Skeena Watershed Angling Management Plan

[cowtownscribe]

Hey all.

 

This was sent out by a fellow OWC member. The draft plan suggests non-residents, in addition to having limited numbers of days fishing, may also be required to engage the services of a guide.

 

Check it out for yourself: http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/interi...n/29757024.html

 

Anyone on this Board currently fish the Skeena?

 

Tight Lines!

 

CS.

[duanec]

Hey all.

 

This was sent out by a fellow OWC member. The draft plan suggests non-residents, in addition to having limited numbers of days fishing, may also be required to engage the services of a guide.

 

Check it out for yourself: http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/interi...n/29757024.html

 

Anyone on this Board currently fish the Skeena?

 

Tight Lines!

 

CS.

i did a couple back...

wtf? another bc a.m.p. that looks like [on the surface anyways] it's gonna make it harder for us who don't have the privilidge of living bc to fish there?

seriously: what-the-f?

many thanks for the heads up, i'll be doing some homework as i have some contacts up there...

[bcubed]

another one, where they talked to the guides and fisherman, and not one hotel or anything in that area

[JMasson]

Wow, that's a really great idea. Limiting the number of days that I or any other non-resident angler can come and fish in that area will also limit the income of the buisinesses in the area. Obviously the guides in the area like this idea. It basically gives them a monopoly on all non-resident anglers to the entire watershed. If I owned a hotel, restaurant, gas station...any kind of tourist related buisiness in the Terrace/ Smithers area I would be writing letters and calling anyone that would listen to me.

[Mykiss]

Yep the AMP is an absolute joke. To get to the point they are at with the draft proposal is scary enough...if it goes through then good luck in the lottery.. Its all about greed and nothing about conserving the fishery... They have working groups made up of 3 guides 4 local fisherman and a politician deciding what is good for all involved with the areas....another joke as apparently they do not have an agenda. You can check into it on flybc.ca...or at http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/ske/qws/feedback/ ......and I cannot wait for that response form to open up and I hope anyone else that ever intends to head up to the Skeena in hopes of finding steel put the pressure on the powers to be to stop these ignorant _ _ _ _ '_....

[SilverDoctor]

 

Yea I fish the Skeena when I can, was raised in BC so know the waters. Sadly I won't make it out there this year. It smacks of a monopoly and cash grab to me. Just a bunch of guys trying to close the market and waters for themselves is my opinion. Email writing time.

[wtforward]

At least you could argue that they know the value of the resource

although it may not pan out the why a select group thinks. BC

should instead look to Alberta for a blue print in how we manage

non resident fishing or fishing in general for that matter.

[Mykiss]

The response forum is now open.... http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/ske/qws/feedback/

 

Time to provide feed back from the "non-resident" group... Make your voice be heard.

[markd]

I'm going to bump this, to let people take a look at the "working groups" and try to find the equal distribution of people who are working on this...The hotels and everything need to be just pissed.

just ridicilous

 

 

If this goes through, and you ever want to go arguably steelhead fishing in the best steelhead watershed in THE WORLD....good luck in the lottery, vying for 1 of around 100 TOTAL non-resident licences..for a total stay of 8 days.

 

I'm all for paying for the classified waters and steelhead tags for this watershed, they offer something that is completely worth the money, but this is getting ridicilous

Appendix A. Members of the Working Groups

 

East Working Group

Tom Espersen Resident angler

Tony Harris Resident angler

Gord Wolfe Resident angler

Michael Hurwitz Resident angler

Tom Jones Resident angler-alternate

Bob Hull Guide

Brian Schneider Guide

Richard Pow Guide

Keith Douglas Guide-alternate

Jeff Lough MOE

Dorli Duffy Facilitator, Alan Dolan & Associates

 

Central Working Group

David Larson Resident angler

Doug Eftoda Resident angler

Don Intermela Resident angler

Jason Wiley Resident angler

Ian Trombley Resident angler-alternate

Bob Clay Guide

Gene Allen Guide

Tom Lee Guide

Dean Peard MOE

Alan Dolan Senior Facilitator, Alan Dolan & Associates

 

West Working Group

Jason Ouellet Resident angler

Chris Culp Resident angler

Jim Culp Resident angler

Rob Brown Resident angler

Michael Johnston Resident angler-alternate

Dan Daigle Guide

Dustin Kovacvich Guide

Andrew Rushton Guide

[pkk]

An email I got PLEASE READ THIS AND FILL OUT!

