60 pages Classifieds 986-6222 Scientists note effluent. damage, fish stock decline SCIENTISTS GATHERED at Bowen Island last month to determine the environmental health of the Howe Sound watershed say that although the marine ecosystem remains relatively healthy, the adverse local impact of human ac- tivity raises a number of serious concerns. Said Bob Turner, a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada and the orga- nizer of the Howe Sound En- vironmental Science Workshop, “The things that stood out in my mind were the sharp declines of ae GEOLOGICAL SURVEY cf Canada research scientist Bob Turner... come a long way from what we started with in the sound. some of the salmon stocks and how those fish in some ways are indicator species for the health of the sound. “‘Another surprise in a different tack, is what used to be in the sound. And that may be one of the maiost important things that we may attempt to de is to create a knowledge of what was there orig- inaliy. We've come a long way from what we stazted with in the sound,”’ he added. Workshop participants learned that during the 1850s the sound ‘sustained a humpback whaling in- dustry. As recently as the 1950s and 1960s Orca whales commonly travelled to the Lions Bay area. “I was stunned. That puts into perspective what else was once there. When IJ talk to water taxi people who work the sound every day, they tell me that they have seen maybe one or two kiNer whales in five years in the sound,’’ Turner said. Among the findings identified at the workshop: @ damage causeci by past effluent discharge frou. two pulp mills and metal-rich acidic cffluent stiil discharging from the abandoned Britannia copper mine; 9 dioxins and furans in Cor- morant eggs and tissues of diving ducks collected in Howe Sound; @ aigai growth in the Cheakamus River from Whistler sewage discharge; By Michael Becker News Reporter @ sediment erosion from old log- ging roads and the = potential resulting damage caused to salmon spawning streams; @ sharp decline of some salmon stacks in the Squamish River; @ loss of mature forest habitat due to logging in the lower vatieys of the Squamish and Mamquam river systems. Information gathered by the scientific community, environmen- tal groups and industry will be shared with the public Saturday, Nov. 23 at Sentinel Secondary School, 1250 Chartwell Dr., in West Vancouver. The public meeting will include a Howe Sound watershed infor- mation fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a scientific panel discus- sion from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Said Turner, ‘‘The whole pur- pose of this project is to create accessible information. One of the problems with environmental debate to date has been that you will have the pulp mill company standing up and presenting its in- formation and the environmenta! groups standing up and saying another thing and the public then is asked, ‘Well, who do you believe?’ °° While the scientist says polar- ized opinion will still be with us no matter how much information becomes available on the status of the sound, Turner believes wiser decisions will be made when inore facts are available to all interested parties. Howe Sound was chosen for in-depth research because it is one of the most environmen- tally-stressed watersheds in the province and is representative of coastal British Columbia. “It has got all the representative human activities, forestry, pulp mills, old mines leaking acid. It has large resort communities, tremendous road and rail infra- structure — it’s really got everything. [t*s a real microcosm,’’ Turner said. “With the proposed expansion of the Sea To Sky Highway and if Squamish becomes part of the commuter fringe of Vancouver, there will be tremendous residen- tial pressure on the watershed and there will be a continued expan- ding recreational demand with the improved highway connection,” Turner added. Nick Orchard of CBC’s Northwood Now spotlight: 21 Display Advertising 980-0511 Distribution 986-1337 NEWS photo Mike Wakstleid Confiscated fireworks | WEST VANCOUVER Police Sgt. John Looye displays some of the home-made Halloween weaponry seized from youths In West Vancouver last week. Please see story Page 3.