q ot & ‘sistained ; TERRACE = Fewer: touiists are visiting ‘the : area this: ‘sama Mer. oy Those in the tourism industry attribute the drop to:the loss of | ‘tong: time visitors attracted, here ‘by the fishing. ane . But dontinving poor. _sfees people from: outside of the - ‘Province’; ive. to pay to fish ‘partsof the Skeena River has tog la eis 1 wu edi oe flshing situation here returns 7 i “Of some ‘salmon species aiid $10" - “are turnitig: their attention to - new kinds ‘of tourists to main- tain or improve business. *. - . One-of those, Ginny Lowrie ‘of Timberland -Trailer Park, oth we've been looking at ber eitn the visitor goingto, ; he ‘cutithe number of those visitors. One The’ ‘GST and high gas prices compared ‘are also. behind the drop in ‘visitors, say those in “the hospitality. industry. : “It’s getting too expensive from. people ‘from the ‘south to “come up here,'” said Jack Biller _ ‘of the Sandman Inn.“ ” .“'Qur, business: from Alberta ~ ‘and the Prairies isn't too. bad, ‘we really can’t complain. too: | ‘much, but- we've had. “people” ‘from Alberta who have come: _here for a tong time saying this ‘is their last trip,” ‘he said: |. ; ' “The licensing fee and the lack of ‘steelhead is the reason they gave,"’ Biller added. — Jackie Hovenkamp at the ‘Rainbow Inn, - which also operates an RV park, echoed Biller’s comments... .-- ~ “The number of tourists is . -Teally: poor, ‘Regulars; aren't. uke coming back-or are saying they °° won't return,” she said. “They have to pay the. extra fishing fee, and now GST. You add that up and it comes to a lot," Hovenkamp continued... . She, :Biller and other: motel and hotel operators did say their - summer ‘season has betn boosted: by a steady nuinber of commercial ‘travellers, ‘people who have jobs for the summer in the-area and those who have moved here but are staying in hotels and motels until they find places to live. Some. operators, Bill Horsburg of the Alpine House Motel, also said last year’s native roadblocks, deter- red a’ number -of potential: travellers. ’ “The blame alsa rests on the environmentalists yr ling. They’re su are igs away,” said Horsburg. : Some: hospitality. operators. Bean ae Nea Anglers demand change to’ those in the U.S... at: Timberland: won't be ‘coming back: becatise of fishing ‘and the licensing fee in favour of going “to Ketchikan, Lowrie said: -But one hotel operator did say business in July exceeded that of last year. —* “We had a fabulous July and ‘ wonderful tourists — but not as ‘many. fishermen,’”: said Inn of the. West manager Debbie “McIntyre. : She said the hotel rented: ‘ap- proximately. 120 fewer hotel rooms from this. June to now compared to the same: ‘period in 1990 but that bisiness ’ traffic has been good. But if rental accommodation may be down from last year, the camping at the 156-site Lakelse Provincial “Park. is good, says .-parks branch ‘spokesman Gord McDonald. ~~ f “We. slipped.'a bit in July, Because of: the: weather, but we went back up in Augusl,’’ he said. The number of people stopp- ing at the chamber of com- merce’s tourist information cen- tre on Hwyl6 dropped in July compared to the 8 same period in 1990, Chamber’ manager Babbie Phillips said 1,373 ‘visits were recorded compared to 1,581 last: year, The two numbers are less than what was.recorded in July * 1989 and July 1988. including”: ~ Phillips did-‘note ‘that the 2,091 visits recorded in 1988 takes into account an informa- tion booth operated at the air-— port by the chamber that year. : The ‘chamber's _ numbers don’t reflect, the actual: number inquiry as ‘one visit just: " would a single traveller. TERRACE _— Commercial fishery regulations have to change if the declite of some Skeena River stocks is ‘to be Jhalted,. says a spokesman | for ‘the. ‘Skeena: Watershed. Sport- ‘sfishermen’s Coalition. |. ~ Steve Nickolls said part of the problem this year was the ‘southern fleet which, faced with poor fishing in its own area, came north for richer pickings ‘at the mouth ‘of the Skeena. -: : That brought about some of the most intensive commercial fishing ever on the northcoast, he said, : Nickolls: said the number of, ‘commercial : ‘boats in: any’ one - area *could..be controlled dy. licensing cand that some com-._ Tourism TERRACE. Millions of dollars have. been ‘spent pro- moting | angling: on: the Skeena and developing a tourism’ in dustry, based on the. fishery. i ‘Butit‘can only survive ifthere are ‘enough. fish in the river, says the “North ‘by ‘Northwest. Tourist A a ihe, mail ep a 7 Fisheries. anid Oceans : DFO} In a brie! sent around nen ie St; % “Commercial net. fisheries Com mercia ] idea, Other measures. being ‘called for. by the.coalition included a reduction in the size of the fleet, requiring the. boats to operate further out. from , the ‘river’s mouth and. “changing “Fishing ; methods to protect certain: stocks, Coalition member Gil Payne + Of the B.C,- Wildlife Federation said some ~ commercial . fishermen are already trying to - find alternative methods of fishing. Yet those. fishermen can’t be “expected to use new, and poten- tially more:. time-consuming methods unless their counter- sockeyes to escape ‘because all the-species head. up iver: ‘at the same time. > “In” some years, ‘millions of . ~ excess sockeye and pink salmoi ‘must:be- foregone,” the associa- thon says. commetcial . and “re fisheries could benefit.if DF im n : destination: : _ of