Cutty Crisis

[jpinkster]

Things are getting bad in the small streams right now:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-trout-drought-federal-action-plan-needed-1.4270434?cmp=rss

 

Personally, I've been sticking to the bigger systems over the last few months. Without any precipitation on the horizon, things could get really dicey out there. Anglers should be really frustrating with the level of inaction from the Feds so far. Putting westslope cutties on the gazette was a good first step, but it looks as though it was only lip service. The recovery plan is now two years overdue. Given the current conditions, we might need some immediately action to make sure some of these isolated populations aren't wiped off the map. Write your MP!

[fishteck]

AEP can impose a closure on any body of water and should have done so a month ago for the eastern slopes trout streams. But going back to 2015 when a 10 day closure of the Bow River was imposed, outfitters and shops were outraged. The whole fishing community needs to get behind fishery management and take some short term pain for the survival of the east slopes trout fishery..

As we move into the early fall with cooler nights we can expect to see a reluctance to impose river closures. But the question needs to be asked of the fishery managers just how damaging the combination of low flows, high water temperatures, the ever increasing fishing pressure, poor catch and release techniques, air exposure and carelessness in general has had on the trout population in 2017.

 

The number of photos taken of fish nowadays is staggering and just how many fish need to be caught to have an enjoyable day on a foothill stream or river? Voluntary restrictions have done little to curb the current trend of self-indulgence in the fishery, therefore full closures of our fisheries are needed. It is my understanding that the government authorities believe that closures need to be regional and not localized to a specific stream or stretch of a river. Therefore, a total closure of ES1 would have been justified recently.

 

Moving forward: should the foothill streams have a shorter season to protect anywhere there is a possibility for cutthroat trout to survive. Possibly 30 days?

[Flyfisher]

 

Moving forward: should the foothill streams have a shorter season to protect anywhere there is a possibility for cutthroat trout to survive. Possibly 30 days?

 

In of itself a shorter season won't do much. The scope of threats to westslope survival goes well beyond angling pressure. Resource management has to change.

[fishteck]

The survival of any species depends on the incidence of unplanned mortality or harvest equally as much as the environment it lives in. In this case the lack of fishery management itself is more than likely causing more gradation than can be accomplished with habitat enhancement or protection. AEP and possibly the feds have limited options given the economic time we live in. By limiting fishing opportunities by closures, less stress will be placed on the fish population, mortality will decrease and potentially an increase in reproductive success. The end result is a sustainable fishery.

[BurningChrome]

The survival of any species depends on the incidence of unplanned mortality or harvest equally as much as the environment it lives in. In this case the lack of fishery management itself is more than likely causing more gradation than can be accomplished with habitat enhancement or protection. AEP and possibly the feds have limited options given the economic time we live in. By limiting fishing opportunities by closures, less stress will be placed on the fish population, mortality will decrease and potentially an increase in reproductive success. The end result is a sustainable fishery.

Be careful what you wish for. If you're going to go the "angling increases fish mortality more than anything else" argument then you're opening up a Pandora's box that will extend to angling everywhere including the Bow. Maybe you can table it for discussion at the next WSCT workshop with the DFO and AEP biologists who attend.

[DonAndersen]

This kinda reminds me of a similar situation in Africa where the large game animals were disappearing at a fast rate. There was four causes1) human expansion into animal habitat, 2) illegal poaching, 3) land use generally, 4) hunting by licensed non-resident hunters.

Rather than doing something about items #1>#3, they limited the license hunters thereby removing a large source of revenue causing further reduction in enforcement staff leading to extreme poaching.

Nothing like chopping your nose off to spite your face.

 

Don

[BurningChrome]

This kinda reminds me of a similar situation in Africa where the large game animals were disappearing at a fast rate. There was four causes1) human expansion into animal habitat, 2) illegal poaching, 3) land use generally, 4) hunting by licensed non-resident hunters. Rather than doing something about items #1>#3, they limited the license hunters thereby removing a large source of revenue causing further reduction in enforcement staff leading to extreme poaching. Nothing like chopping your nose off to spite your face. Don

So to paraphrase for our cutty and bull trout streams -

1) human expansion into animal habitat (resource extraction - logging, mining, O&G)

2) illegal poaching (same same)

3) land use generally (OHVs)

4) hunting by licensed non-resident hunters (legal C&R angling by residents and non-residents)

 

Sound about right Don?

[jdangler]

Sounds right to me.

[trailhead]

Can't fish most of the high country streams now. Closed due to the fire danger, kind of killing two birds with one stone. No access for anyone doing anything. They are doing helicopter patrols too. For those that think they can get away with something.

[DonAndersen]

So to paraphrase for our cutty and bull trout streams -

1) human expansion into animal habitat (resource extraction - logging, mining, O&G)

2) illegal poaching (same same)

3) land use generally (OHVs)

4) hunting by licensed non-resident hunters (legal C&R angling by residents and non-residents)

 

Sound about right Don?[/quote

 

Time after time legal licensed Angler's and hunters pay the price for lousy management decisions. Why? 'Cause it is easy. Plus if costs little to tell legal Angler's to Stop. The other issues may or will cost politically. Nothing like the threat of lose of power.

