The first team the CFIFF wants to create will compete at the 2013 World Ice Fishing Championship. While the event is taking place in the U.S., the date and location have yet to be finalized. The ice fishing team will be made up of eight people—five anglers, two coaches and one manager. The Championship is one in a series of events sanctioned by the Italy-based International Federation of Sport Fishing in Fresh Waters. The FIPS-ed has several fishing disciplines, including ice fishing, boat and shore fishing with artificial baits and trout fishing with natural baits.

Last year’s Ice Championship took place in Kazakhstan, and was won by Belarus. Canada hosted the Championship in 1992 and it did not fare well, says Charlie Ross, who, along with partner, Rosa Sharpe, have taken the lead on creating the CFIFF. Owners of Lures and Tours and the Georgina Fishing Series, Ross and Sharpe say they took the initiative to form the CFIFF because they feel Canada is under-represented at international fishing events. The goal is to promote fishing, not make money, says Sharpe.

Based in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, the CFIFF plans to draw the members of the selection committee from various sectors of the national fishing industry. Ross and Sharpe are also looking for national sponsors for the teams, which should include anglers from across the country. They’ve already gotten a great response from their contacts in southern Ontario, but stress their desire to make this a truly national organization. “We don’t want this looking like the Charlie and Rosa show or a Lures and Tours show,” Ross says. “We want it to have a life of its own.”

For more information on the CFIFF or how to apply to join the selection committee or one of the angling teams, go to www.cfiff.org.

Now a well-established spring ritual, the 19th annual Manulife Paddle the Don event provides a once-a-year opportunity for people to navigate 10.5 kilometres of this often-overlooked urban waterway. The Don is usually too shallow for canoeing, but for the May 6 event, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority opens a nearby dam, making it navigable. The route runs from Ernest Thompson Seton Park in Don Mills, Ontario, all the way to the river’s mouth river at the Keating Channel in Toronto Harbour. At the take-out point, paddlers will celebrate with a barbeque and live music

These 10 kilometers of the Don are surprisingly varied. The upper reaches are pastoral, with lush vegetation and many native birds; this  gives way to several sections with sharp turns and class II rapids. Toward the mouth, the river passes under the massive Bloor Street viaduct, then the elevated, six-lane Gardiner Expressway.

Organized by the TRCA and The Living City Foundation, with the support of the Wilderness Canoe Association and the Don Watershed Regeneration Council, the event raises awareness about the importance of healthy rivers. It also raises funds to support regeneration projects on the Don watershed. Since the pledge program began in 2002, corporate teams and individual paddlers have raised almost $400,000.

Prominent participants for 2012 include two federal MPs, three provincial MPPs, half-a-dozen Toronto city councilors and a team from Outdoor Canada (who will also be scouting for urban angling opportunities.) Check back next week for updates and photos.

This research by the Atlantic Salmon Federation seems to confirm numerous anecdotal reports of larger salmons runs throughout Atlantic Canada and the state of Maine. This is expected to have a very positive impact on restoring salmon runs.

According the ASF, important factors in the upsurge of wild Atlantic salmon numbers include a strong emphasis on catch and release in the recreational fishing industry, and a conservation agreement suspending the commercial fishery on Greenland that harvests North American salmon on their feeding grounds. Returns were also helped by 2011’s consistently high water levels and reasonable water temperatures.

A few regional highlights include:

• Many Newfoundland rivers exceeded conservation requirements, including the Gander, Middle, Campbellton (by 495 per cent) and Torrent (by 867 per cent)
• Newfoundland’s Exploits River continued its incredible returns, with 41,000 in 2011, following a 2010 banner year of 45,000
• All of Labrador’s assessed rivers met spawning requirements, with the Sandhill exceeding requirements by 200 per cent
• Nova Scotia’s Margaree met its spawning requirement by more than 500 per cent, with over 6,000 large salmon and grilse
• New Brunswick’s Miramichi saw returns of 34,000 large salmon compared to 18,000 in 2010

For full results on Atlantic Canada’s major salmon rivers, download the one-page report. For more detailed, up-to-date data on salmon returns, plus numbers from Quebec and Maine salmon, go to the ASF’s River Notes page.

Releasing a fish on Quebec's Grand Cascapedia. Conscientious anglers are contributing to improved Atlantic salmon populations. Photo: DanGreenburg/ASF

The goal of the Biodiversity Series is reportedly to help city dwellers connect with their natural environment and engender a sense of stewardship. The city’s Web site states: “It is hoped that despite the severe biodiversity loss due to massive urbanization, pollution, invasive species, habitat loss and climate change, the Biodiversity Booklet Series will help to re-connect people with the natural world, and raise awareness of the seriousness that biodiversity loss represents and how it affects them directly.”

Fishes of Toronto includes a variety of full-colour photos and illustrations, including many by longtime fish illustrator Charles Weiss. It’s one of six booklets being published this year, with plans to produce more in 2013. Other subjects in the series include birds, trees and shrubs, butterflies, mammals and reptiles and amphibians.