steelhea +The. association -siggests, the. reatlonal ara wei i renutation at ri nit Back nore’ ait mercial fishermen, favour ‘the Steve Nickolls parts did the same, Payne add- ed, group wants nets “gltocations of chinook and coho _ for the recreational fishery and énsure those numbers are allow- éd to enter the river; 7. banned the keeping or sale fishermen; ' =. -£ @ “created @. “corridor of free piiseuge all the-way to the open pane ocean’? where fo fishing would - take: ‘place all’Seasoniy + introduced - year-by-year are: oi ee “ithe brief — - Rumbers “f greater, ‘than can. ae _ the brlet con I. 7 avoid. otally bia pine a | Shinook, coho and stetth éteeihead LT os _ decided iti is time to find out ji *, how: much the-city'’s majo “dustries contribute to’ oe "economy. , hard Bh. ng: y oe businesses to find out where all the dollars were ‘being spent in the community, alderman Dan- yt Sheridan said the‘elly had no rd, figutes. on" What - the ning, oreatry and taining in- revel into the city, eduetions in commercial open-' "gested city. busing study i "ith 1999 ix ish, fewer tourists | ENDANGERED SPECIE. The Skeena River has long been touted as one of the finest fi ishing spots in the woud Misitors soba pas of eee pedi tarot Everybody has to: be work. ing by the same’ rules,” he em- phasized in ‘noting | “only | the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)' could. in- , troduce those tegulations.:- mo, And even if such regulations were introduced, the DFO will. have to increase its patrols of the commercial fishery, Payne’ continued, The coalition says its: ‘recom- mendations have already been endorsed by the’ Terrace chamber of commerce and its Smithers counterpart had in- dicated it was about to do the same. a! There were: “also ‘indication Houston,"Smithers and Terrace councils will back its position. moved ings “until the non-target stocks are fully. protected. at sus- tainable levels'!?: and: * required. new fishing methods which, allowed non- target fish caught in commercial nets to be-released unharmed, : The association: “also says Gitksan” now - ‘fishing ‘on the coast be allowed to retire. their boats in favour: of establishing an inland fishery using ; selective catching methods, Whos Although. ‘the: cham! setting asidé thane: Terrare Standard, Wednesday, September 4,1991 — Page A13. fetineut to. the: egion, visitars 7 ‘Teduce the nt ‘LT ing taken by. the. commercial ‘Retail ~ _ Stores” of local stores, “I've definitely. hoticed a Pe difference this’ year’? said Sharalyn Palagian of Central . Gifts. ‘'There’s been. a-: drop in that side’ of ™ business.” She pointed out that drop ‘ . has occurred despite having#” moved to a more visible‘loca- tion and doing more adver- tising aimed at the tourist market. Palagian said last year had seen a lot of anglers’ ‘wives coming in her store or fishermen wanting to biyE’ _ gifts for their families. ‘This season, however, their numbers were down sharply. That included not only angling guides”. tlients, but alsa the rubber tire trade, she added. And from. what. some} visitors are telling “her, it won't be. any Detter next ]- year, Complaining of* ‘poor fishing and the cost of special licences they need.to buy to fish many local rivers, out-. of-province . anglers are say- ing they. won't be coming back again, she warned. - Bob Park of All Seasons. Sports says sales of tackle are’ down because there aren’t as many angling Visitors as last. year. And he atiributes that not only to the lack of: fish but also te the $10 a day licensing fees charged for out of pro- vince anglers on- some sec- tions of the Skeena. : ‘Tv’s the fishing costs and the regulations. People are going to Kitimat where they’ don't have to pay the fee,’” said Park. Palagian said she had writ- ten a letter to federal Fisheries minister John Crosbie spelling out the pro- blems being experienced on ‘ihe. 5. and the need to r of fish be- fishery. because of the lack of fish inf. the Skeena River, say owners me Jackpine Flats. and community involvement. 635-7251, © 2. REBIONAL DISTRICT OF KITIMAT-STICINE _QREATER TERRACE ADYISORY PLANNING COMMISSION * The: Regional District of Kitimat- Sitkine has revived the Greater " Teirace Official Community Plan and requires citizens to serve ' gh the GREATER TERRACE ADVISORY PLANNING COM- -MISSION {(A.P.C.). ‘The Olficial Community. Plan will provide: a . framework for guiding future growth and development in the rua areas - _ Surrounding Terrace and Thomhill. To receive local insight and _ knowledge In the formulation of the Official Community ‘Plan, the Regional District Board will appoint one representative from “each of the following sub-areas: Old Remo/Old Remo Road, Now — ‘Remo/Amsbury, Lakelse Lake, Highway 16 East, Terrace | - North, Braun’s island and Old Lakelse Lake Road/- —_ If you are interested in contributing to the future direction of land use planning Inthe Greater Terrace area please submit a letter to: Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, 300-4545 Lazelle’ Avenue, Terrace, B.C. V8G 4E1, with your name, address, occupation For further Information, phone: | Misty. River. at Misty River Tackle shoo 20% OFF OUR REG. PRICE ON ALL REG. at $3.99 ea. = now $3.19 ea: ALL RODS, REELS; COMBO'S & TACKLE-BDXES AT ackle. Shop The ater" SEASON IS HERE” ] GIBB’S KOHO & KITIMAT SPOONS Pau ae eg. 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