- 86 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, wily 23, 1997

DAVE TAYLOR

_ROB BROWN
Fish, not politics

n 1898 the Board of the Manage-

ment of the Marine

Biological Station of Canada was

formed to undertake independent
scientific research on aquatic organisms in
marine and inland waters, and to provide solu-
tion to practical and applied problems in the
commercial fisheries. Twelve years later, the or-
ganization was given more independence and a
new name when the Board members and its re-
searchers complained that the government of
the day had too much control over its budget.

Now known as the Biological Board, the orga-
nization, consisting predominantly of scientists
nominated frez universities throughout Canada,
was held in high esteem. In 1937 the onganiza-
tion underwent another structural change
metamorphosing into the Fisheries Research
Board (FRB), another highly regarded scientific
body independent of both government and in-
dustry.
In 1972 the FRB was dissolved with the crea-

tion of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans

(DFO). Fisheries science was thus incorporated |

into a political body for the first time, an event
which fisheries scientists, Jeffery Hutchings,
Carl Walters, and Richard Haedrich, contend
has led to some thorny dilemmas.

In a paper entitled “Is scientific inquiry in-
compatible with government information con-
trol?'? published this year in the Canadian Jour-
nal of Fisheries and Aquatic Scientists, Hutch-

comprehensively legitimate differences in
scientific opinion. The conservation on natural
resources is not facilitated by science integrated
within a political body.”

To fortify their thesis the authors draw heavily
from two events that brought DFO under in-
tense scrutiny: the collapse of the Cod Fishery
and Alcan’s Kemano Project,

The creation of DFO came two years after
Canada’s fisheries jurisdiction was extended to
two hundred miles, The job of managing one of
the world’s greatest fisheries fell to DFO. In a
mere fourteen years the largest cod fisher in the
world had suffered a hundred fold reduction in
spawning biomass. Despite the huffing and
puffing and grandstanding of Brian Tobin —
who stirred up considerable jingoistic fervor
while simultaneously furthering his carcer —
there is, and was, ample evidence that a cod col-
lapse was imminent, and it might have been
averted.

One of the disturbing things about the paper
under discussion here is that scientific opinion
that tended to disagree with what later turned
ovt to be over-estimates of cod abundance had
very little or no affect on official policy and
subsequent managerial actions uatil it was too
late. What we take for scientific consensus in
ihe form of ‘Stock Status’’ reports, the authors
of the paper contend, often do not reflect the
diversity of scientific opinion. In one example
Hutchings et al show how a fisheries scientist
within DFO was issued an official reprimand
for stating that what happened to the cod stocks
was due to overfishing not to gray seals or en-

vironmental factors, an opinion that was widely .

held by scientists and supported by rescarch and
published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The sad behaviour of DFO officialdom on the
Kemane Project is well known and well docu-
mented on video and in the press. Walters ct al.
once again show how DFO disregarded their
own task force and the needs of the fish they
were charged to protect in their zeal to appease
the Aluminum Amny,

This month’s issuc of Canadian Geographic

reports on the amazing pre-election decision by
fisheries minister Mifflin to allow a cod fishery
in the face of much scientific opinion that the
species is endangered. The goverment Com-
mittee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada under Dr. Kim Bell has recommended
that cod be declared endangered after three
years of study. There has been considerable
resistance to this move from DFO,

The authors of ‘‘Is scientific inquiry in-
compatible with government information con-
trol??? suggest the way to prevent this kind of
polltical interference is recreate a politically in-
dependent organization modeled after the
Fisheries Research Board atid to make the con-
sensus of that body available to the public at the
same time it is made available to the Minister so
we may have an opportunity to judge whether
the decisions flowing from it are sound. It’s a
good idea, and one that should not be confined
to fisheries science alone.

/ TERRACE STANDARD |

Several local swimmers in finals

TERRACE BLUEBACK
swimmer Jenine Barton
found success on the fly at
the BC Age Group Swim
Championships in Rich-
mond two weekends ago.

The 12-year-old picked up
two medals in the difficult
butterfly event.

Barton was one of 10 Ter-
race swimmers competing al
the Champiouships. Several
of them made it into the
finals but only Barton
medalled as an individual.

“71 was really happy,”’
says Barton. ‘‘I think I did
the best that I could do.’

Barton raced through the
100 metre butterfly final in
1:15.51 — nearly three full
seconds off her preliminary
time — ta take the bronze.

‘“Pve got pretty strong
shoulders,” Barton points
out. ‘That helps.”’

In the 200 metre event
those shoulders really came
on strong, helping Barton
swim to a 2:50.97 final time
— fast enough to get her a
silver medal.

“That was completely un-

expected,’? coach Mike Car-
lyle says of the medals.
‘We knew she’d make
finals, but medalling at
Provincials is ‘something
else.”

Carlyle says Barton’s time
in the 100 should put her in
the Canadian top 50 — and
she still has another full
short course season as a 12-
year-old,

‘She’s accomplished an
amazing amount for a
second-year swimmer,”’ he
says. ‘It’s quite exciting.’”*

Fellow Bilueback Brian
Palahicky also had a great
meet, making it to finals in
two events — the 100 and
200-metre breast stroke.

