Alberta Fisheries Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Science Review-Last fall, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) outlined a multi-species, multi-watershed, multi-pronged approach to recovering at-risk native fish species along Alberta’s eastern slopes. The North Central Native Trout recovery program (NCNT) integrates to other provincial programs including the Bull Trout and Athabasca Rainbow Trout recovery planning processes, Roadway Watercourse Crossings Remediation Program and whirling disease and invasive species management.
One of the strategies proposed in the NCNT program included temporary angling closures on selected streams to facilitate recovery where even catch-and-release angling could be hampering recovery efforts. This was a contentious issue, however TUC was supportive of the closures. Closing angling where populations of native fish are considered critically imperiled is in line with the precautionary principle and does not diminish or negate the immediate need for action to address other issues. However, in late February, AEP Minister Shannon Phillips announced the government would hold off on the fishing closures until an independent third party science review of the ministry’s approach to fisheries management and the science it is based upon. Along with the science review, an Action Plan was developed to work towards angler education, a habitat action plan, science seminars, and citizen science. Additionally, a Stakeholder Committee was formed to help guide the Action Plan including the science review process and to foster collaboration in fisheries management and conservation. Trout Unlimited Canada is represented on the committee by the Alberta Biologist and by a representative from the Northern Lights Fly Fishers chapter.
Two meetings have taken place thus far and during the most recent meeting, the review team for Phase-1 of the science review (focused on native trout recovery) was introduced. The review team is being led by Dr. Steven Cooke and his team at Carleton University and Dr. Eduardo G. Martins at the University of Northern British Columbia. TUC is confident that the review team has the expertise and experience to conduct a thorough and impartial review.
The specific questions and themes of the review are being refined, with input from the committee and will be sent to the reviewers next week. The committee will meet again in the fall and a report is expected by late 2018. More information on the Action Plan and committee can be found on the My Wild Alberta website.
To learn more about this process or to share your thoughts, please contact TUC’s Alberta Biologist.
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