The booklets are available for free at branches of the Toronto Public Library or for a small fee at the Royal Ontario Museum. They’re produced with funding and support from a variety of partners including the ROM, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and others.

Walleye illustration by Charles Weiss

The Foundation’s mission is to raise funds and awareness in support of the conservation projects carried out by Credit Valley Conservation, the conservation authority tasked with protecting, restoring and managing the Credit River watershed.

“This funding will support an organization that protects, restores and manages this important natural resource in our area,” said Craig Fleming, president and CEO of Enersource.  “We challenge other Mississauga-area businesses to become a Guardians of the Credit River,” he added.

Enersource presenting a $50,000 donation to the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation.

The $50,000 will fund the CVC’s Conservation Youth Corps Program, the Rattray Marsh Conservation Area and the Landscapes for Life Endowment Fund. The donation also makes Enersource a founding “Guardian of the Credit River” a new initiative recognizing corporate partners that make a minimum annual contribution of $20,000 to CVCF.

Largely owned by the City of Mississauga, Enersource Corporation provides energy to 200,000 residential and commercial customers, and is one of Ontario’s largest municipally-owned utilities. In addition to the financial contributions, the Guardian initiative will also engage Enersource employees through volunteer opportunities to give back to the community they serve.

Situated within one of the most-densely populated regions of Canada, the Credit River Watershed includes some of the most diverse landscapes in southern Ontario. Almost 90 kilometres long, and connected to over 1,500 kilometres of smaller creeks and streams, the Credit River meanders southeast from its headwaters north of Toronto, through nine municipalities, eventually draining into Lake Ontario at Port Credit. The river also provides anglers with excellent fishing for a variety of species in urban, suburban and rural settings. The Upper Credit is considered the most accessible and productive native brook trout river in Southern Ontario, and the middle and lower stretches  host large spring and fall runs of steelhead and salmon, as well as a healthy resident population of smallmouth bass and panfish.

Wejebe, 54, died at the controls of his own aircraft, a Comp Air 8 kit plane, when it appeared to stall shortly after take off. It then plummeted into a field near the runway, and burst into flames.

Spanish Fly is a weekly saltwater and fly fishing show that first aired on ESPN-2 in 1995, and is today seen on the Outdoor Channel. The program showcases Wejebe’s angling adventures on both his home waters of the Florida Keys, and exotic locale likes Venezuela, Costa Rica and Brazil, highlighting the fun, down-to-earth aspects of fishing.

The late Jose Wejebe, host of the Spanish Fly fishing show, with a nice fly-caught snook..

Wejebe was also known for his extensive travels chasing big fish, which took him from the Gulf of Mexico to the Galapagos, and his pioneering use of underwater footage.

Born in Cuba, Wejebe fled to Miami with his family after Fidel Castro’s revolution, according to his website. Growing up in Miami, he began fishing with his father, and in his teens he became interested in fly- and light-tackle fishing, seeking out and learning from such legendary saltwater anglers as Stu Apt and Lefty Kreh. Wejebe bought his first boat with money he made working at a gas station, and became a fishing guide in South Florida, which led to TV appearances, and eventually his own show.

The Outdoor Channel released a statement on Friday night stating, “It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart as we mourn the loss of an important member of the Outdoor Channel family tonight. Wejebe was one of the most respected fishing guides on the blue planet…the entire Outdoor Channel family is shocked, saddened and stunned.”

Under the banner of fast-tracking environmental approval for resource extraction projects and other development, the government appears set to remove a decades-old requirement in the Fisheries Act protecting all fish habitats. Instead, the Act will protect only ”fish of economic, cultural or ecological value.”

“Who will take on the role of God and decide which fish are of value?” said Conrad Fennema, president of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, in letters to the Prime Minister, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Premier of Alberta. “We suggest that all fish species are of value in the big picture as every species plays a role in the survival of the next one up the chain.”

First passed in 1867, the Fisheries Act is considered by many to be Canada’s strongest and most successful conservation legislation. The Act has been strengthened several times over the years, most notably in 1986 when the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney brought in key measures to protect fish habitat.

“Eliminating habitat protection will set us back decades, making it easier to ram through big industrial projects,” said NDP MP Fin Donnelly, who represents New Westminster-Coquitlam & Port Moody, B.C.

The proposed changes come as a surprise, both to conservation organizations and apparently even staff within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The revisions were brought to light by retired DFO fisheries ecologist Otto Langer who, in mid-March, received  leaked documents indicating the government may water down the legislation.

Additionally, replacing references to habitat with “fish of economic, cultural or ecological value,” will make make the legislation difficult to enforce by introducing vague and obscure wording, Langer said. “If you can’t prove any of those values exist, you can’t take anyone to court,” he told the Globe and Mail newspapaer. “This is top down from Ottawa, with no public consultation and no consultation within DFO.”

