Area 19/20 SFAB meeting - Victoria/Sooke - Sheraton 7:30 this Wednesday (16th)

[profisher]

What we need is a worldwide organization representing all sportsmen in lobby efforts. An organization with local chapters that raise money for regional issues but has the backing and power of the worldwide members. Sorry but it would require constant monetary support, which i think translates to an annual membership. Corporate levels, family and individual would be fair. How bad do you want to keep on fishing and hunting and to have something to fish and hunt for? It would be a very big job but one that if pulled off would better our situation like no other.

 

[DHA]

what we need is pretty much a gang.....holmes*

Hhmmm...how 'bout an army? You do realize that the FISH ARMY website is just sitting there waiting for member direction. right?

DHA.

 

[fish stalker]

Yes DHA I was thinking about that after and had a look at what I could see. That would make a good main base but you would still want a behind the scene area where anyone cant just join to view.

So its either go big or go home Profisher? Every big movement starts small. Sure that would be the ultimate goal. Of course im worried about the entire world but I really want to start in my backyard. How did the Charters project come to be?

 

[DHA]

Yes DHA I was thinking about that after and had a look at what I could see. That would make a good main base but you would still want a behind the scene area where anyone cant just join to view.

So its either go big or go home Profisher? Every big movement starts small. Sure that would be the ultimate goal. Of course im worried about the entire world but I really want to start in my backyard. How did the Charters project come to be?

It already has private hidden areas that you can't see unless you are approved to view.

 

[profisher]

Charters was a long process with many twists and turns. A small dedicated group I guess was the key. There in lies the main problem in getting anything going. (big or small) It"s always left to the same few dedicated individuals to take on the workload while the others are happy to see someone do it all.

 

[Charlie]

Here is a thought for you! You already have an organization in place – Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC). Just think about this. Trout Unlimited already has everything in place and have 4,000 members across all of Canada. What would happen if they had 4,000 members sign up, just in British Columbia? Maybe they would start their own ‘Salmon Consumer's Bill of Rights’!

All you need to do is get “them” on-board! Someone might want to get in touch with TUC and find out if they will get involved? I am quite sure TUC knows what Trout Unlimited (TU) is doing here in the U.S. If they don’t… You can provide this information:

Trout Unlimited – United States
Pacific Northwest Salmon
TU has built a Pacific salmon program that spans the entire range of Pacific salmon and steelhead -- from Southern California steelhead to sockeye in Alaska's Bristol Bay and inland to the headwater spring chinook streams of central Idaho. We are protecting native-run kokanee in western Washington's Lake Sammamish; we are helping to reconnect steelhead, chinook and sockeye to central Oregon streams they haven't seen in decades; we are restoring passage on private timber lands for California coho; and, we are sustaining a conservation ethic by educating consumers about the conservation needs of healthy salmon fisheries. Employing aggressive and innovative strategies across all four Hs (Habitat, Hydropower, Hatcheries and Harvest) and throughout the salmon and steelhead's entire historic range, TU staff and its thousands of volunteers are working tirelessly toward a singular vision: Ensuring that by the next generation that robust populations of native and wild salmon and steelhead once again thrive within their Pacific range so that our children can enjoy healthy fisheries in their home waters.

The foundation upon which TU's WhyWild campaign is built is the idea that the people across the country who enjoy eating wild-caught Pacific salmon - as well as the businesses and industries that rely on wild-caught salmon - represent a massive community of advocates for the conditions required to allow wild Pacific salmon and steelhead to thrive. That means conservation. Our job is to educate, energize and mobilize those advocates and marshal the power of the marketplace to work for wild salmon and steelhead conservation. This summer we got a chance to put the WhyWild model to the test. Through a unique partnership TU helped broker, salmon consumers in the Portland, Oregon market got a rare chance to invest their salmon dollars in Bristol Bay, Alaska sockeye salmon, while at the same time to learn about the conservation challenges facing the area, and to lend their names in support of TU's effort to protect it.

Our Work in Bristol Bay, Alaska
Most consumers in the lower 48 never never get a chance to try Bristol Bay sockeye or invest in the fishery, as infrastructure limitations within the fishing fleet and on shore render most of the catch suitable only for canning. Most of the all-wild sockeye catch ends up being shipped to Europe and Asia for pennies a pound. This under-valuing of the fishery, lack of out-of-area investment and limitation on the markets makes areas like Bristol Bay ripe for exploitation, like the proposed Pebble Mine, which TU has been leading the effort to stop in order to protect this irreplaceable fishery. But through a unique partnership between New Seasons Markets in Portland, Naknek Family Fisheries of Bristol Bay and TU, we were able to bring a shipment of high-grade, all-wild, fresh Bristol Bay sockeye in for customers of all eight New Seasons locations to try and enjoy. In turn, we gained a forum to educate consumers about the Pebble Mine, and to collect signatures to help us stop it. Naknek and Bristol Bay gained out-of-area investment and a much higher price for their catch, and consumers got a rare opportunity to enjoy this amazing quality fish at a fair price. It's these linkages between fish and fishermen, the market and consumers, quality product and conservation awareness, and salmon dollars and resource value protection that embody the WhyWild campaign. In just a few hours on a Friday afternoon in Portland, Bristol Bay gained thousands of new advocates for its protection, its fishermen and fishing-dependent businesses gained immeasurable potential future investment, and Portland markets and consumers gained a new source of high-quality, wholesome, all-wild sockeye for their families to enjoy.