Palabicky even took six
seconds off his 200 time to
finish seventh. Carlyle says
the two seventh-place fin-
ishes should secure him in
the nation’s top 50 as well.

Julie Vanderlee, 16, also
made it to finals for her first
time as a Blucback. She
ended up sixth in the 200 fly
and eighth in the 800 free.

‘*That was nice to see,”’

says Carlyle. 'Julie’s one of
our hardest-working kids.
She’s always a leader at
praclices,””

‘Thomas Demetzer did
well too, coming very close
to making, the finals. Carlyle
says Demetzer’s _ per-
formance is a good sign for
next year, since he still has
another season to go in his
12-and-under age group.

The Blucbacks also posted
some impressive  per-
formances in the relays.

The 13 and 14-year-old
boys, consisting of Brian
Palahicky, Tristan Brown
and two Rupert youths, took
second in both the 200 med-
ley and 200 freestyle relays.

The wins should keep the [ie

successful group in Cana-
da’s top five.

The 15 and 16-year-old
girls’ group did well too.
The swimmers, consisting
of Terrace's Marina Check-
ley and Julie VWanderlce,
along with two Kitimat
girls, took fifth in both the
free and medley relays.

BLUEBACK SWIMMER Jenine Barton took home
two medals from the Provincial Swim Finals in Rich-

-mond. A number of other swimmers also made the

final round, but just missed medalling.

Mexico takes on the Nass

Area team impresses |
international squad

ARRIBA! ARRIBA]
The Mexican youth soccer

‘team was enthusiastically

greeted by the village of
New Aiyansh on Sunday,
July 13. ’

The New Aiyansh team
played their first game of
the season against the
Mexicans, losing to team
Ciencias by a slim margin
of 4-3.

The event was organized
by the New  Aiyansh
Y.M.C.A.. Although the
club has been inactive for
the past 10 years, organizer
Trevor Stewart made sure
that the fields were properly
marked for the tournament
— somewhat of a rare oc-
currence he added jokingly.

Stewart also said that the
Mexican coaches were quite
impressed with the per-
formance of the 16-and-
under team.

“The players are all good,
but need a bit more prac-
tice,” said coach ‘Nacho’
Carvanza through translator
Oscar Zuniga.

“They need to Icarn to
rd

A NUMBER of rivalries are heating up in Terrace Youth Soccer. in the Under-12
Boys division, the Sockeyes and Cedarland Tire are neck and neck, The Under-Ss
have Surveyors and Westel batting It out for first place and the Under-14 Girls

have ikan and Rossco Ventures going toe-to-toe. This game, In the Under-8 divi-
slon, saw top-ranked Webb's Refrigeration up against Remax, Remax won 4-2.

control the ball and pay
more attention to using the,
head, chest and thigh,”
added Carvanza. ,
Carvanza was ac-
companied with his son
Jorge and coach Alex Guar-
dado. They will also be
holding a soccer camp on

August 3.
The Northern Soccer
Academy sponsored the

team from Guadalajara,
Mexico to play against other
narhwestern communities.

Bat language was hardly a
problem for the kids, ex-
plained organizer and Prince
Rupert soccer coach Joe
Paolinelli.

“There are no language
barriers — the kids just play
soccer,’ said Paolinelli
about the international lan-
guage of fun.

All the players were
treated to a big salmon bar-
becue feast after the game.

Next year, Trevor Stewart
would like to take a team
from the valley down to
Mexico.

rT

A MEXICAN player makes a sliding tackle on a New Aiyansh athlete during an in-

ere ie Een tet

ternational match in the Nass Valley two weekends ago. The Mexican team beat
the Nass squad 4-3, but they were impressed with the play of the 16-and-under
team. Organizer Trevor Stewart says he would like to send the New Aiyansh team
to Mexico next year for a similar tournament.

storm Skeena
Junior Open

TERRACE JUNIOR golfers dominated the Skeena Valley
Ir. Open two weekends ago, but a Kitimat golfer took top
prize.

Overall low gross went to Steven Venman of the
aluminum city, with a score of 143 — four over par.

Terrace’s Scott Rigler finished just one stroke back of
the leader at 149, Thal gave him first low gross in the
Championship flight,

First low gross in the A flight went to Kitimat’s Jeff
Scolt with 178, while first low gross in the B fight went to
Terrace’s Craig Walsh with 213.

Meanwhile, Terrace’s Brian Rigler took overall low net
with a score of 130 — 14 below par.

Stuart Mclssak took first low net in the Championship
flight with 140, while A flight first low net went to Andy
McCleary with 144, Both boys hall from Terrace.

And Sarah Stevens won girls overall low gross with a
score of 180. :

Warren Hichhorst of Terrace snagged second low gross
in the Championship flight with 182. The A flight second
low gross went to Simon Hilcove, while the B flight sec-

ond low gross went to Mike McMyan,

And second low net was taken by Chris Morsand of
Smithers in the Championship flight and Terrace’s Shawn
‘Fagan in the A flight,

inally, most improved. play went to Skylar (Ha -
smour) Andrews, whose score of 223 showed a 17 oboke
improvement. a