Spring Provincial Fisheries Roundtable

[DonAndersen]

The Spring Provincial Fisheries Roundtable is coming up. How about you folks send someone from Calgary?

Get someone from your clubs/organizations to show up. It would be a shame not to see Calgary not represented again.

 

 

Don

 

Copied from my invite:

 

 

Hello Round Table Participants,

 

This notice is to confirm that the next Fisheries Management Round Table Meeting will be April 18, 2009 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at the Greenwood Inn and Suites, 4485 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton.

 

Lunch and Refreshments will be provided. It is important that we know the number of attendees in advance to ensure the room is prepared and that the right amount of food is ordered

 

Please RSVP by March 12th.

 

Please forward your response to Debra Drummond (Debra.Drummond@gov.ab.ca) or (Tanya.Rushcall@gov.ab.ca) or call either of these ladies at 780-427-7743 (for long distance, dial the Rite number at 310-000 780-427-7743.

 

Information will continue to be posted on the the Round Table Website for your convenience at:

 

http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/fish...roundtable.aspx

 

 

 

Thank you

 

Debra Drummond

Administrative Support

Fisheries and Wildlife Management

Phone (780) 427-7743

Fax: (780) 422-9559

[dryfly]

Don,

 

I am guessing Brian Meagher will be there.

 

These Saturday gigs in Edmonton are just too much for us from down here.... 14 hours of driving 1,200 km round trip is nuts. There has to be a better way... always holding the meetings in Edmonton is not the ideal. I am not sure why the guys in Edmonton could not hold two meetings and senior staff have to travel to (say) Calgary.

 

As long as they continue to be held on Edmonton, the meetings are toploaded with Central and Northern Alberta folks and the South is under represented. We made the one in October of '07 ... it's a long haul.

 

[Critical comment about the Minister and his staff has been removed...not happy.]

 

If it does not snow too much I plan to attend our local fisheries meeting tonight in Lethbridge.

 

Clive

[McLeod]

The Spring Provincial Fisheries Roundtable is coming up. How about you folks send someone from Calgary?

Get someone from your clubs/organizations to show up. It would be a shame not to see Calgary not represented again.

 

 

Don

 

Copied from my invite:

 

 

Hello Round Table Participants,

 

This notice is to confirm that the next Fisheries Management Round Table Meeting will be April 12, 2009 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at the Greenwood Inn and Suites, 4485 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton.

 

Lunch and Refreshments will be provided. It is important that we know the number of attendees in advance to ensure the room is prepared and that the right amount of food is ordered

 

Please RSVP by March 12th.

 

Please forward your response to Debra Drummond (Debra.Drummond@gov.ab.ca) or (Tanya.Rushcall@gov.ab.ca) or call either of these ladies at 780-427-7743 (for long distance, dial the Rite number at 310-000 780-427-7743.

 

Information will continue to be posted on the the Round Table Website for your convenience at:

 

http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/fish...roundtable.aspx

 

 

 

Thank you

 

Debra Drummond

Administrative Support

Fisheries and Wildlife Management

Phone (780) 427-7743

Fax: (780) 422-9559

 

 

Don..Can you check the date on that as April 12th is Easter Sunday so I can't see it being that date.

 

[McLeod]

Don..Can you check the date on that as April 12th is Easter Sunday so I can't see it being that date.

 

 

The date is Satruday April 18th !

[bloom]

Don,

 

I am guessing Brian Meagher will be there.

 

These Saturday gigs in Edmonton are just too much for us from down here.... 14 hours of driving 1,200 km round trip is nuts. There has to be a better way... always holding the meetings in Edmonton is not the ideal. I am not sure why the guys in Edmonton could not hold two meetings and senior staff have to travel to (say) Calgary.

 

As long as they continue to be held on Edmonton, the meetings are toploaded with Central and Northern Alberta folks and the South is under represented. We made the one in October of '07 ... it's a long haul.

 

[Critical comment about the Minister and his staff has been removed...not happy.]

 

If it does not snow too much I plan to attend our local fisheries meeting tonight in Lethbridge.

 

Clive

 

Also surprised that won't hold one in Calgary also. If they're willing to hold one in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat (which they are, Tuesday and Wednesday night), they why can't they hold one in Calgary and Edmonton? It's a lot easier for me to travel to Lethbridge...but I'm glad they're coming to me.

 

 

 

[dryfly]

Tim,

 

The mtgs here and in MH are "local area" meetings with Terry. (Thanks Terry!) Major items are taken from our meetings to the regional level and up to Shangri La.

