The federal government is investigating what anglers in Northern B.C. are calling a deceitful act of illegal salmon fishing involving a Terrace-area lodge and leaders of high-profile American conservation organizations.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans investigated the complaint Aug. 12 on the Ecstall River, a lower tributary of the Skeena roughly 40 kilometres southeast of Prince Rupert. Officers observed fishing in the closed river but did not lay charges when the party presented a food-fishing permit issued by the local Lax Kw鈥檃laams band.
The Komaham Lodge, a private retreat owned by Bass Pro Shops, which hosted the group, later said the fishing was part of joint research project with the band on low salmon stocks.
During the DFO鈥檚 second consecutive year of extreme conservation measures prohibiting all recreational fishing for chinook salmon throughout the Skeena watershed, the incident has prompted calls for action from several B.C. conservation groups, and outraged the local angling community.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 a joke. It鈥檚 window dressing of the highest order,鈥� said Bob Hooton, a local angler and retired biologist and former B.C. environment ministry fisheries section head for the Skeena region.
鈥淭here was never an intention to do research, it was just a cover to do what they really wanted to do 鈥� rip out a bunch of chinook salmon.鈥�
In a letter responding to concerns from anglers, the Komaham Lodge identified some of its guests as a former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, now CEO of Ducks Unlimited, and the president of the Congressional Sportsmen鈥檚 Foundation.
Guido Rahr, president of the Oregon-based Wild Salmon Center, was identified as giving a presentation to the group, but in an email to Black Press Media he clarified his participation was by phone. He has never visited the Komaham Lodge, he said.
Efforts to reach other members of the party were unsuccessful.
The lodge鈥檚 letter defended the fishing as part of a project to build relationships with local First Nations by gathering and sharing much-needed data on king and silver salmon (the American names for chinook and coho) as no return or spawning data is available for many lower tributaries of the Skeena River. The letter stated the Lax Kw鈥檃laams had freely issued the six-day fishing permit for the 鈥渃utting edge鈥� study.
In an email Komaham Lodge management maintained the primary goal of the gathering was to help find positive solutions to the salmon crisis.
鈥淭he Komaham Lodge donated the lodge and trip expenses to host the Congressional Sportsmen鈥檚 Foundation in an effort to advance key conservation issues,鈥� the email read.
鈥淭he Lodge openly communicated with the DFO and First Nations and obtained necessary permits. A First Nations fisheries biologist accompanied the group.鈥�
But federal fisheries鈥� North Coast Acting Director Amy Wakelin, speaking for the vacationing director, Colin Masson, denied the department鈥檚 involvement, further adding they were unaware an arrangement had been made between the other parties.
鈥淲e have not approved any scientific research on the Ecstall,鈥� Wakelin said. 鈥淣ormally people would submit an application for a scientific licence and that did not happen.鈥�
In regards to the permit, she added, First Nations are allowed to designate persons to fish on their behalf for food, social and ceremonial purposes, but a catch-and-release research exercise as described by the Komaham Lodge would not qualify.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe that the designation in this instance was consistent with the intent and spirit of bringing food into the community,鈥� Wakelin said.
Representatives from Lax Kw鈥檃laams could not be reached for comment.
In an email to Hooton Aug. 21, prior to going on holiday, Masson wrote Bass Pro Shops had contacted an employee at DFO regarding the concept of a research project. He went on to write that Lax Kw鈥檃laams later acknowledged they were trying to develop a working relationship with the Komaham Lodge in an attempt to build an assessment program.
Anglers and conservationists worry arrangements like these will do nothing to advance understanding of threatened salmon stocks, but rather allow wealthy anglers a way to circumvent conservation laws.
This perception only deepened when a photo of nine private jets, parked at the Terrace airport, began circulating on social media at the time of the fishing excursion.
| This photo of private jets parked at the Terrace airport began circulating on social media mid August (Facebook photo) |
He added angling in a closed area can be justified by collecting meaningful biological data, but pointed out the data collected in August consisted only of length and weight measurements 鈥斺�渉ardly useful for population estimation, the purported objective.鈥�
Hooton, who鈥檚 led efforts among Northwest anglers to get answers and assurances from DFO, said the scenario is the first he鈥檚 seen after a 37-year career with the province鈥檚 fish and wildlife section.
鈥淣othing comes close,鈥� Hooton said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have spent any time on this if I thought the outcome would be inconsequential. This is precedent setting. No doubt about it.鈥�
Meanwhile, lawyers for the SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, which describes the Skeena river system as one of North America鈥檚 last remaining intact watersheds, are looking into the legality of the Lax Kw鈥檃laams permit.
鈥淪o far DFO is saying they don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 illegal and that it鈥檚 just a loophole in the permit system, but鈥t becomes the Wild West of fisheries management, where if you have some sort of arrangement or you have money to purchase one of these permits from a First Nation, you essentially have the same rights as First Nations to harvest fish,鈥� said Executive Director Greg Knox
鈥淲here does it end? Who鈥檚 accountable, ultimately, to managing the resource and ensuring the salmon populations are protected?鈥�
quinn@terracestandard.com
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