By Cheryl Jahn

Sturgeon Tour Successful

Dec 14, 2018 | 1:18 PM

Vanderhoof – It was a productive meeting between the Province and those with a vested interest in the health of the Nechako White Sturgeon. Last week, the Technical Working Group Chair received a letter setting out that only 200 sturgeon will be released in the spring. It meant hundreds more would have to be culled. It set the community on edge and precipitated a meeting between the decision makers in that Nechako community. And they heard one message loud and clear.

“It’s in every fabric of what we do,” explains Brian Frenkel, Councillor with the District of Vanderhoof and part of the recovery team from the beginning. “It’s part of our pool now, it’s part of the educational system. So that was pretty key. So the Assistant Deputy Minister got to hear that.”

Frenkel says they will now release this coming spring will be closer to the norm and it bought some time. 

“So we have probably 850 fish in [the hatchery] right now. Five to seven hundred will be released in May, another two for the year after. But that gives us time to work on  a better plan than what is there.”

And he says the Province has committed manpower to the file.

Politics

Newly minted NDP Labour Critic Tours Northwest B.C. with MP Taylor Bachrach

15m ago

Arts & Entertainment

Theatre Northwest begins run of the final play of the 2024 season

15m ago

Tax season

Days away from deadline, 1 in 4 Canadians still haven't filed taxes

12h ago

“They come to the table and said, for at least point in time,  until March 31st, they will dedicate one person solely to the sturgeon file.” 

He says that person, whoever it will be, will collect data about the numbers of sturgeon in the Nechako. In the past decisions were made based on data from other sturgeon-bearing rivers. But the Nechako River is different in that it is a controlled river with Alcan.

That person will also work on pulling together a longer-term plan for sturgeon management.