Submission 0682-SWANSTON

Submitter: Richard Swanston

Community: Delta

Date Submitted: August 30, 2011

Summary:
The Fisheries Act should have more controls over recreational activities that destroy riparian habitat.

Submission:
Aug.30th 2011 [A] In the last 100 Years of colonization here in the Fraser River Mammoth changes have occurred to the Fisheries Habitat along the River Huge amounts of RIP Rap have been used to strengthen and control the banks of the river to aid in industrial and residential development. Use of these materials has spread throughout the Delta. Including the estuary Fisheries Habitat managers have been given to call this material, alien rocks dumped along the fore shores and River Bank as Habitat Enhancement ? I would like to know what studies have been conducted that show that the alteration of the origanal habitat by dumping MILES of granite rock can be termed an enhancement ! What studies have been done to show that these new forms of alien habitat do not become favoured habitat for predatory species of Fish and Animals that impact the salmon smolts and returning fish. Just what affect has this on currents and what amount if Habitat can we be permitted to cover with rocks ? Before the smolts are affected by lack of feed
[ B ] Fisheries Officials have become proponents for development and as such see themselves as adovcates rather then Stewards. One troubling aspect of the fisheries act is the lack of controls over recreational Activities that WRECK Habitat We will soon have over 2.5 Million People in theFraser Valley They all cannot run there 4x4 over the river banks and estuary construct marina's dump fuel leave discarded derelict boats have personnel moorages dig anchorages in the eel grass anchored in eelgrass allowing there heavy boats to destroy habitat / eel grass beds . Many of the above activities would require a Permit & approval if a contractor would do it [ Conducting an undertaking in the Fisheries Act ] Yet a " Sports " fisherman can destroy the habitat by running his all terrain vehicle or 4x4 over a river bed or estuary area dogging up the foreshore to Launch his boat WE NEED STEWARDS NOT PROFESSIONAL APPEASERS People whom have the securing of the fish and the Habitat as their first and only concern NOBODY is working on Behave of the FISH As such people have lost respect for the most important item the Habitat that sustains the resource ! Death by a thousand cuts
Fisheries Officers have been unable to respond to current on going issuses with respect to the protection of human health the harvesting in the Fraser easturary of contaminated shellfish These people are spending hours stationary in one small area NEAR a major highway for hours after being reported with No Response How can they react to a Salmon Poacher on a fast boat Fisheries Officers rely on an out moated system of combined officers attacking one issue in one location large focused enforcement action that disappears the next day for some weeks before the next push or combined action Leaving No One to respond to reported activities elsewhere . Just To few stewards and the Federal government is saying they will cut back whats here now !
[ c ] We need one commercial fishery with all vessels licenced not a hoged podge of different groups out on the water getting their 1 % or 5 % of a run that Nobody knows or has a clue of how large it is And all the parties are fighting for THERE share with Nobody interested in the resource as a whole . And a LAME resource manager that has no power or real desire to protect the Salmon and the Habitat that it requires from the thousand cuts that are happening do to development and population pressures

Habitat Habitat Habitat We cannot turn the Frasers River and it's tributaries, rivers and streams and estuaries into an Industrial Ditch covered with Marina's and Development and keep the salmon too You cannot have a Fisheries Dept. that is out to PLEASE DEVELOPERS and Politicians they have to be an advocate for the resource and the habitat FIRST