Even though lake fishing hasn’t yet been banned, the popular commercial and recreational salmon fishery operated by the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) on Osoyoos Lake will not be taking place this summer.

That decision has been made by ONA senior management after the provincial government announced last week that all river and stream angling across large swaths of British Columbia, including most of the South Okanagan, will be shut down due to unprecedented drought conditions.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans  (DFO) had not yet made an announcement as of Tuesday’s press deadline on whether or not there would be a recreational salmon fishery on Osoyoos Lake for the remainder of the summer of 2015.

That decision was expected to be made by the end of this week.

Responding to dry conditions, the provincial government has announced a Level 3 drought rating for the Thompson, Nicola, Similkameen, Kettle and Skagit regions and has taken the additional action of suspending angling in streams and rivers throughout the South Okanagan due to ongoing low stream flows and warming water temperatures.

The ban went into effect Wednesday and will continue through Sept. 15.

Anglers will be allowed to continue to catch most species on most regional lakes pending further action by the DFO, but the ONA has decided not to conduct its annual recreational and commercial fishery on Osoyoos Lake due to severe drought conditions.

Richard Bussanich, fisheries biologist for the ONA, confirmed Tuesday that the entire recreational and commercial fishery that traditionally takes place each summer on Osoyoos Lake will be cancelled due to serious drought conditions, which has already killed tens of thousands of sockeye salmon that traditionally travel from the United States towards Osoyoos Lake and South Okanagan tributaries.

“This is a good call … the situation is dire,” said Bussanich.

The ONA has organized a meeting for all stakeholders at its main office in Westbank for next Tuesday, July 23 from 5-7 p.m. to discuss the fishing ban and its implications, said Bussanich.

If weather and water conditions change over the next two months, “there’s a very slight chance” for a limited recreational and commercial salmon fishery by the ONA on Osoyoos Lake after Sept. 15, said Bussanich.

“It would be very small and extremely cautionary if it proceeds at all,” he said.

The extreme drought conditions have led to near-record high water temperatures and limited oxygen supply for the hundreds of thousands of sockeye salmon that were expected to make their way to Osoyoos Lake, said Bussanich.

Estimates of as many as 500,000 sockeye salmon making their way to Osoyoos Lake for the summer of 2015 have proven accurate, but tens of thousands have already perished because of the extreme warm water conditions, he said.

“The bottom line is that many fish have already been killed,” he said. “We were expecting as many as half a million at the mouth (Washington State tributaries) … and between 200,000 to 300,000 haven’t been accounted for.”

Bussanich said he recently went fishing in Washington State on a tributary leading to Osoyoos Lake and it was obvious the salmon were struggling.

“They looked really beat up with obvious open sores … they had taken a beating,” he said.

Current drought conditions across the South Okanagan are the worst he has seen in almost two decades as a fish biologist, said Bussanich.

“It’s very unfortunate,” he said. “But that’s Mother Nature at work.”

An even bigger worry is that similar weather patterns could continue next year and the year after that, he said.

If that were to happen, the ramifications could be staggering, he said.

“That could seriously affect the gene pool of the sockeye population,” said Bussanich.  “That could set us back to the earliest days of the (successful salmon restocking) program,” he said.

As a precautionary measure, the ONA is looking to formulate a plan to transfer adult salmon from Washington State to colder water in Skaha Lake in Penticton and avoid Osoyoos Lake if similar drought conditions continue next summer, he said.

The angling closure covers all streams in Wildlife Management Units 8-2 through 8-7 and 8-12 through 8-14.

The geographic area covers most of the South Okanagan.

On July 3, a similar angling closure order was put in place for southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Provincial government fisheries biologists are monitoring approximately 60 other key angling streams throughout the province, and if conditions warrant, additional closures are possible.

Angling closures are enabled through the British Columbia Sport Fishing Regulations of the federal Fisheries Act.

Separately, Level 3 drought conditions call for voluntary water use reductions of 20 per cent or more from all municipal, agricultural and industrial users, said Greg Bethel, medial relations officer with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO).

Ministry staff are closely monitoring river levels and ecosystems and may upgrade the drought level if the weather continues to have a negative effect on stream flows and water supply, said Bethel.

Although residential, agricultural and industrial users within municipalities and regional districts backed by reservoir storage are less vulnerable to water supply shortages than water users served by smaller water systems from streams, lakes and wells, all water users are encouraged to observe local water conservation bylaws to prolong water supplies, he said.

Water users are also encouraged to ensure that water intakes are screened to prevent fish from being pulled into water systems as water levels drop.

Low water levels can impede the FLNRO operations passage of salmon to spawning grounds, increase susceptibility to disease, or cause stranding or death due to low oxygen and high water temperatures.

Level 4 drought conditions, the highest rating, are determined by factors including regional stream flows, water storage capacity, ecological concerns, weather forecasts and impacts on water users. Should conditions reach Level 4, provincial water managers may exercise their authority to temporarily suspend short-term water permits or industrial water licences in affected watersheds.

Further reductions in stream, lake and aquifer levels could lead to water shortages and affect people, agriculture, industry and fish stocks. Ministry staff will continue to monitor conditions, work closely with local governments and key stakeholders, and provide updates as the need arises, said Bethel.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times