WAITING FOR THE FISH: New selective gillnets being tested at the river mouth this year are hoped to allow more chinook, steelhead and caho upstream, Selective gillnets get mixed reviews There's no such thing, says ministry biologist ‘NEW, SELECTIVE gillnets being tested this year by commercial fishers on the _ horthcoast are supposed to eventually belp reduce rates of incidental catch. But not all biologists are so optimistic, Bob Hooton of the B.C. Ministry of the Environment is not convinced of the feasibility of selective gillnets. . “Gillnetting is a very unselective method of harvesting fish,’’ he says. “Tn fact, it is notoriously anti-selective.”’ Eleven four-boat groups are plying northcoast waters this summer, and 20 more vessels are fishing the Skeena- using nels that have differing, , mesh ,_sizgs, materials and.hang ratios, ; The idea is to find the best nets that cap- ture desirable fish like sockeye, while al- lowing unwanted species like steelhead to escape, But Hooton isn’t convinced. “No matter how much you fine-tune it regarding mesh size or the way it’s bung, it’s still a gillnet,’* he says. ‘The term ‘selective gillnet’ is really a classic oxymoron, It isn’t possible.”’ Hooton says that the choice ultimately comes down to whether or not gillnetting is a viable option, “They are there to strain all of the fish out of the water, basically,” he says. ‘If fish are there, they’re dead. Period.” But Department of Fisherics and Oceans biologist Les Janz couldn’t disagree more. “People who make comments like those are probably pretty narrow-minded,’’ he says of Hooton's position. ‘‘There were people who said it was impossible to walk onthe moon too.’ Janz claims that early indications of the net's success have been very posilive. “Previous studies suggest that there are . Selective properties to these nets,’ He says. “To me it makes sense. When you go from a pile of tangled netting that catches every- thing, to a net that catches only gilling fish -— that’s a big difference.” Janz says thal it’s tod early to know how successful the nets have been, but the pro- ject is running smoothly so far. “Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what he’s talking about,’’ says Janz. “You have to test these things, Otherwise you’ll never know.” Rivers on endangered list THREE OF THE top ten most endangered river sys- tems in B.C, are right here in the Northwest, according to the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Colum- bia. Each year the council, which represents more than 40 recreation and conserva- tion organizalions, compiles a list of the provinces most endangered rivers. This year the Stikine is number three. The council says that the river has received inlerna- tional recognition for its scenic, cultural and recrea- tional values. But It is threatened) by increasing pressure from the forestry OF Well done Victor! } Victor Cavalhelro Ted Hicks, Sales Manager, is pleased to announce that VICTOR GAVALHEIRO, through his customer satisfaction and sales achievements, has been named SALESMAN OF THE MONTH FOR JUNE, We know thal his many friends and loyal customers join us in extending congratulations. industry and road-building. In particular, the coucil is concerned about the three- ‘fold increase in the Annual Allowable Cut in the Cas- siar Forest District. Accord- ing te the council, this could have dramatic negative ef- fects on the Stikine. The council also argues that one of the Stikine’s main tributaries, the Iskut, which is said to be the source of 40 per cent of the system’s spawning salmon, is also in danger because of the use of a large hovercraft on the river, The council says the craft is having negative effects on fish — killing them outright or stranding them on the Th Strength &, CP 577 TRUCKS >:-< ea GH te lees LOksmobile PONTIAC Chevrolet Geo McEwan Terrace We Can Make It Happen At The Bright Spat On [i Sales Gut of TOWN CUSTOMERS PLEASE CALL COLLECT TERRACE 635-4941 KITIMAT 632-4941 {-200-BMCEWAN* (1 -800- 62-3826) invay 16 West [n Terrace leasing DRALEA NO Sea banks. The Taku River, further north, is inaccessible by road, But the council places this system fourth on their list because of a proposed access road into the region, which wauld open it up to large-scale logging. Ninth is the Nechaka. The Netchako had been first on the list in 1994 and still war- rants a position, according to the council, because there is not enough water for sal- tion to survive, despite the cancellation of the Kemano Completion Project. And listed as the most endangered. river, for the second year in a row, is the Fraser, Where do you turn with a complaint against the press? To US... The British Columbia Press Council is an independent review board which considers unresolved complaines about newspapers, To lodge a complaint, all ir takes is the cost of a letter. B.C. Press Couneil 900 - 1281 W. Georgia St, Vancauver B.C. VGE 3]? 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