The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees represents Alberta’s 125 Fish and Wildlife Officers.
Because of severe budget restrictions, Fish and Wildlife Officers are no longer able to patrol in Alberta in a proactive effort to curb the activities of poachers — illegal hunters and fishers.

Compliance Assessment and Enforcement Activities, Annual Report, April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2001

These excerpts from the Alberta Government’s own “Compliance Assessment and Enforcement Activities, Annual Report, April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2001,” should help foster a better understanding of the benefits of proactive preventative compliance patrols on preservation of Alberta’s natural resources.

Copies of the full report may be obtained by contacting:
Information Centre
Alberta Environment
Main Floor, Great West Life Building
9920 – 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2M4
Telephone: (780) 944-0313
Fax: (780) 427-4407
E-mail: env.infocent@gov.ab.ca

Compliance Assessment and Enforcement Activities
Annual Report April 1, 2000 – March 31, 2001

Page 1

The overall goal of Alberta Environment’s compliance assurance program is to maintain a high level of compliance with the environmental and natural resource legislation of Alberta. This is pursued in the regulated community through education of statutory obligations, prevention of non-compliance through heightened awareness of environmental responsibilities, and by fostering a spirit of co-operation between the regulator and the regulated parties. Equally important is the certainty within the regulated community that AENV has a credible and effective enforcement program which is called into action when education and prevention are not sufficient to achieve compliance with the legislation. The components of the compliance assurance program – education, prevention and enforcement – are equally important to the success of the program.

Page 4

Non-compliance with the fisheries, wildlife and parks legislation is generally identified through proactive compliance checks of individuals.

Page 5

Enforcement is commonly taken in response to illegal harvesting and possession of fish or wildlife, and disrupting the peaceful enjoyment of provincial parks/recreation areas.

Page 6

Prosecutions

• 1,957 charges under fisheries legislation
  
• 1,584 charges under wildlife legislation

Page 7

1,562 charges were concluded under fisheries legislation resulting in 1,351 convictions. This resulted in $184,694 in penalties, nine court or legislatively imposed license suspensions and three jail days

1,239 charges were concluded under wildlife legislation resulting in 951 convictions. This resulted in $275,897 in penalties, 177 court or legislatively imposed license suspensions and no jail days.

Page 9

Written warnings

Written warnings are used as a deterrent and to create a record of a contravention. After a written warning is issued, subsequent non-compliance may lead to a more significant enforcement response.

• 706 written warnings issued under fisheries legislation
  
• 547 written warnings issued under wildlife legislation

Page 15

Fisheries Legislation

The compliance assurance activities related to Alberta’s fisheries are one aspect of the proactive checks conducted by Natural Resources Service (NRS) staff over the course of the 2000-2001 fiscal year. Some enforcement actions resulted in multiple charges.

• Anglers: 64,440 anglers were checked during 18,595 recreational fisheries inspections (patrols). A total of 2,832 charges were laid.
  
• Commercial fishing operations: 363 commercial fishing operations were checked (1,972 commercial fishery inspections) resulting in 16 charges laid.
  
• Fish procession facilities: 18 inspections were conducted at 14 fish processing facilities with no resulting enforcement actions.
  
• Subsistence fishers: 488 inspections of subsistence fishers were completed resulting in 15 charges laid.

Wildlife Legislation

The compliance assurance activities for Alberta’s wildlife legislation are conducted by NRS. Some enforcement actions resulted in multiple charges.

• Hunters: 36,237 recreational hunters were checked over the course of 12,751 inspections conducted during 2000-2001. Resulted in 1,018 charges laid.
  
• Subsistence hunting activities: 296 checks of subsistence hunters were conducted for this reporting period, resulting in six charges laid.
  
• WAPRIITA: 162 inspections were completed for activities regulated under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Inter-provincial Trade Act (federal). No resulting enforcement actions.
  
• Commercial operators: 748 inspections of commercial operators were completed with no resulting enforcement actions.
  
• Wildlife facilities: 25 inspections of zoos, game farms, elk farms, etc. resulting in 3 charges laid.

