This message is going to all members who enjoy fishing the Chehalis, some of you may not know what is has been like a few years ago but im hoping by typing this things will change. What has been going on is the last 4 years the river has made its path at the end of the Bible run into the native land- very thick bushes, and this has created a situation where fishing for the abundant runs has been very difficult as the fisherman are crowded into a short stretch of fishable area. What has been attempted in the last 4 years is the DFO habitat branch has contracted an excavator to dig out a small insignificant channel at the end of the Bible run to divert water back towards the hatchery. However; this amount has been around 2o% of total flow and has dried up each year after the fall rains. This creates a number of problems, first of all, Redds that were made in the high water channel have now been dried up and basically killed off, also any fry or smolts that have been trapped here and picked off by predators, salmon spawning are also trapped and left to predators. Another HUGE problem is lack of access to sports fisherman to returns of salmon, this is a hatchery that’s paid for by our dollars and these fish; fall and summer Chinook, winter and summer Steelhead, Chum and Coho have had to travel up the native land where NON Natives are not allowed to trespass. This is quite a problem as the native fisherman back there have been quite vocal and sometimes very threatening to non natives. This past winter, I was back there and I was almost scared to falling in the river when a shotgun blast sailed beside me, a kind of shot across your bow technique. So I find out that this year the DFO has considered to put this transfer of water to the hatchery as a non priority and has set aside ZERO funding for this project, this is complete BS, if they were competent over there they would have only had to do this once 4years ago, however, that’s another story. I have here the name s and #s of the people at DFO who are in charge of these decisions, I would ask you please phone these people, email them and let them know we want access to these runs which we have paid for and we want the habitat protected for spawning and spawned salmon. Dale Patterson….604 666 0315<<
PattersonD@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca I’ve tried phoning this guy around 20 times and yet to here back from him, he does get his messages as he was inquiring as to who the hell I am<< also Jim Wild>>>>
WildJ@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca 604 666 6478. I ask all of you who believe in what ive said to get in touch with these guys and let them know we want funding for this transfer, we want it done right once and for all, and we want access to OUR fish, thanks Cam
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Topic: to all concerned Chehalis fisherman (Read 5784 times)