By Sylvie Paillard
REPORTER

B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner visited the Tenderfoot Hatchery in Squamish Monday (March 6) to deliver good news about the progression of Cheakamus River recovery.

But numerous river stakeholders say that the minister's steelhead recovery update is bad news, and the Squamish Nation is considering legal action.

Penner participated in the Cheakamus restocking of 25,000 pink salmon that came from a Chilliwack hatchery, and he said 600,000 more are anticipated. Penner also addressed the future of steelhead recovery, saying that a technical committee is reviewing options to enhance the depleted stock.

But an anticipated decision to forgo steelhead hatchery augmentation has angered many river stakeholders. Squamish Nation representative Randall Lewis said that he has put forward a writ for consideration to the Nation council and legal staff to “force them (the ministry) to do due diligence.”

Everyday that passes since the CN Rail caustic soda spill that wiped out life in the river more than seven months ago means a bigger threat to its steelhead, say river advocates.

“It’s good news that they're releasing more salmon because salmon carcasses bring nutrients into the river,” said Whistlerite Dave Brown of the Squamish to Lillooet Sportfishing Advisory Committee. “But that’s federal fish, that's DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) taking action and they're responding with a much higher level of urgency in this spill than we’re seeing from the minister. The minister hasn’t done anything but show up and have his picture taken when salmon are being put in the river which he didn't pay for or raise or have anything to do with.”

Penner said the anticipated recovery for the river has gone from 50 years to 15 years. But a number of river stakeholders are saying that the government's policy to eliminate the option of hatchery steelhead - because the Cheakamus has been designated a “wild” river to “preserve the integrity and biodiversity of the steelhead population” — is based on outdated science and could severely threaten the species. An announcement hasn't yet been made regarding steelhead recovery plans, but Brown said that from conversations and correspondents with MOE staff, he believes a decision has already been made to forgo hatchery steelhead and focus solely on habitat restoration and nutrient supplementation. And, he said, that won't cut it.

“The minister ruling that out is the minister playing high-stakes poker with our steelhead stock,” Brown said. “The minister seems to have dragged his feet on making a decision on steelhead advancement and now it appears almost certainly it won't go ahead.”

Brian Niska, owner of Whistler Fly Fishing, disagreed. He said that while there may be a desire among many to see hatchery fish released into the Cheakamus in an effort to boost the recovery of steelhead stocks, fish biologists have found that there’s no evidence it will do that. In fact, it could wind up harming the ability of native fish in the river to recover, he said.

“I’m happy with the direction they’re going. I think it’s very logical and most importantly it’s based on the best science that we have,” Niska said. “There really is not a single instance of a single coastal river having been successfully enhanced for steelhead.”

Steelhead recovery options are being reviewed by a technical committee consisting of representatives from DFO, the provincial Ministry of Environment (MOE), the Squamish Nation, the District of Squamish and CN.

The MOE is recommending proceeding with proven habitat enhancement techniques to replenish the river's steelhead population, according to a ministry news release. But Edith Tobe, executive director of the Squamish River Watershed Society, said she hopes the “good science” Penner alluded to during the Tenderfoot Hatchery visit i s not based on “old-school concepts.”

“I was very happy to hear him (Penner) saying that he was willing to review the science of the day,” said Tobe. “It would alleviate a lot of my concerns that they're just basing this on old school concepts.”

Tobe said she’s willing to wait for the decision about steelhead recovery to come out of a March 14 technical committee meeting, but she’s “not sitting idly by.”

Tobe, along with Lewis, Brown and John Wright of Squamish to Lillooet Sport Fishing Advisory Committee, have signed a letter urging the ministry to consider the hatchery fish culture program. It points to a 2005 ministry study of the Kitimat River that found “no genetic differences between the two populations” of wild and hatchery steelhead.

CN is required to complete a draft recovery plan with advice from the technical committee and present this to the public in the next two to three months.

With files from David Burke, The Question.

© The Whistler Pemberton Question 2006