 

Don

[fishteck]

Any improvement in the fishery management by way of education, land use, policing poachers, restrictions to logging are not possible without manpower. Neither AEP or Conservation Officer law enforcement have the manpower needed. In additions voluntary closures as we have in place do little to curb fishing habits. Just because we wear a floppy hat, wear waders, attempt CnR and carry a thermometer does not override the fact the we need to stop fishing in the afternoons! The only recourse is to have a mandatory fish closure. There are many questions relating to hoot-owl closures that allow fishing from midnight to 2 PM. Fish that are stressed do not suddenly revive once the stress is removed.

The only answer is a full closure - 24 hours per day for whatever time is needed.

 

It was not too long ago when we had a seasonal closure on the Bow River - Nov 1 to May 30 if I remember correctly. The Bow River was truly a world class fishery at that time. We cannot claim the same now.

[Dangus]

Any improvement in the fishery management by way of education, land use, policing poachers, restrictions to logging are not possible without manpower. Neither AEP or Conservation Officer law enforcement have the manpower needed. In additions voluntary closures as we have in place to little to curb fishing habits. Just because we wear a floppy hat, wear waders, attempt CnR and carry a thermometer does not override the fact the we need to stop fishing in the afternoons! The only recourse is to have a mandatory fish closure. There are many questions relating to hoot-owl closures that allow fishing from midnight to 2 PM. Fish that are stressed do not suddenly revive one the stress is removed.

The only answer is a full closure - 24 hours per day for whatever time is needed.

 

It was not too ago when we had a seasonal closure on the Bow River - Nov 1 to May 30 if I remember correctly. The Bow River was truly a world class fishery at that time. We cannot claim the same now.

Care to offer some literature that explains the trout stress response ( and it's apparent persistence)? I have only heard people beak about this, I've not come across an article.

I appreciate your sentiment, but your hyperbole kills the mood.

[BurningChrome]

Any improvement in the fishery management by way of education, land use, policing poachers, restrictions to logging are not possible without manpower. Neither AEP or Conservation Officer law enforcement have the manpower needed. In additions voluntary closures as we have in place do little to curb fishing habits. Just because we wear a floppy hat, wear waders, attempt CnR and carry a thermometer does not override the fact the we need to stop fishing in the afternoons! The only recourse is to have a mandatory fish closure. There are many questions relating to hoot-owl closures that allow fishing from midnight to 2 PM. Fish that are stressed do not suddenly revive once the stress is removed.

The only answer is a full closure - 24 hours per day for whatever time is needed.

 

It was not too long ago when we had a seasonal closure on the Bow River - Nov 1 to May 30 if I remember correctly. The Bow River was truly a world class fishery at that time. We cannot claim the same now.

Do you think a 24 hour per day closure will stop poaching, land abuses, and logging? I have no issues with closures when the science supports it but you seem to want to close the mountain streams 11 months of the year based on your other posts. Show me the science that supports that. Maybe we should build a wall around the rivers. It'll be great, really really great. And yuge. And then make the fishermen pay for it.

 

Also, do you have any empirical evidence to show that the Bow went from being a world class fishery to not solely because of the change in seasonal closures?

[fishteck]

Bron:

 

This article you will find useful. Nothing is ever definitive with an article of this nature, but it will give some insight into the cumulative effects of temperature on various salmonoid species. The latter pages 90+ may be the most useful.

 

https://bowrivertrout.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/epa-summarytempeffects.pdf

[fishteck]

Burning Chrome comment:

"Do you think a 24 hour per day closure will stop poaching, land abuses, and logging? I have no issues with closures when the science supports it but you seem to want to close the mountain streams 11 months of the year based on your other posts. Show me the science that supports that. Maybe we should build a wall around the rivers. It'll be great, really really great. And yuge. And then make the fishermen pay for it."

 

I'm not saying a 24 hour closure will solve all issues, but it is the only option that the provincial government has to reduce mortality considering the lack of staff on the ground. I'm sure the closure we are seeing in the SW corner of the province will help the fishery, but it was put in place to protect the forestry, public and private land not the fish.

[LastBoyScout]

Not sure but maybe a different thought. I could support a shorter season for the entire easter slopes. Before half of you *hit your selves I'll add with the potential for an extension of a month if water flow/conditions permit. The Province has proved incapable of enforcing an early closer because of inability to reach people. Radio ads and a bit on the evening news with may be a message board on the side of the highway somewhere. How you going to enforce that, the honest people will be informed and stay away. A further benefit to me but not every one would be no out of province people around during any extension leaving Alberta waters for Albertans. My 2 cents.

[BurningChrome]

I'd really encourage people to read the actual report from AWA rather than the CBC headline in the article posted. The report is about foothills streams - Silvester, Evan-Thomas, Girardi, Mockingbird, and some others.

 

An excerpt about Silvester Creek, which happens to run through the McLean Creek PLUZ:

Issues: Critical habitat is in imminent danger of drying up, isolating parts of the cutthroat population, potentially destroying overwintering habitat, and making other overwintering habitat inaccessible. There is ongoing heavy erosion of a very dense road network in Silvester Creek watershed, leading to high sediment loading to critical habitat. Continued logging of an already heavily-logged watershed with accompanying new road-building promises to simply add to critical habitat destruction.