 

Fellow Steelhead fishermen,

Many of you are aware of the new Angling Management Plan (AMP) for the Skeena River steelhead fishery. Those of you that havn't heard of it need only to know that it ends the freedom of non-guided non-residents to fish when and where they want. Several groups of anglers and businessmen have been fighting this plan, but until now they have been doing it independently. Success in defeating the AMP depends on the ability of these groups to combine their voices and coordinate their efforts. There is now an on-line petition opposing the AMP that finally provides an opportunity for hundreds of anglers to send the same message. It can be found at www.opposeskeenaamp.com <http://www.opposeskeenaamp.com/>. Signing the petition will cost nothing, take a few seconds, and could save the Skeena fishery that we all love. The more names on the petition, the greater the effect. Pass this e-mail on. Spread the word. Every name counts. Next year, we can all spread out and find our favorite stretch of steelhead water, but for now, we need to work together. We can beat this thing.

 

I hope you will help and sign this petition.

 

all the best,

 

Jim Vincent

 

 

Thanks PK

[FlashGordon]

petition

 

 

hot linked for ya

[wtforward]

A couple of comments.

 

The posting of the individual's making up the working group

is a double edge sword in my mine. Nice to know who is involved

but you do not know each individual's position on the issue. Don't assume

because a person is a guide that they are in favour of all of the current

plan. Some of the committee member's ideas may have

ended up on the cutting room floor. I know of one guide who withdrew from the committee. There

may be others. This plan is not about the fish and has been stated

many times elsewhere. It is about the detoriation of the fishing experience taking

place in a very compressed time window. By all means as an NRA if you feel strongly

about the issue cast your vote even if it is a straw vote. I wonder if

something similar was ever considered on the OP or Montana how much weight

their ruling body would give out of country NRAs. Last time I checked

the fish farming and commercial fisheries are still operating on the West coast and their

activity is still having considerable negative impact on the fishery. Maybe that

should get top billing. Just don't get your hopes up. This is a BC provincial movie and only BC

residents can attend. I am a NRA and still hope that some form of compromise

can be worked out.

 

[markd]

We're NOT NRA's, and thats the problem..we're NR's....Seems we are as far of a drive in calgary, as the vancouver people are to smithers..Cut the americans out, but not your country men. Or alberta needs to start harping on guides from BC coming to alberta to save themselves Guiding Days and have the bow as a classified system..

[headscan]

An email I got PLEASE READ THIS AND FILL OUT!

 

Fellow Steelhead fishermen,

Many of you are aware of the new Angling Management Plan (AMP) for the Skeena River steelhead fishery. Those of you that havn't heard of it need only to know that it ends the freedom of non-guided non-residents to fish when and where they want. Several groups of anglers and businessmen have been fighting this plan, but until now they have been doing it independently. Success in defeating the AMP depends on the ability of these groups to combine their voices and coordinate their efforts. There is now an on-line petition opposing the AMP that finally provides an opportunity for hundreds of anglers to send the same message. It can be found at www.opposeskeenaamp.com <http://www.opposeskeenaamp.com/>. Signing the petition will cost nothing, take a few seconds, and could save the Skeena fishery that we all love. The more names on the petition, the greater the effect. Pass this e-mail on. Spread the word. Every name counts. Next year, we can all spread out and find our favorite stretch of steelhead water, but for now, we need to work together. We can beat this thing.

 

I hope you will help and sign this petition.

 

all the best,

 

Jim Vincent

 

 

Thanks PK

Done.