Page 19

Meeting Alberta Environment’s Compliance Assurance Challenges
Alberta Environment is accountable to both the public and the regulated community. The department’s compliance assurance principles reflect the approach of AENV to achieve its compliance assurance business. The credibility of AENV’s compliance assurance work is tied to the effective and far-sighted protection and management of the resources for which the department is responsible. Compliance assurance program initiatives and regulatory streamlining will ensure effective service to all stakeholders.

A Fish Conservation Strategy for Alberta: 2000 / 2005

The following quotes are taken from another public document to assist readers in understanding the likely effect of the insufficient operational funds allocated to the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division.

Copies of the full report may be obtained by contacting:
Fisheries and Wildlife Management Division
Natural Resources Service
Alberta Environment
9945 – 108 Street
Main Floor,
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2M4

NOTE: As the name has changed since the publication of this document in 1998, please refer you inquiries to Fisheries Management – Fish and Wildlife Division – Main Floor Great West Life Building, 9920 – 108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4

A Fish Conservation Strategy for Alberta: 2000 / 2005

Page 1

The fish resources of Alberta are limited in abundance by the small amount of suitable habitat. Alberta does not have a large amount of surface water, having only 2.5 percent of its area as freshwater. Surveys conducted on over 2,100 lakes have shown that only about 1,030 have game fish producing capabilities. The other lakes are too shallow and either freeze to the bottom during winter or are too warm for fish during the summer.

Approximately 3/4 of the lake area in Alberta is located north of a line through Lac La Biche and Valleyview, whereas about 3/4 of the human population lives in the area south of that line. This results in very high demand placed on the fish resources in the settled part of the province. Fish populations in Alberta have declined as a result of over-harvest and habitat alteration

Page 2

Inherent in the stewardship of the resource is the responsibility to conserve fish populations to maintain the natural biodiversity and health of aquatic ecosystems.|

• Conservation includes two components:

• Protection which ensures the perpetuation of abundant fish populations, and
  The appropriate use of only the surplus that is not required for population maintenance
  
• Satisfying present demand and meeting future needs will
  
• Require careful management of fish resources to ensure optimal reproduction of fish population

Page 2 (Alberta Environment Mission Statement)

As proud stewards of Alberta’s renewable natural resources, we will protect, enhance and ensure the wise use of our environment.

Page 3 (Fisheries Mandate)

Fisheries are a replenishable Crown resource; it is incumbent upon the Government, as the resource steward, to ensure that appropriate use is made of the fisheries resource and that it is passed on to succeeding generations as it was received. The primary consideration of the Government is to ensure that fisheries populations are protected from severe decline and that viable populations are maintained. By virtue of the fact that all fish and wildlife resources and relevant legislation are the responsibility of Alberta Environment, it is the function as the advocate within government in the pursuit of this goal.

The mission for fisheries management is to sustain the abundance, distribution and diversity of fish populations at the carrying capacity of their habitats.

Page 5 (Goals and Objectives)

Achieving the mission for fisheries management involves three goals: habitat maintenance, fish conservation, and fish-use allocation.

Protection of fish habitat is particularly important in Alberta because there is a shortage of fish-producing habitat, especially in the settled areas of the province. Demand for fish exceeds the supply of fish. Sustaining the supply of fish through maintenance of habitat and habitat productivity is essential to balance the supply-demand relationship.

Page 9 (How do we achieve our fish conservation goal?)

Beyond habitat conservation, objective one involves managing fish harvest by managing human activities through regulations, and changing public attitude through information and education.

Fish production is primarily controlled by the productive capacity of the habitat, the biological characteristics of the species and the species composition of the water body. However, fish harvest has historically been a major limiting factor on fish production. A high harvest level reduces population density, particularly by removing the older fish, which subsequently reduces a population’s spawning capability. Wherever possible, recruitment of fish to the population will be accomplished through natural reproduction. Closure of spawning and rearing areas is often required to protect spawners, to reduce the disturbance of spawning fish, and to protect developing eggs and young fish.

