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The Fisherman welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should be brief.
End fishermen, not fishing, says Straight
Please note, everyone, that I for one believe that only a fool advocates literally banning outright the promising Pacific commercial salmon fishing industry.
Thinking people recommend, merely, that it should be relocated — near or in the mouths of the large rivers or their tributaries.
That, of course, is what provincial minister of environment Bruce Strachan and other pragmatic, practical leaders mean when they say we should ban commercial salmon fishing — not ban it, but move it, and ban the way we are doing it!
Current commercial salmon fishing is foolish and dangerous because fishermen chase all over the sea after fish which must return to the rivers.
Commercial salmon fishing at sea sweeps up stocks and species indiscriminately, obliterating the sparser stocks.
Do we still harvest grain with a hand-sickle, just because farmers like exercise, or dig potatoes with shovels, at twice the cost to market?
Ask the aboriginal Canadians. Selective terminal fish-
ing (where you rapidly sort out every fish, by species, with computerized weirs and traps) would harvest salmon at much less cost yet still employ a fair number of people. The product would be much fresher, more competitive in price, and more profitable. The occupation would be safer.
No one wishes to ban that fishery; just modernize it. Or, if you like, traditionalize it and harvest it as did the first immigrants who lived here, our aboriginal people.
Lee Straight, VANCOUVER
Thanks from fishermen of Lake Victoria
I'm writing to you as I feel that I can reach the most fishermen this way.
During the 1960s and 1970s I spent several years in Uganda, East Africa, with my family. On returning, I realized the used fishing gear that we discarded here would be very worthwhile there.
In December, 1987, I returned to Uganda, taking one ton of used nets, lines and foam floats. I also took twine and light nylon line. Needless to say this material was received with great joy.
Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world and fishing is very good there if you have the nets, outboards, canoes, petrol and spare parts, all of which are very expensive.
The fishermen had a great get together and decided that first, there were too many corks on the net. Second, they decided they were too deep. There was no way I could convince them to try them as is. I cut the nets to 30 meshes deep and removed all
but 10 corks. Of course, when they got a few large perch, the nets sank. So they left some nets with the lines intact.
The larger mesh nets were never cut down. Another problem fishermen encounter is at night. They do not hang on the nets so storms come up and they search all day for the nets. When they find them, the fish is too soft to sell.
In general, I found the four months I spent in Uganda this last time was much better than in 1984. Most hotels were looted and damaged by the Tanzanian army then, but some effort is being made to repair them.
There is lots of fruit, vegetables, fish and beef, but wages are very low so most people work two jobs.
I received a letter this week saying they are using the 7-inch to 10-inch nets 60 meshes deep and are doing very well. They have also organized a group to try and get fishing gear from the local fishing net factory, which has been closed for years due to a lack of material.
So to all those fishermen who were so kind to give me nets, lines, corks, etc, I have been instructed by my friends in Uganda to say thanks so much on their behalf. I'd like to thank Harold Wulff Sr. and Harold Wulff Jr., David Sandoe, Bernard and Harold Remmem and the late Ozzie Michel-son.
Lastly, I want to thank my son, John Bjerke, who put up with all the storage for several years.
Thanks from the local fishermen of the village of Chu-gungu, Uganda.
Iris Bjerke,
SURREY
LASQUETI ISLAND STORE & MARINE
at scenic False Bay
The New Owners Invite You Over • FUEL • ICE • BAIT • GROCERIES • BED & BREAKFAST • LICENSED RESTAURANT • GOVERNMENT WHARF • PROTECTED ANCHORAGE • GREAT FISHING •
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REALTY WORLD i
Office 525-8641 Res. 433-3244
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6 • THE FISHERMAN / MAY 25, 1988
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