Local anglers in a tussle over northwest steelhead COHO AREN’T the only. controversial fish in the northwest this year. A dispute over the status of steelhead salmon has caused the Terrace Rod and Gun Club and some local members of the BC Wildlife Federation to split from the Sportfish Advisory Board. The advisory board represents the northwestern sportsfishing industry in dis- cussions with the Depart- ment of Fisheries and Oceans and other agencies, ‘We don’t feel that the average angler is being represented,” says ~=BC Wildlife Federation repre- sentative Gil Payne. ‘'The board seems to be run and controlled by the elitist ele- ment rather than family groups.’? Payne argues that steel- head stocks have rebounded along the Skeena, and they should be open to a kill fishery, “The fish are doing well, but the board still supports catch-and-release only,”? he says. “There are a lot of Steclhead out there. You catch three or four steclhead for every Spring (salmon) you can catch and eat.” Payne says ‘“‘elitist’”’ flyfishers dominate the board, so average anglers never get much say. “They tend to idolize the stechead because it fights,’’ he says of flyfishers. ‘*That makes them think it’s a spe- cial fish. To me, all fish are special. I think most of the people in this town who like to fish also like to take one home and eat it.”’ But not everyone feels that there are enough steelhead in the Skeena system to open a kill fishery. Provin- cial fisheries biologist Bob Hoston questions Payne’s assumption that steelhead are abundant. Costly. dump IT WILL cost Greater Ter- race residents one third more to build and operate the Onion Lake landfill site than it will the controversial Thornhill location. But if Kitimat also uses the Onion Lake site, the cost difference drops to just 10 per cent. Those are some of the results) from a_ recent! engineering study of the two sites done for the Kitimat- Stikine Regional District. The studies show that using an upgraded Thornhill site would cost taxpayers’ about $27 per tonne to oper- ale, averaged over the 50- year estimated life span of the site, and based on a pop- ulation growth rate of 1.2 per cent per year. That works out to an an- nual cost of about $513,000. The Onion Lake site, haw- ever, is estimated to cost residents about $40 per tonne, or $763,000 annually average over 50 years, That’s nearly three times the current cost of maintain- ing the Thornhill and Ter- race sites. Right now tax- payers pay about $240,000 per year to operate the com- munities’ two dumps. But Roger §Tooms, regional district manager of works and services, says that directly comparing today’s costs to future costs is difficult, since projected numbers are averaged over long periods of time and ac- count for population growth. “The numbers are inflated for right now," he says. “They would be much more accurate 20 years down the road,”’ Those numbers also in- clude the costs of closing and monitoring the Terrace and Thornhill landfills aver 25 years, If the Onion Lake site is chosen, the City of Terrace’ will also have to shell out about $49,000 per year to transport garbage there. “We always knew the Onion Lake site would cost more because it needs a liner and because of driving cosis,’’ Toams says. Bruce Hill “I would ask Gil what his qualifications are to make that judgement,’’ Hooton says, ‘“‘Where’s the data? How did they reach this conclusion?’’ Hooton says that neither Gil Payne, nor regional BC Wildlife Federation presi- dent Mike O’Neil have ever asked his office for any data on steelhead, so he doesn’t know how they could judge the abundance of the fish. “It’s absurd,’’ he says. Unlike their Terrace af- filiates, the Kitimat Rod and Gun Club has chosen to stay eordads at 1998 QUAD GAB 24G PACKAGE INCLUDES: © First 4-door Pickup? «6.2L 230 hp Magnum YB = Chrome bumperfgrille + 4-Soesd automatic transmission = Tinted windows »-“Mext generation” dual alr bags « Air conditioning wipassenger onvoff switch - « Grulsa conteal + 40/20/40 Split front bench + AM/FM Stereo cassette w/4 speakars © 4 These are limited (ime ottery and apply 10 retad deierses of 1998 models tox personal use city ancl ruiry not be combenved enlh any ber offers acep! ditadLate Rebate. Ram 1500 ST ded 230 + BAA + AK + DSA Subjedl fo axpcoval by Chinysier Credit Canada Ud asa for est. Maloenetres. dre li todd 101,200. Charpe cl $0-00/im for axcess hilsmetres, These aie closed end (eaies with no buytack an volion packs ge: equivalent factory ta cetanler incenttres apches, Extioges Doesel wehwetes Sre nearies fci tampicte detaits and cor tions & Excludes Crew Cab models. * applies fo university ar college graduates between Oet ober |. 1995 and Secterstei 30, 1B tt A tell tank if tush with every ourcase ae hase of dnew 1993 vette (thay or NO CHARGE AIR CONDITIONING ~ Bob Hooton with the visory Board. Brian Keene represents the Kitimat club on the board. He says the board is a useful agency to cnsurc the voice of the sportsfish- ing community is heard, And he disagrees with the opinion that the board is elitist. “T'm disappointed,’ he says of the Terrace club’s decision to leave the board. “We do our best to provide angling opportunity to all fishers. But with the in- tensity of our fishery —— * Leather wrapped steering whee! «Tilt steering” te “ony at your Nelghhourhood B.C. Sy Sportsfish Ad- + 700 ibs. towing capacity + Power windows/door locks/mirrors about 100,000 angler-days in the system — think about how many fish we could wipe-oul in a single sea- son.” Keene also says that catch-rates for steelhead don’t necessarily represent stock strengths. “They're not a hard fish to catch. If they’re there, they usually take,” he says. The Steelhead Society also sils on the Sportsfish Advisory Board. Society representative Bruce Hill says the board sometimes represents fishermen better than il does fish, but he thinks the Rod and Gun Club is overreacting. “You don't just take your marbles and go home,”’ he says. ‘‘That’s really child- ish.”’ Hill also says the BC Wildlife Federation has fal- len oul of favour with con- servalion groups for being too right-wing. “There are some really goed people in the BCWF,”’ Hili says. ‘‘But it seems to have been co-opted by radi- cals. There’s a lot of right- wing paranoia running through it,” The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 29, 1998 - A? MAY 1998 P A LAC E MAY 1998 : SUDAY > MONDAY =—TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY. SATURDAY. ‘. 31... twain | O ranPist Canadian igAssoiation Parents For Parte Kesnin Seton French Terrace Nga Toba Comet | tera Skaing Chapter Tenaoe Cub S casdonia 4 6 terace | 7 tenae Canatin | Q nip Senior | Terrace Minor | Kermode Peaks |_Mow Sota |_—_Pataplegle } Ts Secondary Hockey Friendship | Gymnastics | Tarae AtiPret | Nisga’aTibal rca | School Association Society Club Soory Cound Rescue Siety 10 seen 111 12 $13 PA tenace [1S sas [1 Oren Junior | Terrace Minor | Kermode Terrace Lite Theatre 9 § isan of Tanace {See Secondary Baseball Friendship Communi Tenace ere School Association Society than Beau Peaks Gymnastics Negaa Tha Leen awn 9 1 7 | 8 1 9 20 Tertace 21 Order of 22 coin 23 alia Tromhill Terrace Kermode Blueback Royal Puple J Paraplegic Assoc. 1 terrace Youth Soccer dr. Secondary § MinorHockey | Friendshi Swim Club naa TH School Association sadly Onc Ott coosel eran stg Cub 25 2 Tort 2B tenace | P Qraraen Heights OF 28 ni Terrace Minor 6 ein Shring Club J Ringette Assoc. | Parana Ase, Sie : Senior Hockay Paraplege [shames Mn, Terrace Ksumkalum PRES He Secondary —} Assaciation | Association | sich Anii-Poverty Sisterhood Terrace Hospice ; Saco Sat. Afternoon Games Doors 11:30 a.m. Games 12:45 Evening Games Doors 4:30 p.m. Games 6:15 Thurs., Fri., Sat. Late Night Games Doors 9:30p.m. Games 10:00 p.m. Family Bingo Every Saturday Afternoon Last Wednesday of the month Is DOUBLE BINGO T.V. 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