Page 10

Fish harvest must be regulated to match and not exceed the productive capacity of the habitat.
Fisheries regulations pursuant to the Fisheries Act (Canada) and the Fisheries (Alberta) Act operate as sets of rules restricting or prohibiting various fishing activities (restrictive code). A restrictive code means that all activities are legal until restricted or prohibited by regulations. Except as restricted by fishing regulations, fishermen may do the following: harvest any number of fish, and any species of fish; fish in waters; fish at all times of the year; and fish by any method. For the benefit of the resource and to ensure the primacy of conservation, fisheries management should operate under a permissive code – meaning no activity should be legal until made legal.

The management of fisheries must follow a policy that allows harvest only when a supply of fish, beyond conservation needs, has been proven available.

Resource conservation under an open-access policy and restrictive code is difficult and slow to be achieved. Resource overuse has to be demonstrated before support and public acceptance are gained for the establishment of new regulations. The time required to demonstrate overuse, gain public support and implement new regulations can result in further damage to fish populations. Because of the above, past management practices fell short of conservation needs by allowing activities that overharvested fish.

Page 16

The management of fisheries will be conducted on the basis of fundamental ecological principles and factual information. (page 16)

Good and timely information on fish stocks is fundamental to achieving habitat maintenance, fish conservation and fish allocation goals. The capacity of carious habitats for fish production, the conservation needs to perpetuate populations and the numbers that constitute a potential harvestable surplus need to be determined. Fish production varies annually and long-term trend information provides the best way to assess production, identify problems, evaluate management and make appropriate adjustments.

Page 17

Any attempt to regulate the harvest of fish will be ineffective without adequate compliance with regulations.

Improving Albert’s Fisheries

One has only to look at the fact sheet, Improving Alberta’s Fisheries, published recently by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to see that the state of Alberta’s fisheries is critical.

Careless management today will limit angler access to this resource for many years to come – a fisheries resource if damaged takes many years to recover, and if damaged too significantly can be destroyed forever.

The following points are taken from Improving Alberta’s Fisheries:


What are some of the challenges to Alberta’s fisheries?

• The province has the third highest angling pressure in Canada.
  
• Aberta’s population has increased by 35 per cent since 1980.
  
• There are about 300,000 anglers and 800 commercial fishermen active in the province.
  
• Alberta has only 1,100 fish-bearing lakes, compared to 94,000 in Saskatchewan, 110,000 in Manitoba and 250,000 fishing lakes in Ontario.
  
• Of Alberta’s 1,100 fishing lakes, 800 support natural fish populations and 300 must be supported by stocking.
  
• Fishing licence sales in 2001 were the highest they’ve been since 1997.
  
• 9,000 more licenses were purchased by resident anglers in 2001 than in the previous year.
  
• There are only 18 species of fish in Alberta that are preferred for food.
  
• We need more detailed knowledge on fishing pressure and the fish resource to ensure sport, commercial and domestic use are sustainable for the future.
  
• Humans share the fisheries resource with many other animals, including aquatic birds like cormorants.

What are some of the solutions the Alberta government is action on to revitalize fisheries?

• Increasing inventory and population monitoring activities to gain a greater knowledge of fish populations in specific locations.
  
• Upgrading fish disease control operations.
• Stepping up efforts to encourage Albertans to protect fish habitat.
  
• Increasing public education and information.
  
• Improving the province’s hatchery system, in operation for more than 90 years.
  
• Drastically reduce the number of commercial fishing licence holders through increased fees and an expected compensation program.
  
• Enhancing fish spawning through lake closures and other methods.
  
• Introducing innovative pilot projects like the program that will begin at Calling Lake on April 1, 2002. The objective is to try a different regulator tool land still balance fish harvest and conservation.

How is it possible for the department of Sustainable Resource Development to enact any of the solutions when the Fisheries Management Branch operating budget was cut by $400,000 for the year of 2003/2004? How is it possible for the department to improve Alberta’s fisheries when officers charged with the responsibility to protect this resource from abuse are not given the resources to conduct regular patrols to ensure compliance to the laws?

