Thread by @JZThinAir

A thread about record low #endangered Interior Fraser #steelhead. The intent of this thread is to educate people on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's consistent habit of both destroying these fish while simultaneously editing/hiding science.

#BCpoli #CDNpoli
1/n

Steelhead pops in the two best monitored systems (Chilcotin and Thompson rivers) have gone from thousands to an estimated 19 (yes, 19) and 104 respectively. These are all-time record lows.
2/n

The neat thing about steelhead is that unlike other anadromous fish such as salmon they do not die after spawning so they can spawn more than once. Generally speaking, older fish = bigger fish = > fecundity = more babies in the water and hopefully more adults returning.

3/n

Spoiler alert: one of the long-standing issues with these fish is that some years as many as 50% get caught in nets which are typically targeting chum and pink salmon, and as many as 50% of those caught in nets die.
4/n

This means there are few to no steelhead that make it back to their natal grounds twice. The bigger you get the more likely you are to get caught in a net and there are thousands of nets in the Fraser river both legal and illegal killing steelhead every single year.

5/n

These fish are known globally for their strength & stamina. Rod & reel fishing has been closed for years. To this day some former anglers still go to the Thompson every fall to reminisce and commiserate about what was. These fish are a global treasure.
6/n

In 2017, due to a predicted record low return a number of individuals ‘lobbied’ the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) to conduct an emergency assessment of these fish.

7/n

In 2018, COSEWIC found these fish were classified as endangered “facing imminent extirpation or extinction”. This triggered Canada’s Species At Risk Act process which goes through the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS).

8/n

CSAS is supposed to follow the SAGE principles which include: inclusive, sound science and science advice, transparency and openness among other ‘big words’ government’s use.
9/n

The products of CSAS are supposed to be a Cost-benefit analysis of a listing, a peer-reviewed recovery potential assessment document, and the science advisory report, which is a lay persons interpretation of the recovery potential assessment.

10/n

The peer-reviewed RPA is where things go sideways as it was apparently completed in the fall of 2018, but never released to the public. In 2022, nearly 4 years later it still has not been released to the public.
11/n

Through multiple freedom of information (provincial) and access to information requests (federal) we find a number of extremely disturbing quotes from those involved in the process.

12/n

The Chair writes: “The ongoing involvement by people who were not part of the process, who have not been involved in the development of the materials or the advice, continues to compromise our ability to meet the deadlines as well as the scientific integrity of the process”
13/n

Importantly, the Chair is also a DFO employee. We also find that the "Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office gave a directive to modify some key points related to allowable harm for Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead"
14/n

The provincial director of fisheries writes: “There are significant concerns that the content does not reflect the work of the science team’s agreement, and specifically removes key points from the B.C. perspective”.
15/n

Additionally, she writes: "and the altered wording does not reflect the scientific consensus and the Science Advisory Report was inconsistent with the RPA”.
16/n

One of the province’s scientists writes: “It appears that this document’s summary findings were altered such that the report, as published, downplays the threats associated with salmon fisheries by-catch mortality”

17/n

In a letter to the Federal Deputy Minister the Province's Assistant Deputy Minister writes: "the report is not scientifically defensible”

There are dozens of other quotes in these thousands of pages of documents that continually point to the corruption in DFO.

18/n

Ultimately, the Federal Minister Jonathan Wilkinson does not list these fish under the Species At Risk Act. Instead we got the "Interior Fraser Steelhead action plan" in the summer of 2019.

See: canada.ca/en/fisheries-o…

19/n

Of course there's a press release as well. Minister Wilkinson states: “Over the past several years we have witnessed significant declines in the numbers of Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead Trout returning to spawn. "
20/n

He goes on: "We must take thoughtful near term action to ensure these runs are not lost forever. The Action Plan we are announcing today is the product of close and sustained collaboration between two governments that care deeply about the protection of biodiversity. "
21/n

And on: "Through the comprehensive measures contained in the Steelhead Action Plan we are taking the steps necessary to protect and restore these populations.”

Before the ink was dry DFO opened non-selective net fisheries which undoubtedly end up killing more steelhead.
22/n

In 2019 there were 216 steelhead in the Thompson, now there are 104. In the Chilcotin there were 120, there are now 19. I suppose the “bold action” was pushing them from endangered to extinct.

23/n

With numerous ATIPs outstanding complaints were filed with the OIPC and investigators assigned to literally investigate DFO to try to get the documents. In one case DFO has simply refused to provide the documents, something that the legislation calls a “deemed refusal”.
24/n

The only choice here is to spend 10s of thousands of dollars taking the Government of Canada to Court to force them to hand over the documents or wait the ‘512’ additional days DFO says it will take.

25/n

The other outstanding ATIP is looking to access the RPA. DFO has provided the wrong documents to the investigator MULTIPLE TIMES.

26/n

At this stage I would say it’s hopeless for Chilcotin fish. Interior Fraser Steelhead are the east coast cod, and a number of other fish populations in BC are headed in the same direction. The government of Canada and BC have done nothing meaningful to stop the bleeding.
27/n

There are dozens of pictures of illegally caught and killed steelhead which have been sent to DFO enforcement – in most cases the government of Canada has refused to pursue charges for catching and killing one of these (19 and 104) fish.
28/n

This all makes me mad and sad at the same time. What we can see here is that the Government of Canada is happy to hide/edit science, interfere with peer reviewed process and push wildlife populations into extinction. 29/n

But we can't stop as there are other steelhead, salmon, caribou and other species and populations headed in the same direction and governments need to be called out on this. The alternative is they will disappear.

30/n

I’ve had a number of elected officials say ‘not on my watch’, but the reality is those are meaningless words that people throw around to make it seem like this is important. Given both government’s complete and total lack of action, it’s apparent that they don’t care.
31/n

Whether you care about steelhead or not I hope this helps push for better outcomes for the animals and places we all care about by putting pressure on governments to stop talking and start doing.

Press releases, quotes and plans don't fix problems - actions do.

32/n