While the late and stormy spring may have delayed the start of the open water season, it meant more time for Blue Fish Canada volunteers to promote sustainable outdoor traditions. The following are 2017 Blue Fish Canada activity highlights.

Lawrence Gunther with the co-management team in front of the indigenous-inspired Ritchie Falls eco-tourism resort

Talking computers are just one of many innovations for the blind that allow Blue Fish Canada’s blind President Lawrence Gunther to lead and represent the charity. Articles published in 2017 include:

• “Review of the Algonquin land claim” (spring “Fish Hunt and Ride”);
• An op-ed piece co-authored with the Suzuki Foundation on fish health in the Rideau Canal; and,
• “6 Ways that Canadian Anglers and Hunters are Helping Wildlife Populations” (March “Outdoor Canada”).

Lawrence Gunther’s truck, camper and boat

Of course, rain snow or sun never prevents a new episode of Blue Fish Radio from being produced – 162 episodes to date with an average weekly audience of 100,000.

Episodes focus on what people are doing across Canada to protect water quality, ensure fish health, and to make sure there are fish around for future generations to catch.

Lawrence releasing an 18-inch Walleye

To further promote sustainable fishing, bi-weekly “Sustainable Fish Friday” 1-minute tips are heard and shared by thousands over social media. Additionally, over-20 “Blue Fish Canada Stewardship Tips” continue to be aired as public service announcements over streaming web broadcasts. We continue to distribute at no charge print and on-line stewardship guides and shoreline clean-up kits.

What Lies Below poster

Six years of hard work on creating the documentary What Lies Below came to fruition. Over 18 festivals around the world have now featured the 79-minute film. Numerous published reviews and interviews can be found on line. Both CBC and AMI TV are now licensed to broadcast the doc, which premiered on CBC’s Documentary Channel Sept 6. All revenues generated by this documentary are going to Blue Fish Canada. Our 2018 plans include distributing an educational program to high schools and post-secondary institutions developed using the 11 stories told in the documentary.

Lawrence Gunther introducing fish-health Symposium Panel

Behind the scenes Blue fish Canada is working closely with numerous research facilities and water activist organizations to promote water quality and fish health. Last May, in partnership with the University of Ottawa and the St. Lawrence River Institute, we organized and chaired a half-day River Symposium including six presentations to over-90 researchers and policy makers in attendance. Ensuring fish have access to suitable habitat also includes leading discussions on fish health in venues such as the Great Lake Network and the People’s Great Lakes Summit series.

Chef Steve Mitton and Angler Lawrence Gunther in their outdoor kitchen

Canada is far from being a land of doom-and-gloom. We have much to take pride in and celebrate. It’s therefore with considerable excitement that we celebrate the launch of a new video series Lake2Plate.

The video features Lawrence, his guide dog Moby, and a celebrity chef fishing and preparing shore-side feasts featuring sustainably and selectively harvested fish and wild forage. It’s a true celebration of the traditional shore lunch intended to inspire others to reconnect with nature.

Lawrence and Moby on stage at the “Fish Hunt and Ride Outdoor Show”

In the spirit of carrying forward the tradition of blind people serving as story tellers, Lawrence always makes time to speak to fish and game clubs, conservation groups and at outdoor shows. Exhibiting at outdoor shows remains a priority for Blue Fish Canada, and 2018 will witness a fresh new look to our exhibit space and offerings, including a new skill-testing stewardship quiz and prizes.

Lawrence Presenting to 150 high school students

The following quote from Lawrence Gunther published in a recent Huffington Post article sums-up the mission of Blue Fish Canada nicely:

“I started Blue Fish Canada to encourage people to find themselves a pond, river, lake or bay where they can catch a fish for dinner once in a while, and to then take responsibility for ensuring nothing bad happens to their fishing whole that could stop their great grandchildren from doing the same.”

Lawrence and bass tournament partner Lisa Goodier

Getting others interested in fishing sustainably is a focus of Blue Fish Canada, including organizing annual events such as: Girl Guides Go Fishing.

A shore fishing experience for 50-70 Girl Guides ranging in age from 5-16.

Young Girl Guide holding a fish

Yes, it’s important to make sure our water and fish are properly managed. At the same time, Blue Fish Canada is working hard to pass on the knowledge and inspiration to encourage others to carry forward the tradition of fishing. It’s up to all of us to re-engage others in this century-old practice. One we can undertake with pride knowing the resource is being managed using science and the best traditional and indigenous knowledge available.

