The Issue:
The recreational fishery for Thompson Steelhead is critical for the economy of Spence’s Bridge, Lytton, Shaw Spring, Big Horn, Ashcroft and to a lesser degree, Cache Creek and Merritt.
The continuing decline in angling opportunities has had a negative impact on the economic health of all these localities with the heaviest impact on Spence’s Bridge.
The total angling closure during the 2008 Steelhead season has been devastating to this community.
The continuing poor angling opportunity combined with no certainty of season has had an ongoing negative impact. For example one business along in the community saw a total reduction in income in 2007 from their 1997 operational base of $ 30,000 due to uncertainty of an opening. The total closure in 2008 saw a loss over 1997 of $112,085, with other local businesses reporting similar losses. Shaw springs has experienced an annual loss of more than $78,000 due to the curtailment of the September, October fishery.
Spence’s Bridge businesses made the majority of their annual income in the former 3 month Steelhead fishery, upwards of two thirds of their annual earnings.
Up until the closure announcement 2008 had been one of their best tourism business years in a long time. With the closure announcement business collapsed.
There were a minimum of 19 job losses in Spence’s Bridge in 2008 due to the closure and several renovation and expansion projects were cancelled. It is estimated that a similar number of jobs were lost in the surrounding communities.
As noted previously, Steelhead fishing is an important component to the economic well being of Spence’s Bridge and the surrounding communities.
An example of the importance this fishery has and could again have is evidenced by using the very low value of an angler day at $100.
Between 1968 and 1984 the annual average number of angler days experienced on the Thompson River in the Steelhead fishery was 10,750. At $100 per day this generated a minimum of $1,075,000 for B.C. and the Interior Thompson area.
In the 1998 through 2005 period the number of angler days on the Thompson had fallen to 3,527 and generated as little as $352,700, a drop of 70% and an annual loss of economic benefits to British Columbia of $722,300.
Reduced opportunities and stock size were initially blamed on the commercial and in-river First Nations net fisheries. The fact is that for the past almost 20 years these fisheries have been constrained to the point that their impact on these stocks is hardly measureable.
Over the same time frame, the interior of B.C. has been going through an period of population and industrial growth which has mean greater and greater demands on our water resources. We have also seen, over those same years a steadily declining input of moisture into our steam and lake systems. In short we have being experiencing an ongoing drought. These problems have been exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and these impacts are only going to increase as time goes by.
The end result of all this is that we simply do not have the freshwater rearing capacity available to nurture and rear the Steelhead population we once had.
The Solution:
We see the solution to be the development of a Community Steelhead Conservation Hatchery at Spence’s Bridge that will produce viable smolts for release into the Nicola System which produces two thirds of the Thompson Steelhead. The release of smolts in a timely fashion will ensure minimal impact on the stocks that have spawned in the wild ensuring maximum production is maintained from those fish.
Much has been made in the past regarding the supposed negative genetic impacts on “wild” stocks from the introduction of hatchery produced fish. We wish to point out that in every one of those studies quoted in this matter, the stocks being introduced to the river system were not natural stocks of that system.
More recent studies of Conservation Hatchery operations have shown conclusively that if the stocks from the system being enhanced are utilized as brood stock there is no negative genetic impact and there in fact can be a positive impact. Moreover, data also shows that the reproductive capability of these hatchery stocks in the natural environment matches or exceeds that of the so-called “wild” stocks. Note 1.
The Spence’s Bridge community is totally behind this project as are all the Fish and Game/Conservation Clubs in the Thompson / Nicola Valley.
A more than adequate water supply will be available in 2010 with the shifting of the Spence’s Bridge domestic water supply to a well facility. The community is united in providing the volunteer effort and expertise needed to construct the facility and operate it. It needs to be noted that there are literally hundreds of such facilities that have been constructed and run successfully by volunteers all across this province. Most are a combination of Salmon, trout and Steelhead but all are run very productively.
Hatchery Costs Utilizing the Murray Creek facilities:
| Building upgrade | $ 3,000.00 |
| Level land for tanks etc. | 4,000.00 |
| Rearing Pond excavation | 4,000.00 |
| Pipes, valves plumbing | 5,000.00 |
| Liner for rearing ponds (5,000 square feet each of 5 ponds) | 25,000.00 |
| Incubator Stacks (Heath Trays) 4 @ $1,500 each | 6,000.00 |
| Automatic Feeders 10 @ $300.00 | 3,000.00 |
| Capilano Rearing troughs 2 | 20,000.00 |
| Fencing | 10,000.00 |
| Incidentals | 10,000,00 |
| Total | $ 90,000.00 |
Some of this equipment is available from hatcheries around the province who are not using it currently. I estimate we could save at least $ 25,000.00 from this cost.
Funding could be acquired through the Living Rivers Fund, Lottery Fund, Community Futures Fund
Annual Operating Costs:
| Feed for 50,000 smolts | $ 14,000.00 |
| Contingency funds | 3,000.00 |
| Total | $ 17,000.00 |
We could hold an annual fundraiser with all the local communities and along with angler donations, this amount could be raised easily.
May want to consider some form of honorarium for one individual to be responsible for the coordination of the day to day operations.
50,000 smolts based on the following return rate would generate the following results.
| At a 5% survival rate (high) | 2,500 adults or given 2008 escapement a return of 3,300 |
| At a 2.5% survival rate | 1,125 adults or given 2008 escapement a return of 1,925 |
| At a 2% survival rate | 1,000 adults or given 2008 escapement a return of 1,800 |
| At a 1.5% survival rate | 750 adults or given 2008 escapement a return of 1,550 |
| At a 1% survival rate | 500 adults or given 2008 escapement a return of 1,300 |
In every case these returns would provide for an assured fishery every year. Moreover the inclusion of hatchery marked fish would allow for retention of these fish and increase the attraction of the fishery to anglers markedly.
Note 1: 2006 report on the Kitimat River Steelhead production, “Genetic Diversity of Steelhead before and after Conservation Hatchery Operations in a Coastal Boreal River”. By Jan Heggens, Mark Beere, Patrick Tamkee and Eric B. Taylor.
Unpublished paper on the genetic changes in Qualicum River Coho, pre and post hatchery production. Ruth Withler and Carol Cross.
April 10, 2009
Mr. Arnie Oram, President
Spence’s Bridge Steelhead Advocates Association
Bill Otway
P.O. Box 326,
Merritt, B.C. V1K 1B8
Dear Mr. Oram:
This letter is to advise you that the B.C. Wildlife Federation is fully in support of the proposal of your organization to construct and operate a hatchery to produce Steelheadfor the Thompson/Nicola systems in the Spence’s Bridge area.We understand that our member clubs in the Kamloops/Nicola area are very muchinvolved in working on and helping develop this proposal. Our membership wishes you every success in this endeavor and we will assist in anyway we can.
Yours in Conservation
Mel Arnold, President
BC Wildlife Federation