Join Us: Sign the Salmon Consumer's Bill of Rights

Individual consumers who care about wild Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery haven’t really had their own voice over the clamor of governments, special interests and NGOs dominating the salmon conservation landscape. Until now. TU is building the community of individual consumers committed to wild salmon and steelhead, and teaming them with the businesses and industries who share the same commitment. The goal is to harness the collective power of the marketplace and use it to leverage the kinds of conservation actions necessary to make real and lasting wild Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery a reality. By signing onto the Bill of Rights you are joining that community. Through this community, your voice demanding healthy wild salmon and steelhead populations can and will be heard.
Visit www.whywild.org to learn more about Trout Unlimited's Pacific Salmon Project and sign our Salmon Consumer's Bill of Rights.

In case no one has looked, TUC has some pretty impressive companies and people who both work and support the organization.

Trout Unlimited Canada
OUR MISSION
To conserve, protect and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generations.

Our Goals:
• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwater fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and productive state;
• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conservation solutions in the field;
• to inform the public about coldwater conservation issues and educate communities about their watersheds;
• to build and sustain a healthy organization.

Trout Unlimited Canada National Office and Staff. TUC’s head office is located in Calgary, Alberta. Our full-time staff take care of the organization’s day-to-day needs, and also make plans for future activities that will enhance Canada’s coldwater resources. Our staff include:

JEFF SURTEES
Chief Executive Officer

GARSON CHAN
Director of Finance & Administration

JACK IMHOF
National Biologist
Tel: 519-824-4120 ext 53608

DON PIKE
Director of Special Events

KIMBERLY DAVIDSON
Membership Coordinator

LYNN ROBB
Director of Conservation Education

PHIL ROWLEY
Marketing & Communications

BRIAN MEAGHER
Alberta Provincial Biologist

LEN YUST
Director of Development, Ontario
Tel: 519-824-4120 ext 56588

SILVIA D'AMELIO
Ontario Provincial Biologist
Tel: 519-824-4120 ext 52760

LESLEY PETERSON
Biologist

MARY FINCH
Bronte Creek Watershed Stewardship Specialist
Tel: 519-824-4120 ext 53020

ELI GARRETT
Ontario Assistant

ELAINE ZAPATA
Yellow Fish Road™Program Educator
Tel: 403-221-8370

The Nanaimo Local Chapter: Frank Dalziel fdalziel@shaw.ca

http://www.tucanada.org/TUC_contacts.shtml

 

[Whole in the Water]

Wow, the last few pages of this post look like an excellent listing of all the reasons why we shouldn't do anything about the sad state of our salmon fisheries. All good reasons, but giving in to them will lead to one guaranteed end result... the end of sport salmon fishing as we know it.

I am aware of the big challenges, but that doesn't mean we still can't do something. Whatever your political stripe is the power has, and always will ultimately reside in the people - you just have to look to what is happening in Egypt and Libya to see this. The people just have to get organized and focus to make the changes they want to happen.

I am willing to voluteer my time to make some postive changes. So as per Little Hawks previous invite lets meet somewhere soon!

"Class Action! I'm in! Let's CORN-HOLE THE PECKERS IN A COURT ROOM AND SAVE OUR SALMON!
Need a meeting; Chris, Scott, Wolfie, Rollie and any other forum heavy-weights, let's meet for coffee. Where & when?
Serious Coffee across from the casino on the Old Island Hwy, next Thurs night @ 7:00 pm.
Topics for discussion: Organization/fundraising/developing a game plan
Who's in?
P.S. Now that notice of the meeting has been posted - we'll be changing it at the last minute cause the cops/DFO will have the joint bugged. ​

 

[fish stalker]

Charlie looking interesting just on way out door but will finish reading tonight.

Profisher for sure it will be a small core group (hopfully not to small) but as long as we know that when the time comes when we need large numbers heard or seen they will be there. I was thinking that, it would hurt not even just having the nonsupportive/helping sportys catch salmon that you have raised and made a home for but the commies...uhh.

Yes for sure interested partys should meet soon. I would love to be updated if you guys do Wednesday. Im off to Tofino until next monday.

There was interesting bit in one of those articles I posted 'Pete Seeger organized a very successful campaign to clean up the Hudson River. He advised, “Don’t have meetings that only attract the kind of people who like going to meetings.”'

 

[sammyslabber]

The way i look at it...the same old dog & pony show we might as well be blowing smoke out our butts.our voice is obviouslly falling on dea f o ears!

 

[Little Hawk]

For any who might be interested in coffee and a brainstorming session, my Thurs night invite stands.

See the Conservation/Political fourm.

Thanks.