First Nations leaders from across B.C. are calling for immediate action on the Fraser River to remove the blockage at the Big Bar landslide site within 60 days to allow fish passage.

A 香蕉视频直播渟tate of emergency香蕉视频直播� needs to be declared on the Fraser River, said Regional Chief Terry Teegee of First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC), urging the federal government to 香蕉视频直播渦rgently prioritize resources香蕉视频直播� to tackle the crisis.

Remediation work for remote slide site being planned now by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and partners, may not be completed in time to save some salmon runs from extinction, some are warning.

香蕉视频直播淭o this day, B.C. First Nations have maintained a sacred relationship with the salmon that migrate through their territories and beyond,香蕉视频直播� Chief Teegee said. 香蕉视频直播淓xtreme efforts and resources must be put forth immediately to preserve cultures and ways of life that have existed for thousands of years.香蕉视频直播�

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DFO issued a request for information (RFI) on Nov. 27 to seek the contractors with expertise in construction and environmental mediation needed 香蕉视频直播渢o re-establish natural fish passage香蕉视频直播� by removing the blockage.

香蕉视频直播淭he intention is to ensure that construction activities begin as soon as possible, and while water levels in the Fraser River are low,香蕉视频直播� according to DFO in an update on Dec. 2.

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But the future impacts on Early Stuart and chinook from Big Bar blockage in particular constitute an emergency in the making right now, according to Sto:lo Tribal Council Grand Chief Ken Malloway, a Sto:lo fisherman, and member of the First Nations advisory panel on the Big Bar slide.

香蕉视频直播淭he thing we香蕉视频直播檙e concerned about, at this time of year with the water dropping, is there is still some very large rock that needs to be removed,香蕉视频直播� said Malloway. 香蕉视频直播淭hey need to be in there now blasting and removing rock.香蕉视频直播�

Chief Joe Alphonse, tribal chair of the Ts虃ilhqot香蕉视频直播檌n National Government, said the salmon stocks need 香蕉视频直播渁ll the help香蕉视频直播� they can get.

香蕉视频直播淩ight now there are low water levels on the Fraser. So if anything substantial is to happen it has to happen by the month of January,香蕉视频直播� Chief Alphonse said, not February or March. 香蕉视频直播淭here is only a small window of opportunity. They have to get on it.香蕉视频直播�

Last summer the Ts虃ilhqot香蕉视频直播檌n were expecting to see a return of a million fish from the Chilko Lake run, the 香蕉视频直播渉ealthiest, strongest run香蕉视频直播� of sockeye on the Fraser, he said. But only about 170,000 sockeye returned.

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Responding to early slide reports in July 2019, an unprecedented government-to-government-to-government protocol was put in place, led by the Incident Command Post management team based in Kamloops. Unified team efforts brought together provincial, DFO, and First Nations, who all worked toward freeing the fish trapped behind the slide. Current Big Bar landslide updates can be found .

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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