Coast closures a threat to local sport fishery Andrew McCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com ADAPT to change or die. That Darwinian sentiment rings true for coho salmon and the B.C. sport fishing industry that relies on the species tor much of its livelihood. Last Thursday federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister David Anderson announced a complete coho fishing ban on Canada’s west coast. Diminishing stocks of the popular sport fish prompted the drastic action and feft in its wake uncertainty sur- rounding B.C.’s $900 miltion sport fishing industry. ‘The hope is that the moratorium o: Will allow the endangered stocks to regenerate and’ help them adapt to changing environmental conditions. Likewise, North Shore businesses involved in the sport fishing industry will need to adapt to the change. : ‘ “I think the ban is great,” said Highwater - Tackle owner Dave Stecle. “The minister has done something that nobody has had the moxy “todo. . - 2+ But Steele said Anderson must quickly “> address the issue of opening some rivers for coho sport fishing. Primarily, the Capilano > River. : . >! ®There is only one river on the face of the Earth that coho come in in June and May, and - that’s the Capilano,” he said. “So opening that river now isa no-brainer.” - . Steele said coho populations in the Capilano ”. River are not endangered. ae ‘Returns for 1998 began yesterday morning =. when the first coho of the year came up the ~ Capilano River hatchery’s fish ladder. ” + Steele; who has. operated: his Lower Lonsdale tackle shop for 13 years, said opening the North Shore river for coho fishing would -, havé'no effect on the larger issue of declining - coho stocks in other areas of the province. “There’s no way that fishing in the Capilano River, which is about 99% hatchery (fish), is -going:.to affect: Upper Skeena coho or Thompson River coho,” he said. : _ Coho stocks in those nwo rivers have been "identified ‘as the most endangered in B.C. :'* Department of Fisheries officer and North ¢ Vancouver resident Max Tscharre said Tuesday ’ that meetings between representatives from the department and the sport fishing industry are - ongoing this week. ‘As .to the possibility of opening the Capilano River, Tscharre said: “I can’t really say °_ one way or another.” + But Steele thinks Anderson will open the Capilano River: “He’s messed with a $900-mil- » Hon industry. I think the minister would be most delighted to open up areas where there is no chance of interception of Thompson River _ or Upper Skeena coho.” As for his tackle shop business, Stecle admits the fishing ban will have a negative impact, but reiterates that the focus must be on the long term. - “We've got two choices here,” he said. “One is to continue on the way we're going and in 10 years we won’t have anything or do it now.” : Steele is confident enough about the North Shore sport fishing industry that he intends to expand his tackle shap soon. Dan Sewell isn’t so sure. “About five years ago I looked at the way things were going and realized we're governing more on public opinion polls than on fact,” the owner/operator of Sewell’s Marina in Horseshoe Bay said. “We gave up on the abili- ‘ty of Ottawa to manage our resources.” The boat rental and charter company was founded by Sewell’s grandfather Dan in 1931. According to Sewell, the evolution of the mari- na’s business over the years has mirrored the decline of B.C.’s sport fishing industry. “When my grandfather began, 190% of the business was fishing,” Sewell said. *Today it’s about 18%, and by the end of this year it will be about 10%.” Sewell said he was involved on sport fishing committees a few years ago, but resigned from his posts when he realized decisions were being based more on politics than on fact. Eccititinsin has replaced fishing for Sewell, Who reports his U-drive boat rental fleet, a 55, ‘isamong the largest in the world. Creative ways in which Sewell has adapted to the changes include cco-tours and Sea Quest scavenger hunts on the waters of Burrard Inlez and Howe Sound. Last year Sewell’s took the 190-foot Charlotte Explarer out of fishing charter service after six years of operation. Today, the vessel is being chartered by mining firms in’ the Solomon Islands. Be NEWS photo Terry Peters HIGHWATER Tackie owner Dave Steele (above) agrees with last week’s announced ban on coho fishing in 8.C., but says the Capilano River should be opened next month for sport fishing because fish populations there are not endangered. a ae ee aS | Seymour River Goto Retuns . Capilang River Coha Returns, , Based on-data collected by Hatcherystalf | Based on dala collected by Hatchery statt - 1997 (apprex.) 