SALMON ENHANCEMENT
Two weeks ago The Fisherman declared in an editorial that the long awaited federal-provincial salmon enhancement program was the only way to put the fishery back on its feet.
Since that time there has been another announcement by the Fisheries and Marine Service, but there are curiously ominous undertones to it, we believe, and something that resembles a threat.
Ostensibly to announce another 'pilot study' within the newly revamped public involvement sector of the enhancement program, with a $25,000 budget for volunteer community projects, Fisheries and Marine called a press conference last week.
In addition to the news release, it also handed out quantities of printed background material going into the whole question of public involvement and the need "to combine with the bio-engineering studies and the socioeconomic work a major public involvement component."
In the past we have criticized the delays in implementation of the salmon enhancement program, so lest we be accused of being paranoid about the subject, let our readers decide.
Here is an extract from the background material which, we
Can we be sure program will start on schedule?
submit, is not calculated to inspire optimism.
"Public involvement is also important at this time in the planning phase of salmonid enhancement because we are not dealing with a finally approved program. In these days of tight money and diminishing governmental budgets, every idea must prove itself. The formal salmonid enhancement program is not slated to begin until the spring of 1977. Final approval has yet to be gained. Therefore, the public must become more involved in their planning processes in order to ensure that in fact the program will go ahead."
We would underline the final sentence.
Surely to God the salmon enhancement program doesn't have to sell itself at this late stage.
Here is another extract.
"The challenge that is going to be placed before the public of British Columbia over the next few months is to show that it can and will work with the management of the fisheries resource. In
other words, the public as much as the civil servants will be responsible for the success or failure of public involvement within the salmon program."
And here is a final quote.
"The fish resource is a valuable one to the people of British Columbia and this is going to be an opportunity to show that not only the public realizes that it is an important resource but they are willing to do something about it."
We know it isn't news that the federal cabinet has not yet approved the $250 to $300 million that we all hope will be spent. But we do remember the lavish reception in Vancouver in March, 1975 when federal fisheries minister LeBlanc and the then provincial recreation and conservation minister Radford spoke brave words about the program.
Are we to believe now that failure of the public involvement aspect between now  and the
• The success enjoyed by North Vancouver's Capilano hatchery, pictured here, is an example of what can be done. The facility provides a rich educational experience to the general public while enhancing the fishery.
spring will seriously jeopardize the whole salmon enhancement program? Must it be a success to ensure "that in fact the program will go ahead?" These are legitimate questions
and they must be answered now by an unequivocal statement from the highest possible authority, here or in Ottawa, that salmon enhancement will proceed next spring on schedule.
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The month before last in Vancouver, Prime Minister Trudeau said that only a conspiracy of love could save mankind.
The PM's declaration, made on the occasion of the United Nations Habitat conference, sounds fine in theory, but it provoked a somewhat bitter reply from federal New Democratic Party leader Ed Broadbent.
The only conspiracy apparent in this country is the Liberal government's one against the unemployed, Broadbent claimed.
And, of course, he was right.
In Canada today there are more than 760,000 men and women looking for work. But there are only 60,000 jobs available.
The level of unemployment is at its highest point in 15 years, yet the May 25 budget was designed in every way to hurt the unemployed.
Consider the matter of tax cuts, Broadbent suggested.
"If the Minister of Finance had reduced taxes for average and
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Investment total queried
Editor, The Fisherman:
In George Hewison's letter to you, published in your issue of June 4,1976, reference was made to the United States "investments" on the Fraser River, stated to total $750,000.
This commission has recently provided both governments with a statement of its expenditures since its inception, which totaled approximately $20.58 million from 1937 to March 1976. This total includes approximately
$4.87 million for construction of fishways, spawning channels, field stations, research laboratory, and temperature control works. Under the terms of the Convention, these expenditures were shared equally by Canada and the United States.
A.C.COOPER Director, INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES COMMISSION
Business agent replies
Editor's Note . . . Clearly, U.S. investment on the Fraser River has been far more than $750,000. But having admitted that, let us return to the context in which reference to the sum was first made.
In his letter of June 4, business agent Hewison said there had been nothing in the latest round of Canada-U.S. salmon talks to suggest any change in the U.S. attitude toward its "-special interest" in the Fraser.
This is the heart of the argument, and there is no better proof of it than a statement Canada's chief salmon negotiator, C. R. Levelton, made during talks in October 1973.
It is contained in a document furnished us by Hewison this week, and reads: "One of the serious problems we see with your proposal is your approach to the payments you expect in return for your recent expenditures 4/ THE FISHERMAN — AUGUST 13, 1976
George Hewison ... U.S. 'special interests' are the real issue.
• The Fisherman welcomes letters to the editor, asking only that they carry the address from which they are written and be signed by the writer, although names will be withheld from publication on request. Opinions expressed are those of the writers; they do not necessarily reflect and may in fact be opposed to those of The Fisherman, which reserves the right to cut letters to meet space requirements.
on enhancement facilities on the Fraser River. Your approach would require us to give you catches, over and above ceiling levels, of 265,000 sockeye each year for 12 years.
"Let us take a brief look at what 265,000 sockeye each year means in terms of a rate of return on your expenditure. For the Pitt, Gates, Weaver and Nadina facilities, your contribution has been $730,000 in capital costs. At today's prices, 265,000 sockeye are worth at least $1.6 million to your fishermen. You are proposing a return of $1.6 million each year for 12 years for an expenditure of, or a total return after recovering your initial expenditure, ($730,000) of over 2,000 percent. Thus in one year your return would more than cover your total expenditure. This type of return is not reasonable nor realistic and cannot be seriously considered by our side."
low income people, the effect would have been good in terms of employment. Canadian industry at present is operating at only 80 percent capacity. Now with a tax cut, people would spend more money on goods. This would lead to all our factories calling for the unemployed to join their work forces. A tax cut then would have contributed very substantially to reducing unemployment and thus also a reduction in unemployment insurance and welfare costs."
But that isn't the way the Liberal mentality works. Instead, costs will be cut by lengthening the required work period before a person is eligible for UIC, then reducing the level of benefits.
The unemployed worker who has been working for three months is now entitled to up to 44 weeks of benefits, but under the new proposals, the number of weeks will drop to 32.
A $500 grant has been made to the Japanese Canadian Centennial Project by the Gulf and Fraser Fishermen's Credit Union. The initial phase of the project, which commemorates the arrival of the first Japanese in this country in 1877, is a display of historic photographs relating to the Japanese in Canada.
Initially on show at the Vancouver Centennial Museum Complex, the display may be viewed now at the Steveston Community Centre, after which it will tour other B.C. centres, elsewhere in Canada and Japan.
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• Former UFAWU member and continuing friend of the union, Aid. Gilbert Popovich of Alert Bay will earn the praise of all workers within the fishing industry for recent suggestions to a party of government officials touring northern Vancouver Island. We must say, however, that we won't hold our breaths waiting for them to be acted on.
Popovich, who is also a director of the Mount Waddington Regional District, said the federal government should look into ways of taxing fishing companies which make Alert Bay their base.
The alderman complained that the area lacks a solid industrial base and said that some way must be found — either through
direct taxes or royalties — to force the fishing industry to contribute additional revenue.
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Due to high fuel costs, some U.S. trollers are reverting to sail power to fish for salmon and al-bacore.
A firm is now providing sailing hulls, specially designed for fishermen. The firm has long been building conventional fishing boats and pleasure sailing craft in glass fibre. Combining the two, it has come up with a 47-foot trolling ketch, the first of which fished in Alaska throughout the 1975 season.
Now a 53-foot troller ketch is under construction for a Seattle fisherman. Propulsion will be by 1,089 square feet of sail, backed up by a small diesel.
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One hundred and fifty pounds of king crab cost the Japanese stern trawler Kohoku Maru No. 12 $700,000 in an Alaskan court recently.
The vessel was seized in April off the Aleutian island of Semiso-pochnoi and charged with violating U.S. law by retaining whole and processed crab. Halibut taken in apparent violation of International Pacific Halibut Commission regulations also was discovered and a Japanese Fisheries Agency vessel took custody of the Kohoku Maru No. 12 after it departed U.S. waters.
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UFAWU shoreworker organizer Helen O'Shaughnessy reports that Shui Kee Lew, a cannery worker at the Canadian Fishing Company's Home Plant, has returned to work following confinement in Vancouver General Hospital's Heather Pavilion for surgery. Co-workers had sent the patient a gift of fruit which was much appreciated.
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Lastly, we have word from Florence Greenwood, manager of the northern Fishermen's Hall, that the UFAWU women's auxiliary in Prince Rupert will hold a 25th anniversary dance at the hall on Friday, September 17. Music will be provided by Kelly's Combo and starting time is 10 p.m. Tickets are $2.50 each and may be obtained at the hall or by phoning 624-6048.
138 East Cordova Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1K9       Phone 683-9655
25 CENTS A COPY $7 A YEAR $8 FOREIGN
HAL GRIFFIN, Editor RICHARD MORGAN, Assistant Editor
Second class mail registration number 1576 Published by the Fisherman Publishing Society every Second Friday Deadline: Wednesday prior to publication.