By Jill Sperling

Kamloops Fly Fishers’ Association pushing for immediate protection of at-risk species

Mar 10, 2018 | 9:48 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson River steelhead’s numbers are depleting, and the Kamloops Fly Fishers’ Association is taking action. 

President Leonard Piggin is urging federal Liberal cabinet ministers to immediately add Thompson River steelhead to the Endangered Species List. 

“The Thompson River steelhead, once they are listed, will become protected, nobody will be able to harm them, catch them, do anything to them while they migrate from the ocean, up the Fraser, to the spawning grounds in the Thompson River,” Piggin told CFJC Today. 

The process to get the steelhead listed may take up to one and a half years, but Piggin says action is needed now to save the species.

“The last four years in particular, the provincial government has listed Thompson River steelhead as an extreme conservation concern. We expect somewhere between 133 and 175 to return to the Thompson River to spawn.” 

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Piggin says one community in particular has already suffered losses due to the low returns of Thompson River steelhead.

“The biggest community that’s been affected has been Spence’s Bridge. At one time there were 12 different motels and business, now we’re down to five that are barely holding their own. I would hate to see Spence’s Bridge become a ghost town, but this is about the only thing that can bring that economy back is the Thompson River steelhead.”

Piggin says anyone interested in saving the Thompson River steelhead can reach out to the Ministers of Environment and Climate Change, and Fisheries and Oceans to request immediate action.