Skeena MLA reflects on Salmon conservation past and present as part of Legislature debate

Ellis Ross spoke on themes of Wild Samon as part of the
Legislature debate of Monday 

As we noted yesterday, the early part of this week at the BC Legislature had been allocated towards discussion on a Private Members motion related to Wild Salmon Conservation from Fin Donnelly, the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The North Coast received some strong representation on Monday, with MLA Jennifer Rice and Skeena MLA Ellis Ross both sharing notes on the theme, Ms. Rice's contribution can be reviewed here, for Mr. Ross the opening of his remarks focused on his time as a member of the Haisla Council.

Back in 2003, when I joined the chief and council, my council had already been fighting for it for the better part of 20 years. It was part of our treaty negotiations. It was part of our relationship with DFO and related agencies. 

In that fight, we understood how complicated this issue is. 

It's not a simple issue, and the answers are not simple, when you look at how many levels of jurisdictional issues have to be resolved even just to get a handle on what's happening locally, let alone worldwide. 

As part of his contribution to the debate, the Skeena MLA noted at how development across the province has had an impact on salmon bearing streams and the need to mitigate future impacts.

The advocacy we initiated and that we still initiate today are mainly around habitat restoration and protection, both historic and proposed — "historic" meaning the many streams and rivers that were either diked or backfilled, for either commercial or residential use, when our ancestors were building B.C. 

It would be really interesting to find out how many salmon-bearing streams were actually redirected or filled in for our ever-growing population. 

As a matter of fact, it's how we built B.C.

Mr. Ross also noted of the work of the Haida almost a decade ago as well as to some proposed solutions or the future.

In 2012, the Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation was widely criticized for releasing 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into Canadian waters in the Pacific Ocean. The theory was this would stimulate the growth of plankton, which would be eaten by large ocean dwellers and begin a feeding frenzy by the juvenile fish heading into the ocean, and it might ultimately lead to higher survival rates and better fishing results when the fish came back to the island streams to spawn. 

Like I said, the Haida were heartily criticized for this, but it was an idea that I supported as chief councillor, mainly because it was a bold attempt to try something new based on what I thought was logical thinking. 

It still makes me wonder today what the results were. 

There are more proposed solutions — like selective fishing with no bycatch, inland fish farms for sockeye and trout — but one thing is clear: the demand for seafood will only grow. 

So the pressures on wild salmon will also grow ...  I think about it in a holistic manner, in terms of what this means to the commercial industry, the sport fishing industry as well as native food fishing and sustenance, but overall as what an incredible asset this is for the country of Canada.

The full transcript can be reviewed here.

The video presentation is available from the Legislature video page starting at 11:30 AM

For more notes on the work of the Skeena MLA see our archive page here.