The Sherman
Words worth remembering
The many people throughout the fishing industry who have been active in the campaign around Alcan's Kemano II would probably have listened with interest to Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin's speech at the coastal communities conference in Prince Rupert last month.
Comparing the U.S. record on fisheries conservation and management to Canada's he told conference participants: The U.S. has a huge conservation problem. It has destroyed fish habitat on a massive scale. Historically, 100 million salmon a year came from rivers in Washington, Oregon and California. Today, these rivers produce only 15 million salmon, most from hatcheries....
"What went wrong?" he said. "Development and dams. Lots of dams. On the main stem, the Columbia River has 30 dams and the Fraser River has none. Several Columbia River stocks are endangered. Fraser River sockeye have more than doubled in the last 15 years."
It's true. Fraser River stocks have been brought back to near historic levels — a testament to the work of hundreds of people over the years who have stopped development of such projects as the Moran Dam on the Fraser.
And Kemano II.
The message that has echoed and re-echoed over the decade since Kemano II was first suggested has been that the project will result in the destruction of salmon stocks on the Nechako — which contributes 20 per cent of Fraser sockeye. That was the contention of DFO scientists at the time and that assessment has not changed. Dams and salmon aren't compatible.
We hope Brian Tobin remembers his words when all the evidence is in from the B.C. Utilities Commission inquiry.
Market-driven -in one direction
Last summer and again this spring, whenever there was bad news in the Bill Atkinson New Report about large salmon inventories or a drop in the price of Canadian sockeye, there were lots of copies in company offices available for fishers dropping by to see a fleet manager.
But the BANR was conspicuously absent from the counters and bulletin boards last week when it carried reports from trade publications about the latest offer from Japanese importers in their negotiations with the Canadian companies on herring roe.
"According to information from Japanese trading companies," BANR reports, "one (Japanese) packer began negotiations with an offer of C$17.80 lb/, for XL roe (and) C$17.30 for L roe... Offers by other packers varied slightly but were generally in this area. Last year's negotiations started at C$16.75 lb. with final prices for L roe concluded at C$16.90 to C$17.00 lb. FOB. While this year's offer price for large roe is about 30 cents a pound higher than last year, offers for medium and small roe are considerably higher than the 1993 price."
Those prices — and bear in mind that they are offers only and the final selling price will certainly be higher — paint a much different picture from the one presented by the companies in 1994 minimum price bargaining. There they argued that the high prices in Japan in 1993 were a one-time only event, and therefore fishers shouldn't expect a higher minimum price in 1994. In fact, grounds prices last month revealed that fishers got a lower price than in 1993.
Once again it demonstrates that market-driven for the companies means driving the margins as high as possible at fishers' expense. And it demonstrates once again that a decent minimum price is a fisher's only guarantee.
CANADA'S SLIPPING SAFER NET
km
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Alf
and Maxine Hansen's four daughters are asking friends and relatives to help Alf and Maxine celebrate their 50th anniversary June 12.
The informal open house will be at Sunbury Hall from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. June 12th. the family is requesting that there be no gifts please.
A long-time UFAWU member, Alf Hansen has been fishing since he was six and has served on the UFAWU general executive board and as UFAWU small-boat vice-president. Maxine Hansen was a long time member of and secretary of the Women's Auxiliary to the UFAWU. You can still see Alf on the river and the West Coast on the Maxine.
TOUGH ALL OVER: If you're having trouble wondering how you're going to fuel up your boat for the first trip this season, or wondering what you're going to five on until the fiRst fish gets in the plants, you can be comforted that company executives are also having a tough time making ends meet.
Macleans magazine reports that W. Galen Weston, chairman and president of George Weston Ltd. and chairman of Loblaws Ltd., was paid $2.1 milhon last year. Nice work if you can get it.
HERE HAVE A LUNCH! Who
said there's no such thing as a free lunch? One husky
FISH
UFAWU member was attending the demo against Alcan's Kemano II project on April 25 got a free buffet lunch ticket from Alcan's representatives. How'd he doit?
He popped into the Utility Commission hearings after a bunch of Alcan employees were outside attempting to disrupt the demonstration. He figures he was mistaken for one of them.
Who knows if the counter-demonstrators were paid for their efforts or not, but it looks like lunch was paid for.
RESCUE I 311: The
Victoria Rescue Coordination Centre has changed to 1-800-567-5111. The new number can be called 24 hours a day from anywhere in B.C. to report real or potential aircraft of marine distress situations.
In addition, a new cellular airtime-free emergency line Star 311 (1311) calls originating anywhere in B.C. with cellular service, will be routed free of charge to the Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. Star 311 (1311) is provided as a free community service by CANTEL and BC TEL Mobility Cellular.
Call received on these emergency numbers will also be recorded and this will allow Search and Rescue to review information for post-action reports and requests for details.
For more information on Emergency SAR numbers please contact the Rescue Coordination Centre at 363-2988.
FUND RAISING: The T.
Buck Suzuki
Environmental Foundation has received $200 from the North Delta Women's Auxiliary. The money was part of the proceeds of the auxiliary's annual fishermen's dance held in November 1993.
The auxiliary has 25 members and is very active in the community of North Delta, holding a Christmas party and Easter Egg Hunt.
MARATHON MOVES: This year's Save the Strait Marathon will begin near the mouth of the Englishman River, just south of Parksville.
The Save the Strait marathon will take place Sat. Aug. 20. Swimmers and paddlers will head out in the morning to the southern tip of Lasqueti Island before returning to the starting point by Saturday afternoon. The 16 mile course is the same distance as the previous Sechelt-Nanaimo crossing.
For more information call Laurie McBride at 753-3459.
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Editor
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4 • THE FISHERMAN / MAY 23,1994