 

[pkk]

Please fill out this response form also: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/ske/qws/feedback/

 

They are grouping all non bc canadians with non canadians in their proposals. Steelhead are both federally and provincially managed fish so some of your tax dollars are already spent there. All wrong. I dont mind paying more, being restricted some way but dont group me in with non resident with regards to this.

 

PLEASE and THANKS in advance

[alhuger]

Please fill out this response form also: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/ske/qws/feedback/

 

They are grouping all non bc canadians with non canadians in their proposals. Steelhead are both federally and provincially managed fish so some of your tax dollars are already spent there. All wrong. I dont mind paying more, being restricted some way but dont group me in with non resident with regards to this.

 

PLEASE and THANKS in advance

 

Done.

[headscan]

Please fill out this response form also: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/ske/qws/feedback/

 

They are grouping all non bc canadians with non canadians in their proposals. Steelhead are both federally and provincially managed fish so some of your tax dollars are already spent there. All wrong. I dont mind paying more, being restricted some way but dont group me in with non resident with regards to this.

 

PLEASE and THANKS in advance

Ugh. Before filling it out I took the time to read through the executive summary for the first time. Completely ridiculous. I don't mind spending extra money, but have a problem being lumped in with the rest of the world. Makes it even worse (for me) that I'm a former resident.

[Mykiss]

To follow up on the Petition and the Response form. I'll give you the mailing address's for the Minister of Environment

 

Honourable Barry Penner

PO Box 9047

STN PROV GOVT

Victoria, BC

Canada

V8W 9E2

 

and Minister of Tourism

 

Honourable Bill Bennett

PO Box 9071

STN PROV GOVT

Victoria, BC

Canada

V8W 9E9

 

 

[Whistler]

For those concerned with steelhead conservatiopn I thought I would pass this along:

 

http://speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?t=31083

 

a few things to consider:

 

non Canadians should have to pay more than out of province Canadians

 

Steelhead Society membership and equal voting rights(by proxy)are available to non residents of BC

 

the AMP as tabled is really bad for Steelhead on a conservation level

 

bait is for little fat kids

[alhuger]

Ugh. Before filling it out I took the time to read through the executive summary for the first time. Completely ridiculous. I don't mind spending extra money, but have a problem being lumped in with the rest of the world. Makes it even worse (for me) that I'm a former resident.

 

Ditto, if the taxes were not so much more favorable I would switch my residency back. Not likely now though given our current economic climate.

[newflyer]

before I type this - don't get me wrong I am against this so called "management plan"

 

What if a plan that worked good for the ram river... catch and release... was strongly opposed by a bunch of people in Montana while it was being implemented, and they created a petition? What would we all have said about that...

 

we should be careful about treading to strongly on another provinces wishes, there is a strong possibility that there are issue we are not fully grasping...

 

again don't get me wrong I am just presenting the other side - I don't think there are any issues that we are missing here - it is a crap plan, period I am just sayin'

[headscan]

before I type this - don't get me wrong I am against this so called "management plan"

 

What if a plan that worked good for the ram river... catch and release... was strongly opposed by a bunch of people in Montana while it was being implemented, and they created a petition? What would we all have said about that...

 

we should be careful about treading to strongly on another provinces wishes, there is a strong possibility that there are issue we are not fully grasping...

 

again don't get me wrong I am just presenting the other side - I don't think there are any issues that we are missing here - it is a crap plan, period I am just sayin'

I think a couple of things were already mentioned earlier - they're lumping all non-BC Canadians in with non-Canadians and steelhead are federally protected so a percentage of our federal tax dollars go into the fishery. Plus, catch and release is a conservation measure and the Skeena AMP is about crowding so I don't think the example works too well. There are a couple of good threads on FlyBC and SpeyPages about the AMP that do a much better job at explaining it all. And from what I can tell, most on FlyBC (residents) are opposed to it as well.

[newflyer]

again - don't get me wrong I think it AMP is a bad plan.