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"SKEENA ANGLER

_ROB BROWN

Marine Collapse

n The Suffering Seas, the feature

article in the Spring/Summer Issue

of the British magazine, The

Vegetarian, Steve Connor,
Campaigns Director for the Vegetarian Society
of the United Kingdom, states that “scientists
have shown us how...bacteria which lurked al
the bottom of the seas four billion years ago
evolved into the many species we see on land
and in the water today. That one of those
specics should turn on the ecosystem which
spawned it with such force and disregard is ap-
palling.’’

To fortify this contention, Connor produces
some shocking evidence that mankind is treat-
ing marine ecasystems worse than at any other
time in our history,

For example, with scant regard for marine life
and no pangs of conscience regarding the im-
moral and inhumane waste attending the prac-
lice of trawling, engineers in Iceland have
designed a net capable of enveloping 12 Bocing
747 jets, .

Greed, waste and destruction grow on large
industrial endcavors like cancerous lesions on
the hides of North Sea flounder. The United Na-
tions has identified a worrying trend in industri-
al fisheries called ‘‘biomass fishing’? whose ex-
ponents employ fine mesh to drag literally
everything from a section of the sea.

Another form of biomass fishing involves
tracking shoals of fish with the use of electronic
surveillance gadgetry, Once located, the target
fish, and anything eise in proximity, is blown up |
with dynamite, then scooped up.

Lamentably, fifty percent of the sea creatures
ensnared by these destructive methods don’t
even wind up on the dinner table. Small oily
fish like sand cels are used for animal feed, or
as ingredients in shoe polish or candles. Even if
industrial fisheries were economically viable,
proftigate practices like these would be in-
excusable; the fact that they are not makes them
environmental crimes of the first order, Listen
to Connor:

“‘..industrial fishing isn’t even economically
viable. Across the glabe 124 billion US dollars
are spent every year to catch just 70 billion US
dollars worlh of fish, Subsidies literally keep
the industry afloat. Like much of land-based ag-
Ticulture, fisheries are in crisis, with competitors
pathelically squabbling over dwindling
resources, If increasing numbers of consumers
choose, for environmental and humane reasons,
to cut our fish from their dict, you might be for-
given for wondering whether this would add to
the troubles of an obviously slressed and em-
battled work force. The fact is that in an indus-
try that is so ruthlessly undermining its own
resources, no job is safe,”

Given the ultra exploitive, indiscriminate
practices of fisheries around the globe, it is not
surprising that species are disappearing and that
the global catch is dropping. All 17 of the
world's major fisheries have either reached or
exceeded their limits, while nine are in serious
decline.

Is there any good news on the international
fishing front? According to Freddy Mifflin, the
new fed fish minister, and Captain Indomitable,
the scourge of the Spaniards, Brian Tobin, there
is. The cod, by God, are bouncin’ back, they
proclaim. ‘'Very substantial increases,’’ says
our own Francis Drake, ‘‘Absolutely
phenomenal,’’ exclaims the Mifflin Man before
announcing a “‘recreational’’ cod fishery,

Now, Fred, bless his liberal heart, ought to
know there are absolutely to absolutes in the
fish assessment biz, Why, weren't there a few
assessment problems before the east coast cod
collapse of "93?

Whistling along the wires of Southam News
come the remarks of George Ross, chair of the
fisheries conservation program at Memorial U.
in St. Joins. Mr. Ross, who has spent a lot of re-
scarch time assessing the same cod fish, does
not share the optimism of the Liberals, provin-
clal and federal. Ross, who is opposed to any
cod opening, suggests that taking stock of fish is
well behind weather forecasting.

“In the end, biological factors are weighed
alongside political and economic considerations
when decisions on opening a fishery are made,’’
says Scott Campbell, the DFO regional director
of science in Newfoundland.

Mifflin and Tobin, as well as schools of
politicians and so-called resource managers be-
fore them engage in this system of weights and

~ measures. The health of the cod and salmon

stocks proves that they shouldn’t. Biological
considerations should be paramount.

HIS YEAR marks the 25th anniver-
sary of Terrace’ Minor Hackey.
That’s 25 years of local children
growing up with our national sport
and 25 years of fun, excitement and NHE
dreams.

