-five.

Sign up is at Gus’s and must be
accompanied by the entry fee.

The ¢vent gets under way af

noon with 4 break scheduled fol- :

lowing the first two rounds. The
semis will begin at7 p.m,

OPOV Ill promises to provide all
the excitement the already large
crowds can hope for.

Thursday night’s opening round
rabin games both went down to
the wire, one ending in con-
troversy.

In Division ‘A’ action the Blue
Whities banged in 11 goals but
even that was not enough as the
Posste came away two goal vic-
lors.

In the Division ‘B’ opener the
game was decided by a single
goal, though supporters of the
Terrace Clansmen might claim
the officials won. ;

The Clansmen had two goals
disallowed in the third period and
that proved to be the difference as
they fell 12-11 to the Terrace
Chimo Redmen,

Blue Whities are back on the
floor tomorrow night facing a
lough Traffic Jams squad while
the Redmen look for their second
win against Westpoint Warriors.

Once the round robin is com-

pleted in early April, the cellar

dweller In both five-team divi-
sions will be dropped.

The playoff round has first:
playing fourth and second taking.
on third in each division in a one

game eliminator,

The winners of those guimes:
will then meet Thursday, April 21.
to decide the division champion,

again a one-game shot

Finally,
face each other Tuesday, April 26
and Thursday, April 28 in a best-
of-three battle to claim the OPOV
TH crown.

division champions

Houston Feb 19-20,

top spot in the Level I Pairs,

_Manouevres bronze.

Jr. Bronze Ladles Free Skate.

teams.

quite the surprise.

was a zoo wilh gorillas, ¢

and.lions all on the loose.
Closer inspection, -

officer,

Duo strike
Houston gold

FIVE ENTRIES, five medalists.
No question Terrace skaters were on form at the
two-day Nizut-Nee Interclub competition held at

Showing the golden touch were Vanessa
LeBlanc and Grace Mitchell who came away with

The duo also shared a silver as members of the
4x 14 Step Dance team and a Beginner Tcam

And LeBlanc added an individual bronze in the

Other individual medal performances were
provided by Lindsay Moles! who silvered in the ©
Preliminary Ladies Free Skate and Chella
Levesque with an Open Ladies Free Skate bronze.

Katie Dediluke and Leanne Ballinger came
away with a silver and bronze each as members af
the 14 Step Dance and Beginner Manouevre

kkkkk
Anyone who took a laok inside the Pentecostal
Church on Saturday morning would have gol: .

A quick glance would have revealed the place
lephanis, bears, tigers

however,
revealed no need: to call In the. animal: control

It was just costumed Terrace ‘Skating club
members who had gathered for. thelr program ©
photo session for this year’s ice extravaganza, the
-theme of which is. A Trip tothe Fair. cae

There will .be three -performances: Friday,

would’. have |

March 18 al'7 p.m, and Saturday, March 19 at 1

p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickels are available at Flowers
A La Carte, Jeans North, All Seasons, Copperside ©
il, Wayside Grocery and nd Agar Red. & While. ;

" nual local ica show takes place March 18-19,

“QUEST SKATER at the “Greatest Show on
Ice”, is Kari-Lee Nustad of Houston. The an-