Environmental Hazards and Conflicts Threatening Fish Habitat in the Lower Fraser River

and its Estuary - A Fisheries Perspective

   By: Otto E. Langer, R.P. Bio

This article, written for Fishing Fever by the renowned water quality and habitat biologist Otto E. Langer, R.P. Bio, discusses the Fraser River past and present. It gives a brief history of the Fraser River and the impact of human development as well as natural geologic events. The article focuses on the Lower Fraser Valley from Hope to Steveston, 0.7% of B.C.'s area but home to 65% of its population. Specifically it identifies threats to the fishery habitat of the Lower Fraser River and what can be done to save it in the face of increasing population growth and industrial development.

Questions you may have are answered in this article:

• How have logging and agriculture affected the fishery of the Lower Fraser River?

• Are gravel fishing bars being lost to the economic interests of the gravel industry?

• Why is sand necessary for fish? Is dredging necessary to prevent flooding?

• Why is the Alex Fraser Bridge a flood threat to the City of New Westminster?

• When was the fish and wildlife habitat of the Fraser River first impacted by dykes?...the 1700s? 1800s? or 1900s?

• When did the Canada Fisheries Act, a new law to protect fish habitat, take effect?

• Is sewage treatment for the Lower Mainland and Victoria adequate to protect water quality for fish?

• Where is the effluent discharged? How does the water quality of the Fraser River rate?

• Are Fraser River fish safe to eat?

• Will the Roberts Bank superport be the nail in the coffin for the Fraser River estuary?

• Is government doing all it can to preserve, protect and enhance the fishery habitat of the Lower Fraser River?

• Is aquaculture the answer to a declining wild salmon fishery?

• What happened to the missing Sockeye salmon?

• How can you, the public, help protect the fish and wildlife habitat of the Lower Fraser River?

Otto Langer explores all these issues and provides educated answers to your questions.

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Fishing Fever 3rd edition with new articles