Ministry of Environment
2000/2001 Annual Report

• In June 2000, the Environment Minister approved “Compliance Assurance Principles” (CAP). This approval included a commitment to update legislation, and compliance assurance programs to meet the compliance assurance principles. (page 23)
  
• Enforcement Field Services and Fisheries and Wildlife had a combined total of $10.1 million in additional expenses over last year. (page 48)
  
• The Ministry allocated an additional $2.6 million to meet increased demands on Conservation Officers in the continued protection of vulnerable fish and wildlife populations as recreational and industrial development increased. The enhancement improved service to the public in areas such as problem wildlife management and public and stakeholder consultation on resource management and maintained the ability to enforce provincial and federal legislation relating to natural resource management and public safety. (page 48)
  
• Future economic prosperity is supported by managing natural resources in a sustainable manner. (page 74)

Ministry of Sustainable Resources Development
2001/ 2002 Annual Report

• Alberta Sustainable Resource Development was created in March 2001 to provide greater direction and focus on the sustainability of Alberta’s renewable resources. (page 5)
  
• An important aspect of this focus in ensuring that economic development is balanced with the wise management of our valuable resources. (page 5)
  
• With continued, significant pressures on our fisheries resources, SRD developed an innovative, wide ranging strategy focused on improving the state of Alberta’s fisheries, called – Improving Alberta’s Fisheries. (page 13)
  
• Our accomplishments include the continued proactive management and protection of wild species, plans to improve fisheries, and the enforcement of fish and wildlife regulations. (Fessenden, Page 15)
  
• Harlequin ducks and bull trout were assessed as ‘species of special concern’ and the department will initiate management plans to address the needs of these species. (page 32)
  Ministry of Sustainable Resources Development
  2002/ 2003 Annual Report
  
• Our Ministry is committed to ensuring that Alberta’s fish, wildlife, land and forest resources benefit present and future Albertan’s. (page 7)
  
• SRD will become a world-class organization in the stewardship or public land and natural resources. (page 17)

Healthy Natural Resources translate to great benefits for Albertans
Significant benefits are realized when natural resources are managed wisely. Some current statistical information suggests the following:

• Approximately 100,000 individuals purchase over 350,000 hunting related licenses and permits annually (10 million – licenses and applications)
  
• 68,700 hunters made 186,800 applications for 66,600 special draw licenses in 2003
  
• Alberta has a total of 107 different licenses and permits for big game and bird game
  
• Over 215,000 fishing licenses are sold annually (over 4 million)
  
• Four fish hatcheries stock 5.6 million fish into 248 water bodies:
  
• Rainbow trout (3.36 million)
  
• Walleye (1.98 million)
  
• Brook trout (237,000)
  
• Brown trout (26,100)
  
• Bull trout (25,400)
  
• Cutthroat trout (4,000)
• Residents of Alberta spent 1.2 billion on nature related activities in 1996
  
• 901.7 million on outdoor activities in natural areas
  
• 171.6 million on wildlife viewing
  
• 147.8 million on recreational fishing
  
• 71 million on hunting
  
• 70.2 million on ‘other’
  
• The economic impact is greater yet...
  
• Contributed over 1.5 billion to the provincial Gross Domestic Product
  
• $360 million in government revenue from taxes
  
• Supported 23,600 jobs
  
• $707.9 million in personal income
  
  For further information, see: ENVIRONMENT CANADA – The Importance of Nature to Canadians: The Economic Significance of Nature-related Activities.
  http://www.ec.gc.ca/nature/tofC.htm

CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Can you make a difference? Of course you can.

• Let your MLA know that you are dissatisfied with the current status of how Alberta’s natural resources are being managed.
  
• Let Sustainable Resources Minister Mike Cardinal know how you feel.
  
• Let Premier Ralph Klein know that the time is now for more money to be injected into the Fish and Wildlife Division so that more of your tax dollars can be allocated to protect the resources you so enjoy.
  
• Please write that letter, and make that call.