Salmon Enhance Gets a Boost in the Budget

[Governor]

Item from today's budget (read below) indicates that those groups and individuals who have been working behind scenes with government on behalf of anglers have been heard. This announcement, if followed through on, is a much needed boost ...

Modernizing Federal Laboratories

There are about 200 federal laboratories and scientific facilities across Canada. Activities at federal laboratories range from basic research to applied work in support of the Government’s core responsibilities in protecting the health and safety of Canadians.

Budget 2009 provides Public Works and Government Services Canada with $250 million over two years under a Treasury Board-managed process to undertake an accelerated investment program to address deferred maintenance at federal laboratories. Projects must be completed by March 31, 2011 and will focus on laboratories that contribute to core regulatory responsibilities of the Government, such as health and food safety. Funds could also be made available to modernize other laboratories for which a realistic business plan is submitted for the transfer of the facility to a university, business or non-profit organization.

Laboratories where investments could be made under this process include:
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Dartmouth
Laboratory in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Saint-Hyacinthe
Laboratory in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
• Natural Resources Canada’s Great Lakes Forestry
Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
• Health Canada’s Manitoba Regional Laboratory in Winnipeg.
• Fisheries and Oceans’ Salmonid Enhancement Program Facilities throughout British Columbia.</u>

With this measure, the Government will provide a near-term economic stimulus, improve its science and technology capacity in areas where it has regulatory responsibilities, and ultimately contribute to better health and safety outcomes for Canadians.

God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton

 

[Cuba Libre]

Yes- I saw that too Gov. But until I see that it is going to the FACILITIES and not just the labs that each facility has ( which do need upgrading , however, ) I am not going to celbrate. Alos-- its a small amount of money fro the agencies named. Hope I am wrong-- but ..........................................

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Cuba Libre]

Double post-- sorry

 

[Cuba Libre]

Forgot to mention, however, that I am going to write to the Finance Minister and PM and THANK them for putting money into the greater SEP facilities anyway.. Just in case there IS money, It will help to keep SEP in thier notebooks and things on a positive note.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[chris73]

You know, with all that talk about keeping or even creating jobs and what would be the best way to do this blah blah... It's just too simple: if the government want to invest in something useful that guaranteed creates jobs why don't they hire for instance 3,000 more DFO enforcement officers across the country? I am sure a few laid off mill worker or ex-commercial fishermen would be willing to re-train and do this. And our fish could only benefit if some areas would be more frequented by EO's...

 

[searun]

We don't need more CO's. Enforcement isn't going to put any more fish back. What is needed is exactly what was stated in an earlier post. Large scale investment into hatchery programs, habitat improvement and stream fertilization. That would generate more jobs than a few enforcement officers driving around in expensive inflatables burning expensive gas catch a few greedy anglers (and its just a few, and hardly worth the effort). Think about how many more tourism jobs would be created if you had 200,000 chinook coming back to the Stamp River alone.

 

[chris73]

But do you know how many more pounds of halibut could be saved for our canadian recreational quota if US based charter boats could be eliminated from stealing in our waters? Just one example. Or prevent illegal nets across rivers? Or herds of pitch forkers and snaggers raping the Nitinat? You are not wrong with your proposed measures however there is more to it than you want to make us believe. Many effective regulations and useful restrictions cannot be implemented or existing rules go up in smoke due to the lack of enforcement... And this is not just a West Coast problem.

 

[Governor]

Chris73 and Searun, you are both right.

SEP's budget in the 1970's was 40 million a year now it's 26 million and the infrastucture is aging needing maintenance and upgrades. Their success as a program is the future of our west coast salmon fisheries as we face climate change and habitat destruction.

DFO's nation-wide staff cut backs over the years have decimated the enforcement staffs ability to monitor and enforce the Fisheries Act the way they should.

With 34 billion being shovelled off the back of the truck in the budget, dollars should be used wisely to create sustainable jobs.
If fishing can increase because of increased fish abundance and availablity we all win.

$ 34 billion divided 33.5 million (population of Canada)= $ 1,015 per man, woman and child. Note to President of Canada's Treasury Board ... Dear Honourable Vic Toews, please give my $ 1,015 portion of the budget to SEP and DFO for enforcement.











God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton