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[Prettyfly]

Okanagan Nation Alliance

MEDIA RELEASE

Okanagan River Chinook Recommended for Endangered Species Listing

May 9, 2005 Westbank - The Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), has recommended that the Minister of
Environment emergency list Okanagan River chinook as endangered under
Canada's Species at Risk Act based on an Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA)
stock status report. The classification of this population will ensure
that the Federal government will have a statutory and legal obligation
to recover this population.

"This is about protecting the Title and Rights of the Okanagan Nation",
states Chief Stewart Phillip, ONA Chairman. "By protecting and
recovering this important species, we can work to ensure that our
children and grandchildren will continue to have constitutionally
protected fishing rights in our Territory. Our people want to be able
to fish again."

Historically chinook salmon were an important part of the Okanagan
Nation fishery in the Okanagan River, but currently there is no chinook
fishery because their population has declined to the brink of
extirpation. The severe decline of Okanagan River chinook can be
attributed to a number of factors, including commercial fisheries in the
ocean and lower Columbia River, construction of mainstem Columbia River
and Okanagan River dams and diversions, habitat alterations,
channelization and water withdrawals.

ONA Title and Rights Advisor, Byron Louis adds that, "Chinook are an
integral part of our environment and our culture and we have not been
able to fish for them as part of our ceremonial and food fisheries for
at least half a century".

It is estimated that there are less than 50 chinook adults that return
yearly to the Okanagan River in Canada, but very little is known about
the population. Some preliminary genetic analysis has been completed,
but because the sample size is small, there is inconclusive evidence to
determine whether or not this is a unique population, separate from the
Okanagan chinook population in Washington State.

For decades, the federal government has considered chinook extirpated
from the Okanagan Basin, and because of this, no resources had been
dedicated to studying this stock and they were simply recorded as a side
bar in other studies. Following several years of observing chinook
juveniles and adults in the Okanagan River, the ONA took steps to
develop their independent stock status report last year calling
attention to the lack of support for this beleaguered stock.

The Okanagan Nation is calling for Minister Geoff Regan of Fisheries and
Oceans Canada to meet with the ONA to meet his consultative and
fiduciary requirements for access to Okanagan chinook for food, social
and ceremonial purposes, and prior to providing his recommendations to
the Minister of Environment Stephane Dion. Significant resources will
be needed to conduct further studies and research to help us understand
this unique population in order to effectively recover this stock.

"There have been recent instances in BC where salmon have not received
an adequate level of protection, so we would encourage Minister Regan to
do the right thing, and help us protect Okanagan River chinook by having
them declared as endangered.", says ONA Chairman, Chief Stewart Phillip.


-30-

BACKGROUNDER:

* Okanagan River chinook salmon are the only remaining Columbia
Basin Chinook that return to Canada.
* It is estimated that the annual return of Okanagan River chinook
spawners is less than 50 adults
* Commercial and sport chinook fisheries that occur in the
Columbia River, have an unknown impact on Okanagan River chinook.
* The development of an Okanagan River Chinook Stock Status Report
is the first step in recovery efforts for this population.
* The status report was submitted in September 2004 to the Species
Specialist Committee (SSC) of Marine Fishes for review and evaluation to
consider if listing through COSEWIC was warranted. Upon review by the
SSC, it was felt that Okanagan chinook were a unique population and
warranted assessment by COSEWIC, and it would be assessed in May 2006.

* In early March 2005, the ONA identified that there would be
significant increases in the Columbia River chinook harvest over the
2005 fishing season that could negatively impact Okanagan River chinook.
Because Okanagan chinook most likely migrate with the Upper Columbia
summer chinook run, there is the potential that Okanagan chinook could
inadvertently be harvested, before ever reaching their spawning grounds
in Canada. This could be devastating to a population estimated at less
than 50 adults.

* Upon review by the Species Specialist Committee for Marine
Fishes, it was felt that a separate Canadian Okanagan chinook population
exists and given harvest threats in the Columbia River, is in imminent
danger of extirpation and therefore recommended for assessment by
COSEWIC.
* The Okanagan chinook population was emergency assessed by
COSEWIC in May 2005 in and classified as endangered.
* The Minister of Environment, Stephane Dion will make a
recommendation to the Federal Cabinet on whether an emergency listing is
warranted.
* If the Minister of Environment recommends not listing through
the emergency assessment process, the Okanagan chinook will be assessed
at the May 2006 COSEWIC meetings under the normal assessment procedure.
* Raising awareness and potential listing of this population will
ensure that recovery efforts for Okanagan chinook will be required to
meet the long-term goal of future Okanagan Nation harvest.
* Restoration will require extensive coordination with government
agencies and the public.
* The of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a fiduciary obligation to
provide the Okanagan Nation the opportunity to fish for food, social and
ceremonial purposes
* The protection of Okanagan Nation fisheries is an issue of
protecting Aboriginal Titles and Rights .


For more information contact:

Chief Stewart Phillip, Chairman ONA
(250) 493-0048
Byron Louis, Aboriginal Title and Rights Advisor
(250) 878-3309
Howie Wright, ONA Senior Fisheries Biologist
(250) 707-0095

[Prettyfly]

May 20, 2005

Okanagan Nation releases 1.1 million sockeye salmon into Skaha Lake

(PHOTO of the Crowd Watching the Release of Salmon Fry
http://www.turtleisland.org/photo/okfry1.gif
Larger image http://www.turtleisland.org/photo/okfry2.gif Photo by R.Rae )

Penticton, BC -The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) released 1.1 million
sockeye fry into the Okanagan River in Penticton this week, culminating
today with a community fry release, ceremony and feast. The fry will live
in Skaha Lake for one year before beginning their migration down through the Okanagan and Columbia Rivers to enter the Pacific Ocean.

"The Okanagan people have always lived on this land, and we have a
responsibility to protect and manage our resources so that our future
generations can benefit from a healthy and thriving environment," says Chief Stewart Phillip, ONA Chairman and Chief of the Penticton Indian Band. "The work that the Okanagan Nation is doing today, clearly demonstrates that we are responsible and effective managers of resources within our Territory."

Following the success of last year's small pilot reintroduction, this is the
first full year of a planned 12-year initiative to reintroduce and monitor
sockeye in Skaha Lake, which is a portion of their historic habitat upstream
of the current migration barrier McIntyre Dam. The initiative is headed by
the Okanagan Nation Alliance with scientific review provided by Fisheries
and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the provincial Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection (MWLAP), through the tri-partite Canadian Okanagan Basin
Technical Working Group (COBTWG).

"We initiated this project in the 1997 because our anadromous salmon
fisheries were almost non-existent", stated Byron Louis, ONA Title and
Rights Advisor. "This is a long-term commitment to rebuild and restore our
Okanagan Basin fisheries, and we are partnering with governments and
industries to help achieve this goal."

This year's program is being funded by Grant County Public Utility District
in Washington State as part of their mitigation for sockeye salmon losses
through the hydro-electric dams they operate on the Columbia River. Last
October, the sockeye eggs were collected on their spawning grounds near
Oliver, and they were fertilized, hatched and reared at the Shuswap Falls
Hatchery near Lumby. Once the fry are released, an intensive in-lake
monitoring and evaluation program will be conducted to investigate the
sockeye and kokanee interactions in Skaha Lake.

A feasibility study is also taking place to determine potential options for a hatchery in the South- Central Okanagan, which will assist in long-term salmon recovery goals in the Okanagan Basin.

"Although the project is scientifically designed, the reintroduction of
sockeye into Skaha Lake uses Okanagan Traditional Ecological Knowledge,
because our history and stories reveal that many salmon species and
fisheries were once as far north in the basin as Okanagan Lake," says Deana Machin, Fisheries Program Manager. "We are attempting to restore a food resource that was once abundant."

Following the sockeye fry release and ceremony, people were welcomed at the En'Owkin Centre for a community feast, and the Nakulamen Performanace Collective, performed a traditional salmon dance.

-30-

For more information please contact:
Deana Machin, Fisheries Program Manager Tel: (250) 707-0095 Cell: (250) 215-0255 Howie Wright, Senior Fisheries Biologist Tel: (250) 707-0095 Byron Louis, Title and Rights Advisor Cell: (250) 878-3309

OKANAGAN NATION ALLIANCE
3255 C Shannon Lake Road, Westbank, BC V4T 1V4
Phone (250) 707-0095 Fax (250) 707-0166
www.syilx.org


Okanagan Sockeye Reintroduction

Backgrounder

Elders’ accounts, and other forms of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) tell us that many species of salmon once came into the Okanagan Valley and tell us how coyote brought salmon up into the Okanagan Basin for the Okanagan people.

Historic accounts of sockeye, chinook, coho, and steelhead and potentially others have been documented as returning to the Okanagan.

[Ribwart]

Wow, less than 50 chinook returning has to be about as close to an extinct run as it can possibly get....how dissappointing. I don't know much about the columbia river system, I have seen it once, read a bit about it, etc....and find it hard to believe we could screw up such a beautifull river with dams etc....I hope the COSEWIC, ONA and FEDS work well together on this one to try and save these stocks, it'll be one hell of an uphill battle though....I'm guessing years before anything concrete is even done on the river, as it would appear that they're going to have to do a lot of research first,  as they know nothing about this run of fish? But I know nothing about the Okanagen River, I seem to recall driving over it once and wondering what it was all about, but I could be wrong....It seems when runs on a mainstem like the columbia are so pressured, it's always really difficult to recover stocks on its tributaries, but it's definitely worth a try! Good to know that there are still consciencious people out there doing something about our fish!!! Hopefully It'll be soon enough    As for the sockeye releases, it contributes to a solution, hopefully stocks of all species in that system can be restored to more stable numbers at least....maybe these runs won't be able to survive large harvest techniques like nets, etc. but I could see them recovering to the point where a economically viable sportfishery could be managed and its successes could lead to other projects in other systems being more readily supported with a precident to refer to....all in good time I hope!

[TrophyHunter]

Hey Pretty Fly, were you able to attend the release ofthe salmon and the cerimonies after?? sounds like it would have been very interesting to see..what a great fishery that could be if the return is successful!!!!!

[mojoman]

I'm not to sure how to take this....releasing all those salmon only to have them return to the ocean...and never return....too many probs betwixt the ocean and the OK......dams...fisheries commercial and sport....hell...I'd love to see this program come to fruition....but is a lot of folks south of the border would have an impact....hope its not an effort in vain...


mojo musing...again

[Prettyfly]

Yes I did and it was spectacular.

It was incredible. I had heard my grandparents and great grandfather speaking of fishing for salmon in the Okanagan but I had a hard time believing it. I grew up fishing and never once saw salmon. They always talked about the dams in the US. Unfortunately at the time no one had a say in what happened down stream, so there came a day when there was no salmon. There are photographs - old ones, with men holding up huge salmon. It is quite sad that many generations have missed the opportunity to fish salmon in the Okanagan.

The salmon were taken without consent which is diplorable to everyone. We have a legend that is much older than the age of the dams. Sen'klip (coyote -trickster/savior) told the people of the Okanagan (all people in the okanagan US included)to care for the salmon or it will be taken away. When the dams were allowed to be built, that legend came true. But not to the point where there were no longer any salmon, maybe because it wasn't the Okanagan peoples fault. It has taken that near extinction for people - all people, to realize and care for the salmon and treat them with the dignity they deserve. The point is, they have survived. If they can survive and fight through the dams along the Columbia and Okanagan waterways, they will survive elsewhere. I don't think we're alone on this, I do believe they are striving to encourge the reintroduction down south as well.

I don't know about that Ribwart (viable sportfishery) I'm not too sure I would want that (salmon sportfishing) for the Okanagan. Just think about the fights that would occure. Not every sportfisherperson is as caring and respectful of First nation people's rights. Not every Okanagan person is going to welcome salmon sportfishers. Not every sportfisher person is going to be thankful for the efforts the ONA has put forth. Not every Okanagan person is going to be as caring as the next. But that's just my defenses and gut reaction. There are good and bad apples in every bunch. Right now it is pretty peaceful in the Okanagan with regards to Sportfishing and the Okanagan Nation. That's a delicate balance. It's going to take alot of hard work to maintain that delicate balance.

[Ribwart]

Actually what I meant by a viable sportfishery, was one run by the ONA which would bring in more long term income and more widespread economic benefits than just using the fish for a food fishery, if the Okanagen band chose to initiate such an industry amongst its own people it might serve better than just harvesting fish, ya know? A C&R fishery by the Okanagen band in their own territory might be a good first step towards that education of techniques and responsible fishing you were talking about in a previous post, it would also be an excellent example to other bands of successfull recovery of a system, and management for future, more long term, economic viability....don't you think?

[TrophyHunter]

Yes I did and it was spectacular.


The salmon were taken without consent which is diplorable to everyone. We have a legend that is much older than the age of the dams. Sen'klip (coyote -trickster/savior) told the people of the Okanagan (all people in the okanagan US included)to care for the salmon or it will be taken away. When the dams were allowed to be built, that legend came true. But not to the point where there were no longer any salmon, maybe because it wasn't the Okanagan peoples fault. It has taken that near extinction for people - all people, to realize and care for the salmon and treat them with the dignity they deserve. The point is, they have survived. If they can survive and fight through the dams along the Columbia and Okanagan waterways, they will survive elsewhere. I don't think we're alone on this, I do believe they are striving to encourge the reintroduction down south as well.

    Unfortunately this is how humans work... for the most part anyways.. nobody appreciates  what they have until they don't have it anymore... they don't unserstand that something can actually be taken away until it really happens!!! thankfully there are still some people that have the insight and the thoughtfulness to look ahead and see the direction that things are headed and make an effort to change them... thankfully we have people like Chris Gadsen .....then there are the others that think it is best just to argue back and forth amongst each other throwing blame around as if it is going to accomplish something..... in the end what will we have?  nothing ..no fishing for anyone.. not for for sport.. not for cerimony ..... not for proffit.... nothing.. that is what we will have!!!
It is very sad.....  we do the same thing with the air we breathe.. everybody understands that if we keep living like we live eventually there will be no air left for us to breathe.. humans on the whole are pretty stupid when you stop and think about it..

[Prettyfly]

They say a healthy relationship is one that includes arguing. That is what we have - a relationship. There is a difference between healthy arguing and violence.

I think the benefit, at least in a small sense is that there are reps from both sides having discussion. Not that I represent all of every first nation, because I know I don't. I try to see the middle of the road and there are many who are extremists. No one is ever going to totally agree and here at least no one can get physically violent. It's scary when you're trying to protect your rights and those who believe you to be wrong are violent. I've been there.

Ribwart I don't know if that would even work. Sounds like a really good idea tho. But how many sport fishermen would willingly purchase fishing licenses from a Native? Many non natives seem to believe there shouldn't be 'economical viability' in First nation fishing rights period. Perhaps the ONA has the opportunity to create a system that is unified and fair to everyone, but because there are so many against native rights and who support the conservative "One country,One nation" mentality, I highly doubt it's success. Regardless it is too early to even put much thought into it. As mojo has stated it might be all futile.

[Ribwart]

Actually I'm not refering to sportfishermen as you see them....I am refering to First nations people sportfishing....Equipment, gear, guiding, hospitality, etc could all be sources of income for first nations people in the area - promoting sportfishing and spreading knowledge and communication around....I'm sure bringing in outsiders would have its issues, but that was not what I was refering to....

[Prettyfly]

Actually I'm not refering to sportfishermen as you see them....I am refering to First nations people sportfishing....Equipment, gear, guiding, hospitality, etc could all be sources of income for first nations people in the area - promoting sportfishing and spreading knowledge and communication around....I'm sure bringing in outsiders would have its issues, but that was not what I was refering to....

Hmm.. it sounds would be a solution, but for whos problem? How would you suggest it be carried out? Could you give possible draw backs?

[Sterling C]

but I could see them recovering to the point where a economically viable sportfishery could be managed

By the time these fish make it this far up river they are going to be of little sportfishing value. I'm sure you could establish some sort of sport fishery but it would more likley be a small local only fishery similar to the Bowron, Clearwater or Shushwap rivers. Not really much economic value there.

[Ribwart]

Hmmmm I hadn't thought about that Biffchan, but at the same time I had only envisioned a small local fishery....It's possible that with larger, more stable returns of chinook to the okanagen river, that resident trout populations may improve with the addition of the nutrients provided by the increase in carcasses each year....it's also possible other species (ie: steelies, coho, etc) could gain some foothold in that system once habitat restoration in conjunction with hatchery work, and increased nutrient inflow are achieved....
The resident trout fishery is a possible angle, although I haven't researched this system at all yet, that would be an excellent angle seeing as I recall there is a significant flyfishery for resident trout in the columbia already, isn't there? What's to prevent something similar from developing on the okanagen river?

Prettyfly, as far as drawbacks go, the most obvious to me are time and money....it is going to take an immense amount of time to rebuild that system, and a great deal of effort and money to achieve significant changes in there....plus, people seem always resistant to change so accepting new ideas is probably going to be a large obstacle as well....

[THE_ROE_SLINGER]

interesting...

[ko]

is that river mostly on native land. if so ,say the salmon over the years returned, would non native sportfishermsn beable to fish the river or is it mostly on native land.