Most especially, Blue Fish Canada is creating opportunities for children to connect with shorelines. It’s here where kids experience the abundance and diversity of life that inhabits these narrow transition strips between land and water. Life that represents more than the sum of the two parts, but a true synergy of these two vastly different terrestrial and aquatic worlds.

Two young boys holding a net and freshly caught Northern Pike

Please donate to Blue Fish Canada today so we can continue to provide people of all age’s access to resources so they can fish confidently knowing the tradition is sustainable for future generations.

We look forward to your on-going support, and thank all of you for helping to make 2017 a year we can be proud of.

Anchors up….

Lawrence and Moby out on the lake

Day two of the 24th River Symposium, organized by Blue Fish Canada in partnership with the University of Ottawa and The St. Lawrence River Institute for Environmental Research, featured 18 exhibiters and two key note addresses provided by Lawrence Gunther, President of Blue Fish Canada.

The Symposium took place at the Ontario Power Generation Centre located in Cornwall ON.

Over 250 students, members of the public, researchers and government officials were in attendance.

“Lawrence’s presentation was the highlight of our visit –he is definitely a great and engaging environmentalist”.

*A teacher from Glengarry District High School

“Lawrence’s presentation was excellent!”

*A science teacher from Vankleek Hill

The following links to a report in Cornwall’s Standard Freeholder-
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2017/06/01/river-symposium-in-cornwall-shows-students-everything-has-an-impact

On May 31 2017 Blue Fish Canada, in partnership with the University of Ottawa and The St. Lawrence River Institute for Environmental Research, presented the 24^th Annual River Symposium in Cornwall On. Approximately 100 researchers and stakeholders participated in a series of presentations and discussions.

Lawrence Gunther, President, Blue Fish Canada, organized and chaired the morning session that included: five presentations, a panel discussion, and feedback from the Director of Environmental Affairs for the near-by Akwesasne First Nations community. Morning presentations focused on fish health and fishing. More specifically, commercial, indigenous and recreational fishing, the people who take part in these practices, and stable and healthy fish stocks.

Speakers / panelists included:

The take-away from the morning presentations served to underscore the linkage between sustainable fisheries and human health, traditional and cultural practices, and the socio-economic welfare of large and diverse groups of people. It’s also clear that those who engage in the capture of fish are actively seeking the knowledge required to demonstrate their respect and responsibility for the long-term future of fish populations, and are concerned with the health of the fish stocks they pursue.

Without doubt, opportunities such as the Symposium to bring together stakeholders to exchange local and indigenous knowledge and to learn of science-based best practices are essential to developing comprehensive and effective sustainable fish management strategies. Broad support for the adoption and implementation of science-based best practices also entails researchers having the opportunity to hear from those countless “citizen scientists” who spend significant time on the water. Achieving synergies from science and local and indigenous knowledge is dependent on: community engagement; public education; the exchange of traditional and indigenous knowledge; sharing best practices; conducting fisheries research; developing, implementing and enforcing science based regulations; and, understanding and mitigating impacts on fish habitat and health.

Learnings:

• Ensuring the future of fish and fishing requires understanding the relationship between stable and healthy fish stocks, and the social, cultural and economic sustainability of the various diverse populations and communities-of-interest that rely on fish;
• More frequent and wider opportunities for stakeholders to gather and share their knowledge would benefit fish populations and those concerned with their sustainability;
• On-going research of negative and positive influences on fish health and habitat, and the development and trialing of potential solutions intended to improve the long-term sustainability of fish stocks, is imperative to the management of such resources;
• Government policies and regulations are essential to ensuring healthy fish stocks and their link to the socio-economic, cultural and traditional future of groups of both indigenous and non-indigenous people.

Every year volunteers from Blue Fish Canada work hard to take young people fishing. One of our favorites is the Girl Guide shore fishing event.

With over 50 girls ranging in age from 5 to 16, we had our hands full of worms and fish, but the girls were great! They all caught at least one fish each and most now r skilled at fish identification, putting on their own worms, and releasing the fish.

We kept one of each species caught in a Frabill 5-gal aerated livewell so we could do a more detailed exploration at the end with the girls taking part in the Q/A.

This year AMI TV captured the event for TV.

Link here to watch the 5-minute broadcast: http://www.ami.ca/category/atw-weekend-edition/media/fishing-girl-guides

The following multi-part news coverage includes three components intended to inform the public about the impacts on fish health of toxins in Canada’s water, and includes:

Link here to hear Lawrence Gunther’s segment on Live in Studio 5 across Canada;

Listen to episode 133 of Blue Fish Radio to hear Lawrence Gunther’s interview with Alaya BOISVERT from the David Suzuki Foundation;

Read the following op-ed Alaya BOISVERT and Lawrence Gunther penned which was published throughout Canada.

Rideau Canal toxins raise questions about our environmental wellbeing
Ottawa Citizen
May 19, 2017 | Last Updated: May 20, 2017 10:53 AM EDT

By ALAYA BOISVERT And LAWRENCE GUNTHER

It’s easy to understand why outdoor enthusiasts around the world regard Canada as a premier eco-tourism destination. What Canadian hasn’t enjoyed angling, skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, canoeing, mountain biking or taking a dip in one of hundreds of thousands of lakes that spot the country?

So much of the love for this nation, shared by locals and tourists alike, revolves around getting out on the land or water to connect with nature.

Despite its natural beauty, Canada is not the pristine environment we often imagine. When compared with other industrialized countries, Canada consistently ranks poorly. We place 15th out of 17 member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on a range of environmental indicators, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s 2016 assessment.

The recent discovery of toxins in the Rideau Canal is a stark reminder of a systemic and pervasive problem facing Canada.

The Rideau Canal is a signature of historic nautical ingenuity and contemporary urban recreation. It’s a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, widely cherished by those lucky enough to live nearby and millions of tourists who visit the capital year-round. However, at one time manufacturing facilities peppered the canal’s banks. Although these industries have closed, their toxic legacy remains.

After repairs to the canal churned up harmful industrial chemicals in November 2016, Parks Canada finally decided to take the first step to address this known, yet unreported, issue. It ordered tests along several kilometres of the canal to assess contaminant levels in the sediment. The Ontario government is also taking action to test toxicity levels of the various sport fish that inhabit the canal to determine whether they are safe to eat.

Local skaters and anglers are concerned by this news and the black eye it represents for their scenic tourist attraction. They are not alone in their worries about the impacts of pollution.

Environmental degradation and toxic contaminants can be found throughout the country. High concentrations of nitrogen dioxide pollution stretch from southeast to northern Alberta. Forty-three Great Lakes polluted sites were identified by the U.S. and Canada as Areas of Concern. Canada’s own Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory lists 23,078 toxic hotspots across Canada, and that doesn’t include those caused by Crown corporations, private individuals or that fall under the jurisdiction of other levels of government.

The Rideau Canal’s story raises a number of questions: Shouldn’t we leave our children a country better off than we inherited? Shouldn’t future generations be assured they won’t get sick from the food they eat, the water they drink or the air they breathe? Shouldn’t we all be able to count on the places we live, work and play being safe from harmful toxins?

The toxic contaminants found in the Rideau Canal, at the foot of Canada’s Parliament, represent a test case citizens across Canada will be watching closely.

The City of Ottawa has already demonstrated leadership by recognizing the environmental rights of its residents, as have 150 other municipalities in Canada.

It’s time for the federal government to acknowledge that a healthy environment is not a luxury. It’s a necessity for the long-term prosperity and preservation of our country and, more importantly, a human right. It’s time for the federal government to pass an environmental bill of rights to respect, protect and fulfill everyone in Canada’s right to a healthy environment.

Alaya Boisvert is manager of government relations with the David Suzuki Foundation’s Blue Dot project. Blue Dot is a national movement calling for legal protections of the right to a healthy environment.

Ottawa resident Lawrence Gunther is the host of Blue Fish Radio, a weekly podcast exploring the future of fish and fishing, and the president of Blue Fish Canada, a charity dedicated to water quality and sustainable recreational fishing.

Rideau Canal toxins raise questions about our environmental wellbeing

Hi everyone, you never know who you are going to meet, and the six degrees of separation that connect us all to each other. I wanted to share the following extraordinary sequence of events as I think it demonstrates just how small the world really is.

The other day I interviewed an older gentleman for an episode of Blue fish Radio. I met him at a double-screening of my documentary What Lies Below at a theater in Windsor for UN World Water Day. The screening was organized by the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and included 200 high school students and another full house later that evening. The person I met attended with his son and grandson, and wrote me several days later with his story of growing up in northern Saskatchewan in Uranium City with his 11 brothers and sisters and father who worked as a miner in one of the uranium mines. His father died at age 48 from cancer.

His daughter later heard our interview and contacted me. She had never heard half the stories her father told during our interview. She also wanted to help get the word out about the film and what we are doing with Blue fish Canada. Turns out she’s a columnist with the Huffington Post.

Check out her article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-dirty-secrets-are-hidden-below-the-surface_us_58e3976fe4b02ef7e0e6e09c