3,250 => 1993 me 15,072 » tr stray, NEWS graphic NV man gets jail term for sex assault Robert Galster_ ; News Reporter rebert@usnews.com » KEVIN Oakley will be behind bars into the when in fact, he was staying with his father for a few days because he was between jobs. His victim had earlier returned from visiting her great granddaughter and had since gone to bed. The two aid not next millennium. The 30-year-old North Vancouver man was sentenced Monday to 2% years in prison in B.C. Supreme Court for the Jan. 21, 1997 sexual assault of a 76-year-old great grandmother. He has been in jail for 16 months since his arrest. ” While Oakley was seeking a conditional sentence which would have seen him released into the community under a strict set of conditions, Mr. Justice Wally Oppal found Oakley was nor a good candidare for the program. Reading* from a short prepared statement Oakley addressed the court and stated that he is not a “ovisted individual,” and admitted to having a drinking problem. He apologized tor the offence and said he was ashamed. “All T can do is deeply apologize to the people I have brought shame to,” said Oakley. He was apologizing tor an evening that saw him accom- pany his father to a Lower Lonsdale legion hall. After drinking for several hours, the nwo returned to the father’s apartment on East 2nd Street. It was about 1 a.m. Last Friday’s North Shore News erroncously reported that ~ Oakley had been living at the apartment for several months know cach other, but were briefly introduced by Oakley's father while out on their respective balconies several months carlier. Some time later, Oakley climbed areund the barrier separating the two balconies and entered the 76-year-old woman’s suite. She awoke as he entered and got out of bed, but Oakley pushed her back down on to the bed. Oakley got on top of the woman and proceeded to raise her nightshirt. The woman screamed for Oakley not to hurt her to which he replied calmly that he would not. Nevertheless he continued unabated. Several minutes later he got up at which time his victim ran to the bathroom and locked the door. : Oakley had left apparently the same way he came in, but had pulled the phons cord out of the wall on his way out. His frightened victim took a bath and remained locked in her apartment until the next morning when she reported the incident to the building’s caretaker. ° Oppal quoted extensively from a psychiatric evaluation Oakley underwent since the arrest leading to his sentence. While admitting Oakley docs not carry a high risk of reof- fending, Oppal said he was troubled by a lack of explana- tion for the crime. KEVIN Oakley ... sentenced to 2% years for assault. JALAL Poursaed, 40, was arrested June 24, 1997, and charged with importing opium through the Vancouver International Airport. He was Jater released on bail. . He has since breached his bail conditions; a war- rant was issued for his ‘arrest last January. Poursaed’s last residence known to police has been vacated. He is scheduled for a court appearance on June 30. North Vancouver RCMP believe he may be. residing on the North Shore: Anyone with informa- tion on Poursaed is asked to call Cpl. Gordon Oke at 985- 1311. , ‘ Poursaed «+. Was arrested June ’97. — Rolert Galster Metorist clips. bridge cyclist NORTE Vancouver RCMP are looking for the victim of a” mindless act of road rage that. nearly resulted in-a cyclist~ _ plunging into traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge. a On May 2 at 7:37. p.m..a motorist travelling north along the Lions Gate Bridge approached the sidewalk while a passenger reached out and struck a cyclist travelling in the © same direction. _ The incident was witnessed by a motorist directly behind. the culprit. The witness’ infor- mation has led the RCMP.to the perpetrators, but they. still need to identify the victim. | - Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call. _ Const. Jordon Dupuis at the North Vancouver RCMP at © 985-1311. : vets : _ | == Robert Galster Transit talks in mediation | WEST Vancouver bus drivers may be stepping out of their. vehicles and onto a picket fine. After a year of working with no contract, representatives for the 55 Amalgamated Transit . Union drivers and 11 mechanics started mediation talks with West Vancouver District yesterday. : Mediation was finally agreed on after talks dragged on for months without resolution. But the only agreement the two sides have reached so far is not to discuss what the con- tentious issues are with the media. West Vancouver Mayor Pat Boname and transit union staff would say only that mediation has begun. : — Jridy Smith —