Rebuilding Skeena Sockeye

While adult sockeye spend their winter navigating the deep waters of the north Pacific, SkeenaWild is working with the Lake Babine Nation to ensure that as many wild sockeye return to spawn in 2015 as possible. The forecast is large: roughly 3 million are to be Skeena-bound, and >90% will return to Babine Lake. Given the predicted windfall of sockeye, DFO wants to increase commercial fishing catch rates. We believe that this is a mistake.

A return of 3 million sockeye was a common 100 years ago, but now is an anomaly that serves to disguise a deep conservation issue. Whereas all sockeye that historically returned to the Skeena were wild, today they make up less than 20% of the return. The artificial spawning channels of Babine Lake now produce more than 80% of all Skeena sockeye. In essence, wild Babine sockeye (and many other Skeena populations) are depressed and several are in decline. Wild Babine River sockeye alone once contributed about 40% of all Skeena sockeye, yet are now in need of a recovery strategy. We feel that any increase to commercial catch is a direct contradiction to such a recovery strategy when vulnerable wild fish will be caught together with abundant enhanced fish. To go further, we believe that commercial catch rates need to be reduced (not increased) so depressed and at-risk populations can begin to rebuild. SkeenaWild will continue working with Skeena First Nations to achieve this goal.

Photo:  Derek Flynn

Meet Wendy Hadley, SkeenaWild Ambassador

Wendy is a Realtor, world traveler and Skeena enthusiast.  Her endearing personality makes her super easy to talk to and you can just tell she loves meeting new people.  She takes pride in our community and has recently partnered with her Dad, Vance Hadley to join the ReMax Coast Mountains Real Estate Agency in Terrace, BC.  Both father and daughter are committed to the health and wellbeing of our region and feel it’s important to give back to community.  A special thanks to the Hadleys as they have chosen SkeenaWild to be the recipient of 1% of their sales commissions.

Wendy gives us insight into her life, the Real Estate market in Terrace, explains some of her concerns and what matters most to her.  Read our interview with Wendy.  

Our New Space Rocks!

We love our new office and are pretty sure you will too!  This space has so much potential and we are super excited to create a grassroots community space that will enrich our region. 

This venue not only provides the headquarters for our SkeenaWild office and store, it can also be used as a meeting place for other community groups who wish to convene in a friendly environment.  We also plan to use this space for gallery showcases, as a community information hub, for yoga classes, movie nights, workshops and events, lectures, discussion forums and so much more.

C'mon by and say hello!  We're located at 4444 Lakelse Ave. in Terrace.  A special thanks to volunteer, Anna Gourlay for designing our creative new window display. 

Skeena 2050 Results

In the first half of 2014, skeena2050 volunteers went door-to-door and interviewed over 600 people about their ideas, hopes and fears for the region. The intent was to create a safe space for dialogue; to listen thoughtfully; and to share what was heard with the wider community.

As you can imagine, there's a vast amount of content involved. To make it easily accessible, the findings have been curated in 3 ways:

BY THE NUMBERS: A booklet with 12 colour charts.  Read it, or download it here.

IN WORDS: A selection of 440 individual answers from skeena2050 participants.  Read them, or download them here.

THROUGH STORIES: Video clips in which our volunteers share their experiences and learning.  Watch them here.

Businesses Can Give Back to Blue

Calling all local businesses!  Consider becoming a 1% for the Planet Business Member and giving on behalf of SkeenaWild.  SkeenaWild is working to conserve the wonders of this big blue watershed that we call home - from science initiatives and habitat protection projects that help sustain the long-term health and resilience of wild salmon and steelhead ecosystems to community engagement and education programs. 

1% for the Planet is dedicated to connecting businesses, consumers and non-profits, empowering all of us to drive big, positive change on behalf of a healthy planet.  Register today.  Learn more and love blue.

The Future of Energy

North West Watch is hosting a Film Night at Knox United Church in Terrace:

Featuring:  "The Future of Energy", a powerful documentary that captures the movement across the US to transition towards renewable energy.  It's a love story about the countless individuals and communities that are re-imagining their relationships with the planet and with each other.

Watch the trailer.

Plus:  Four short (4-5 min.) films that won the People on the Pipeline film contest will be shown.

Date:  Friday, January 23
Time:  7:00-9:00 PM
Place: Knox United Church, 4907 Lazelle Ave.
Admission:  $10 or by donation

Proceeds will benefit Pull Together, to support First Nations legal challenges against the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Community LNG Dialogue

The Northwest Institute, in collaboration with West Coast Environmental Law, is pleased to co-host LNG Community Dialogue Sessions throughout Northern BC.

Terrace community members are invited to engage in a discussion about proposed LNG development in your community.  The facilitated dialogue will be an opportunity to identify the shared values that must be considered and protected when reviewing LNG projects in Northern BC, share information and network with other people thinking about LNG in your community, and discuss ways that we can address the gaps in current review processes.

When:  Monday, Feb. 2 @ 6:30pm
Where:  Knox United Church, 4907 Lazelle Ave.
Contact Valine Crist or visit BC LNG INFO for more information.