“Giving no consideration to the habitat surrounding a fishery will most certainly result in a deterioration of water quality which ultimately will jeopardize many important fisheries and, potentially, watersheds,” said the AFGA’s Fennema. “If anything, laws should be strengthened to protect our dwindling fisheries.”

Check OutdoorCanada.ca for updates as this story unfolds.

Scheduled to be held on four trout-stocked lakes in Roblin and the neighboring area on June 1 and 2, the Bug Chucker Cup–Manitoba Stillwater is the province’s only fly-fishing tournament. Roblin was the site of the 2010 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships.

Anglers will compete in two-person teams, fishing from boats for brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout on East Goose Lake, Persse Lake, Twin Lakes, and a fourth aerated lake yet to be announced, according to tournament co-chair Bill Pollack. Each team will fish on two different lakes each day at assigned times.

Anglers must supply their own watercraft. Pollack expects most will fish from single-person inflatable devices such as float tubes or pontoon boats, with a few using 12- or 14-foot aluminum boats. Gasoline engines are forbidden.

The organizing committee will pair individual entrants with partners to form teams. The team taking first prize will receive $100 per team member and laser-engraved wood fly boxes as mementos. Second prize is $75 per team member. Third prize is $50 per member. First, second, and third prize winners also receive free entry to the 2013 tournament. Merchandise prizes will be awarded in other categories.

Judging for the catch-and-release event is based on the total combined length of fish caught by each team. Each team member can register three fish per lake, or a total of 12 per person for the tournament.

Entry fees are $40 per person, or $80 for a two–person team. Registration check-in is May 31. For information, call (204) 937-8925 or (204) 937-3324 or visit the Big Chucker Cup Web site.

In a new report, Ready for Change?, Miller examines Ontario’s action plan for  adapting to climate change. The environmental commissioner found the province is off to an encouraging start in preparing the province for the impacts of climate change, yet there are still gaps in its strategy.

“We need actions to both reduce emissions and adapt to the changes—they are complementary,” said Miller. In particular, he says, the province must have a plan to respond to damage that will be caused by fiercer and more frequent ice storms, heavy rains, and heat waves.

Miller says climate change threatens thousands of tourism and recreation jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the tourism industry. For example, the ice-fishing season on Lake Simcoe has been getting shorter for the past two decades, and in 2012 the lake didn’t freeze over this year.  Skiing and snowmobile touring have also been harmed by warmer temperatures.

Other extreme weather events in recent years include a storm in July of 2009, when Hamilton, Ontario, received 109 millimetres of rain in two hours, one of the biggest bursts of rain on record in Canada. Insurance losses were between $200 and $300 million. Following unprecedented rainfall in Peterborough in 2004, floods swept through the downtown, causing more than $112 million in damage.

Another threat that has yet to be addressed is the long-term decline in Great Lakes water levels, which not only harms the ecosystem, but could also reduce electricity generation capacity by more than 1,100 megawatts.

Overall, the commissioner’s report says the government must improve its strategic plan by prioritizing its actions, setting specific targets and timelines, identifying dedicated funding, and outlining the responsibilities of key government ministries.

“I understand the Ontario government faces fiscal challenges right now,” says Miller. “But the costs of adjusting to climate change in the future will only continue to increase if we don’t take action now.

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario is appointed by the Legislative Assembly to be the province’s independent environmental watchdog, and report publicly on the government’s environmental decision-making.

Why build them?

There’s much disagreement on the effectiveness of wind farms, but the official rationale is to help phase out coal-fired electricity generation while contributing to the development of renewable energy technologies and creating green jobs.

How common are they?

There are now 131 wind farms in Canada with a combined capacity of 4,708 megawatts—enough to power more than one million homes, or about two per cent of the country’s total electricity demands. They’re in every province and territory except N.W.T. and Nunavut, although most are in Ontario and Alberta. By 2018, renewable energy sources (wind, solar and bio-energy) are expected to account for approximately 13 per cent of Ontario’s electricity.

Do they affect wildlife?

There’s no doubt wind turbines kill bats and birds, but not in significant numbers. For now. Scott Petrie is the executive director of Long Point Waterfowl, a wetland research organization in Ontario. “All of a sudden, we’ve got all these states and provinces planning to put up thousands of wind turbines without considering their numbers or placement with respect to migratory routes,” he says. “There’s really been no assessment of cumulative impacts.”

Do they affect fish?

Canada currently has no offshore wind farms, but project developers are studying both the West Coast and the Great Lakes as potential locations. If turbines are built in the Great Lakes, they would almost certainly cause changes to fisheries. “They might be positive. They might be negative,” says Queen’s University biologist John Casselman. “We don’t know.” For starters, the structures could impede angler accessibility. “There could also be an alteration of spawning grounds, rearing habitat and migration routes,” Casselman observes. And since fish are sensitive to noise and vibration, he questions how they would react to the giant turbines. “It could affect how they communicate, or cause temporary or permanent hearing impairment.” Ontario currently has a moratorium on offshore wind farms, but Long Point Waterfowl’s Petrie worries the newly re-elected Liberals will soon lift it.