 

Link to the report:

https://albertawilderness.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170801_rp_fwr_emergency_report_wsct_populations_risk.pdf

 

Nowhere in the AWA report does it suggest that angling or angling pressure or the length of the angling season is a contributing factor. Folks who are truly concerned or want to learn more and not simply being reactivists should watch for the next WSCT workshop put on by Cows and Fish in the spring.

[Dangus]

I see the part on accumulative effects. One thing to consider, which is mentioned at the start of the article, is local adaptation to specific streams. Some fish adapted to live in conditions well above what "normal" rainbows existed at. Consider the artifical selection pressure heavy angling and no temperature closure has on the population.

These fish get hammered. Only the strong survive. Given that it's still a world class fishery despite

Mans best efforts to **** it up, it makes me wonder.

Mind you, that depends on a large gene pool. Small, isolated cutty streams don't have that luxury, and my impression is that they'd be more susceptible.

[bcubed]

I'd really encourage people to read the actual report from AWA rather than the CBC headline in the article posted. The report is about foothills streams - Silvester, Evan-Thomas, Girardi, Mockingbird, and some others.

 

Link to the report:

https://albertawilderness.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170801_rp_fwr_emergency_report_wsct_populations_risk.pdf

 

Nowhere in the AWA report does it suggest that angling or angling pressure or the length of the angling season is a contributing factor. Folks who are truly concerned or want to learn more and not simply being reactivists should watch for the next WSCT workshop put on by Cows and Fish in the spring.

That makes me pretty sad. I assisted with the fish collecting (yay getting to fly fish for science) for Evan Thomas for the 2011 study. Real shame to hear that it is likely extirpated. Shows how important overwintering habitat likely is, if they didnt find any fish following the first winter following the flood.

[jpinkster]

Fragmenting pure cutty populations might be the only thing that has kept them pure...but it'll probably also be responsible for their localized extinction.

[Taco]

Just an aside FYI; Never forget the our westslope cutthroat evolved since the last ice event to periods of drought that lasted many decades. The real problem nowadays is the fragmented populations.

[fishteck]

There are many interesting comments in this post from a wide diversity of opinions. The rationale I have is that there are two components for the survival of the local trout fishery. Firstly the availability of cold water year round and secondly, conservation of the resources that aid in protection of habitat and the ecosystem. Although there is some overlap in these two components and the management model to sustain a viable fish population, one thing is clear, without adequate water supplies everything else is irrelevant.

 

2017 should give us a wake-up call. The Bow River is a managed fishery with a managed water supply controlled by agriculture and industrial use interests. Although the management model is problematic, water still flows down the Bow River and depending on ones own belief supports a viable trout population. But the foothill streams are a totally different ball park. Freestone streams and rivers are dependent on natural water flows and by the middle of July dependent on rain fall. Very little can be done to generate cold flowing water for theses streams in a drought year. Admittedly, logging in the watershed can impact water retention in the spring, allowing for higher flows during the summer months, but to what extent it would have help flows such as we have experienced this year is questionable. Bank stabilization, restricting OHV use, reduce logging and cattle intrusion into mountain streams are all long term benefits to the fishery, but may well have little impact on fish survival in low flow years. Therefore the only short term fix is to stop fishing in an attempt to reduce stress and aid in survival of the existing fishery.

[jpinkster]

Bank stabilization, restricting OHV use, reduce logging and cattle intrusion into mountain streams are all long term benefits to the fishery, but may well have little impact on fish survival in low flow years. Therefore the only short term fix is to stop fishing in an attempt to reduce stress and aid in survival of the existing fishery.

 

I'll point to Taco's statement above. Cutties were able to pull through during more serious droughts than this since the last ice age. The biggest change has not been increased angling pressure, it's land use impacts on habitat. Saying that the only solution is to stop angling over and over again doesn't make it any more true. Addressing habitat issues is the most important thing that will result in meaningful outcomes now and into the future.

[BurningChrome]

Admittedly, logging in the watershed can impact water retention in the spring, allowing for higher flows during the summer months, but to what extent it would have help flows such as we have experienced this year is questionable. Bank stabilization, restricting OHV use, reduce logging and cattle intrusion into mountain streams are all long term benefits to the fishery, but may well have little impact on fish survival in low flow years. Therefore the only short term fix is to stop fishing in an attempt to reduce stress and aid in survival of the existing fishery.

I'm guessing you did not read the AWA report from the link I posted. You probably didn't even read the excerpt from it that I posted.

[fishteck]

Burning Chrome:

 

Yes I did read the survey. Stream Flows are the immediate problem on all the creeks surveyed. And in most cases the temperatures we acceptable, but at what time of the day and were the locations protected from direct sunlight. If as the report says " the conditions are critical" for survival of a species at risk why is anyone considering fishing on these streams. Fishing within itself is stressful and regardless of the care taken with CnR, some fish will die. All these streams could do with enhancement of habitat, but it does not negate the need for more water.