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:

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