 

The Edmonton powwow is the final provincial top-level meeting at which major decisions are made or at least given informal blessings by special interest groups from across Alberta--well except southern Alberta.

 

I still don't see why there could not be two "provincial" meetings. The "votes" at Edmonton are not official anyway...what happens still has to be approved by the minister op advice from ADMs etc. Have two provincial meetings would be better for us at least.

 

Edmonton can argue all it wants about the need for one provincial meeting. Bless their hearts it is indeed on Saturday, but that still means a minimum of two days for folks from our way. (Unless SRD can "Beam me up Scotty," leaving Saturday morning is not an option. Lord knows they can make money disappear so why they can't beam us up there...) Working guys can't go if they have to take time off work. Even OFs find it onerous...and it is not our age. I just don't like spending that sort of time and money driving...time mainly. In any case, I could not go this year anyway because of other commitments.

 

We appreciate the support we got for Police Lake last year. But a few of us are very unhappy with the current minister and TOTAL lack of action on other items we've pushed for. Bloody waste of breath and ink.

 

In his eyes, we are personae non gratae down here.

 

Clive

[McLeod]

Tim,

 

The mtgs here and in MH are "local area" meetings with Terry. (Thanks Terry!) Major items are taken from our meetings to the regional level and up to Shangri La.

 

The Edmonton powwow is the final provincial top-level meeting at which major decisions are made or at least given informal blessings by special interest groups from across Alberta--well except southern Alberta.

 

I still don't see why there could not be two "provincial" meetings. The "votes" at Edmonton are not official anyway...what happens still has to be approved by the minister op advice from ADMs etc. Have two provincial meetings would be better for us at least.

 

Edmonton can argue all it wants about the need for one provincial meeting. Bless their hearts it is indeed on Saturday, but that still means a minimum of two days for folks from our way. (Unless SRD can "Beam me up Scotty," leaving Saturday morning is not an option. Lord knows they can make money disappear so why they can't beam us up there...) Working guys can't go if they have to take time off work. Even OFs find it onerous...and it is not our age. I just don't like spending that sort of time and money driving...time mainly. In any case, I could not go this year anyway because of other commitments.

 

We appreciate the support we got for Police Lake last year. But a few of us are very unhappy with the current minister and TOTAL lack of action on other items we've pushed for. Bloody waste of breath and ink.

 

In his eyes, we are personae non gratae down here.

 

Clive

 

Why not have the meeting in Red Deer ?

If not I can stick up for the Calgary folks since most of my time is spent fishing in West and South of Calgary anyway.

[DonAndersen]

Guys,

 

Whoops - I didn't change the date although I did get an email.

 

Thanks for the catch.

 

 

Corrected email copied below:

 

 

Dear Round Table Participants.

 

It seems I have confused some of you with the accidental first email confirming the meeting was April 12th.

 

It should have stated April 18th, 2009 at the Greenwood Inn and Suites, Edmonton. No need to reply if you have confirmed your attendance already.

 

Thank you and Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

And the meetings have been held in Red Deer. Only one guy from TU showed up and he's a paid employee.

 

And guys, I'll see if we can add to the agenda and change of venue for the guys down south. Won't be done this spring - maybe fall?

 

 

 

 

Don

[Gary]

I do attend as a bono fide southerner and did suggest that the freedom loving mountain people of the beautiful Crowsnest Pass would be more than happy to host this spring's roundtable. The suggestion was made after some one (Don, I believe) bemoaned the fact that no Calgarians were present at the sessions. The reasoning was given that since those city guys like fishing in the Pass so much, they might like coming down here to talk fishing.

 

Now, quite truthfully, it doesn't really matter if we get people from Calgary, specifically, at these roundtables. What is important though is getting people that care and are passionate about fishery management in east slopes (mainly trout streams), particularly ES1. East slopes 1 has the second highest number of angler days in the province, coming in just behind Prairie Parkland 2. Anyone can probably guess, though, what fish management zone takes up 99.9% of the discussion. Some how PP2 problems are provincial in scope while ES1 problems are of a regional nature and not deserving of much consideration. That reminder has been given more than once. "We have to think globally, not locally".

 

The province is way behind in what is their mandate for responsible fish management down here. A side from creel surveys on the oldman drainage a couple of years ago and one study on the castle done this past year (no results tabulated yet) nothing has happened studywise in well over a decade (the Bow notwithstanding). Now remember the province did promise no "net loss" of fish habitat and opportunity due to the loss of the lower part of the 3 major rivers here in the south west. Course they can never be held to that promise if they don't do proper fish counts. We have to push for those studies.