But it’s also 25 years with only one sheet of
ice,

For youngsters, that means another year of
minimal ice time, crowded team rosters and, in
some cases, having to sit in the stands and
watch former teammates skate because there
simply isn’t enough space to let everyone play
minor hockey in Terrace,

For older youths, it means having to leave

“home ‘zs early as age-15 to play for a Junior’

team in a strange city. And for hockey fans, it
means another year of being glued to the tube to
watch a game instead of being able to see one
live,

‘This is a sad year for hockey in Terrace,’’
says Warren Garten. Garten is a proponent of
getting a second sheet in the city. He points out
that some youths can’t play minor hockey this
year because of a lack of space,

‘How are you going to feel if you're a ten-
year-old kid and you've been playing hockey
for four years and you're really looking forward
to another season, but you can’t play?’’ he says.
“That's pretty sad.”

Garten is referring to the youths wait-listed to
play minor hockey. There are currently 8
youlhs, aged 12 and 13, waiting to get into the
Pee Wee division, five eight and nine-year-olds
waiting to join the Novices and 16 children wa-
der 7 waitlisted. Most other divisions are also
booked up. ,

‘’s a bad situation,’ says Terrace’ Minor
Hockey President Brian Downie, ‘“We’re doing
our best to squeeze a few more kids in, but I’m
pretty sure we’re not going to be able to accom-
modate them all,”’

But the problem doesn’t end there, Even the
youths that are lucky enough to play still suffer
from major drawbacks compared to players in
most other areas of the province,

Pliyers here generally get only one hour cach
week of practice time, while youths in other
areas are receiving up to six hours of ice time
weekly.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 2, 1996 - BS

nn 838-7283

~ Terrace Minor Hockey starts its 25th
season without a second sheet of ice

Gne person who is acutely awarc of those
drawbacks is Rod McInnes. McInnes is an i8-
year-old goalie who has been playing hockey in
Terrace since he was four,

“One hour a week is not enough time to learn
plays,” he says. “I remember practicing at like,
4:30 in the morning, and by the time you were
warmed-up, you only had. a half-hour to do
drills — that’s ridiculous.”

McInnes says that Terrace is full of talented
players. He points out that his midget teans
won lots of tournaments, even though they were
up against teams that had received way more ice
time.

“We always got compliments from other
coaches who knew our situation here,” he says.
“Just think of what we could do if we had more
time to practice.’”"

And their troubles don’t go away as the
players age. Reaching mid-teens is like hitting a
brick wail for young hockey hopefuls in Ter-

race, To play competitive hockey after the
minors, locals have to travel hundreds of kilo-
metres from home.

“This time of year, kids are bouncing all over
the place looking to play,’ says Brian Downle.
**And many of those are Terrace kids.”’

McInnes has been one of those youths, When
he was 17, he left home with teammate Trevor
Johnson, to play Junior hockey in Fort McMur-
ray, Alberta.

“‘T was told by a hockey scaut to leave home
and play Junior when I was 15,'' he says.
“That's too young, I wanted to grow up a bit
and finish high school with my friends and fam-
ily first,’’

The youths are Icaving because there isn’t
much hockey in Terrace after the minors. But
that could change if there was a second sheet

"There's a very slrong chance of getting a
Junior B team if we get a second sheet,” says
Warren Garten, ‘‘We already have a 1,000 seat
arena. We could set up a team in a moment’s
time.”’

Garten says that the two developers who have
scrious bids to build another sheet are both in-
terested in Junior hockey. And he thinks that
Terrace holds the key to Junior hockey in the
Norlhwest. ,

Terrace is central," he says. “If we have a
team, then it makes having teams in places like
Prince Rupert and Kitimat viable,”

For Mclunes, Junior hockey is not only fun,
but provides an excellent opportunity for young
people,

“The opportunities in hockey today are un-
real,’ he says. ‘It opens all kinds of doors for
school, like scholarships.”’

McInnes himself is in rehabilitation for a
blown knee after he was struck by a motorhome
last year, But he hopes to be out playing compe-
tilively again soon, Hockey is his life, and he
knows how important it is to others.

**A second sheet would be one of the greatest
things that could happen to Terrace,’ he says,

“*Not just for players, but everybedy,"’

Warren Garten couldn’t agree more, He points
out that a Junior team wovld provide entertain-
ment for the city, and bring visitors in to see
games,

“The entertainment would be fantastic,” he
says. ‘‘It would be a blast to see these kids grow
up and it would be exciting hockey too.’

Most people agree that, with Terrace growing
as It is, the future of hockey here really depends
on getilng a sccond sheet. How that should

come about and who will run the facility are just

minor details to those who just want to watch or
play the game,