 

Our profile has to be raised and only numbers can accomplish that, so it is hoped that more guys with an interest in our trout streams do show up. Whether they are from Calgary, Cowley, or even Longview.

[maxwell]

will check my schedule and if i have th eday off i will be there.......... if im allowed!?

[Gary]

Max in the first post is contact info. All you have to do to insure you are welcome is to call the number or send the email to give them your contact info and confirm your attendance

[bigbowtrout]

I heard someone from Calgary showed up. And it was nice meeting you Gary.

Next year look for free cake with every license.

 

It was a really good learning experience and I look forward to going again and I recommend that anyone that has a great interest in Alberta’s fisheries should attend one of these meetings.

 

[Guest tallieho]

I heard someone from Calgary showed up. And it was nice meeting you Gary.

Next year look for free cake with every license.

 

It was a really good learning experience and I look forward to going again and I recommend that anyone that has a great interest in Alberta’s fisheries should attend one of these meetings.

Would you care to share in the goings on.I'd very much appreciate the knowledge.I work weekends for 9 more days,then i'll de there at the fall rnd table. thanks in advance..

[TerryH]

..........It was a really good learning experience and I look forward to going again and I recommend that anyone that has a great interest in Alberta’s fisheries should attend one of these meetings.

Chris, with you, Gary, and Don at the table, along with the folks I know from Edmonton, things are in good hands. Thanks to all of you for taking the time.

 

I second Tallihoe's motion -- anyone care to comment on what was discussed and what the outcome might be.

 

Terry

 

[bigbowtrout]

Licensing of fishing guides was brought up but SRD did not have it on there radar so it was decided that a group was to be formed to discus the pro’s and con’s of licensing guides and then that would be brought forward.

 

They had three folk from DFO (dept of fisheries and oceans) and they had the floor for a bit but all they really talked about was how there hands are tied and budget cuts and they are trying there best. A few groups that where having a hard time dealing with DFO brought up a few points and the 3 said they would look into them. For example Barry M brought up some issues with a coal mine that he thought was not being handled fast enough.

 

Alberta Conservation association ACA showed us there budget for the year and how they are buying more land and leaning towards steward projects and such. Plus they are rolling out a new poster campaign http://www.ab-conservation.com/go/default/...nd/use-respect/

 

Questions were brought forward asking why the Tax payers should continue to support ACA when they can’t provide any feed back or results for any projects in the last 10 years and Todd Zimmerling promised that since he started 2 years ago we would be able to see the results of every project from when he started and onward.

 

We where giving a copy of the 2010 proposed Angling Regs and from what I can tell the major changes would be some Bull Trout spawning creeks would be closed during the spawn season. Also proposed would be the rule that you can posses live fish if it was lawfully caught 100m of the water they where caught in to It is Unlawful to posses live fish unless specifically licensed. Any fish to be retained must be killed immediately or if not retained released immediately.

This is to prevent culling and give the CO’s some more teeth in trying to stop illegal transfer and stocking of fish.

 

The issue of fish ID test was brought up by Barry M in regards to a proposed change to an increase in Brook Trout retention in a stream that holds Rainbows and Bulls and thought that if you are allowed to bonk 5 Brooks a lot of Bulls and Rainbows might get bonked by mistake. (very good point)

 

A lot of things where packed into this day and I learned a lot about the processes and such and I think everyone should try and sit in on at least one.

I was the only one there that was not representing a group or a business and I think more average anglers should attend.

 

Since this was my first time I think Gary might be able to get more into the meat and potatoes of this round table.

 

[Gary]

Was good meeting you as well Chris. I guess aside from what Chris filled you in on. The big news would be, finally, a study on the Crow. It has been long overdue and has been asked for again and again. The ACA will be starting what could be a 4 year study. Also continuing studies on the Oldman and Castle.

 

Hidden Creek will be closed to fishing from the end of August to protect spawning bull trout. Studies apparently have shown most of the bulls that inhabit the Oldman sytem spawn in Hidden. The guiding licence issue was raised last round table. SRD's response was to ask the guiding industry and found the industry had no desire to be licenced, so put the idea on the table. It will come back again for further discussion.

 

There has been discussions centered around "invasive species" for quite some time now. Whether it be illegal stocking of perch in trout lakes or introduced brookies that have a detrimental effect on native species, such as bulls. Wisely SRD has increased the limit for brook trout in many northern waters were they are competing with naturals. Fishermen that like to eat a couple get the chance and provide a conservation service as well. Of course SRD had the other option that some would prefer...to do nothing.

[bigbowtrout]

http://srd.alberta.ca/fishwildlife/fishing...ed-May19-09.pdf