THE NEXT GENERAL MEETING , REMEMBER THE DATE: THURSDAY FEBRUARY 3 RD, 7:30 PM, AT THE CLUB HOUSE, LINCOLN PARK ROAD, IN THE TOWNSHIP OF GEORGIAN BLUFFS (FORMERLY DERBY TOWNSHIP).

The speaker for the February general meeting has not been confirmed, due to Grant Ferris’s illness, but there is a speaker lined up. Plan to attend and see who it is.

The S S A Welcomes New Members

Mike Hill Adult
Jerry O ’ Hara Adult
Lori-Ann Lowans Adult
Gary Henderson Family
Bill Campbell Adult
Ian Godin Senior
Jeffery Robins Family

THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Dan Laxton, Fisheries Advisory Committee

In late December we received 50,000 brown trout eggs from the M.N.R. but half of them died as soon as the fry emerged from the egg. In

discussions with the M.N.R. they noted that this has occurred before as a result of both the male and female being first time spawners. They were

good enough to send us another 60,000 eggs from 5 year old spawners.

We are still clipping our rainbow trout and should have 50,000 to over winter. They are looking good.

The salmon are all hatched and should go on feed the second week of January.

The M.N.R has completed its retrieval of vertebrate samples [parts of the backbone] from chinook salmon that were collected from our

derby, charter boats and their own index programn.At our derby the M.N.R. took just measurements from 905 fish and vertebrate samples from 300 fish. These samples are being sent over to their counterparts in the U.S.A. for them to identify which of these fish were marked with Oxytetra Cycline from their hatchery system and if not then from natural stock.

The M.N.R. expects to have this information sometime in April and will forward it to us or if we want will present a summary at one of our meetings.

.Mike Prevost, Fisheries Advisory Chairman

NOTES FROM THE FLOOR

The new executive elected Bill Douglas as the president for 2005. Fred Geberdt remains as first vice-president. Bill is away till April llth and Fred is still recovering from his operation.

Blake Smith, with the consent of Jim Weir, second vice president, will continue with the duties of president until Fred Geberdt can take over, probably in March, and then Bill Douglas when he gets back from Florida.

Grant Ferris has been having a bit of a rough time, and has been in and out of hospital for his ailments. It may be some time yet before he gets back.

Grant has done a superb job getting speakers for our club, and his great selection of draw prizes, along with Lorne Fletcher's "red ticket" grand prize has done wonders for the attendance at our meetings.

Get better soon, Grant, we miss your company.

Ken Noble has agreed to look after getting draw prizes and Mike Prevost will run the draws until Grant gets back.

Dave Hartrick is continuing with his job as awards chairman. He is going to need some help. It shouldn't take much time, however, the awards are an important part of our club activities, particularly for our juniors. Dave needs help to carry on. Participation by SSA members will be very much appreciated.

NATIVE AFFAIRS

The Indian issue has resurfaced in a big way in the past month.

First of all, we became aware that the Cape Croker/Saugeen commercial fishing negotiations with the MNR were getting closer to an agreement. Then, certain indications pointed to some disturbing items that we believed may have been on the negotiating table. Among other things, sale of game fish was one item and movement of gillnets into Colpoys Bay and Owen Sound was another.

Our first reaction was to write a letter to the Sun-Times in order to alert our local fishermen of the potential danger to our already stressed open water fishery.

We notified other individuals and organizations about the threat, and the response has been most gratifying. The mayors of both South Bruce Peninsula and Meaford have both come onside quite strongly and have voiced their concerns to the MNR. The mayor of Owen Sound is taking the issue to council to see if it will support us.

MPP Bill Murdoch went public in support of us, and took the issue to the radio and newspapers, as well as going directly to the Minister of Natural Resources. The Minister assured Bill that there would be no movement of the lines that presently bar gillnets in the two bays.

The Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen have come front and center in their opposition to line movement, and our two organizations are in close contact regarding any developments.

The OFAH has been a major player in support of us sportsmen and our concerns. The Federation has taken this issue right to the top, and is devoting a great deal of time and effort to protecting our vital interests in our lake fishery.

It is interesting to note that a lawyer for the natives said on the CFOS open line that our concerns are merely speculation, and that we should wait until the agreement has been signed and made public before we start making noises...really? Does he actually think that we are supposed to wait until any deal is carved in stone, and then take issue after the fact? Give me a break!

Phil McNichol wrote a lengthy article in the Saturday edition of the Sun-Times. He identified a major concern of ours about the negotiations being conducted in secret...well and good. However, he did an about turn and stated that the Indians have "priority rights over all other users" in the lake. My interpretation is that the Fairgrieve decision stated explicitly that the native rights were not exclusive. McNichol is probably confusing his facts with the "Sparrow" decision that gave the Indians priority over other users, but only when fishing for food and ceremony, but did not apply to commercial fishing. At any rate, the issue is going to be addressed shortly by a letter to the Sun-Times by a person quite knowledgeable about this matter.

Time will tell how this all works out. My guess is that there will be an interim agreement and the all important details, such as enforcement, will be covered in a later, more comprehensive and longer-term agreement.

Blake Smith, Chairman, Native Affairs Committee .

FORESTS & WILDLIFE

Lorne Smith and Gerry Powers have been working on bumblebee nests.

Why bumblebee nests? .Insects are required to pollinate flowers, farm crops and many tree and shrub species. Without these plants, life on earth would be quite different.

Honey bees are major pollinators, but are being decimated by an imported mite species and their numbers are being seriously reduced by the spraying of farm crops. Bumblebees, on the other hand, are not affected by the mite. As well,

they are the only bee that pollinates red clover. Valuable critters they are.

Lorne is working on a pamphlet that should be available s0on, giving information on the bees and construction of their preferred dwellings. Interested parties will be able to get this information from Lorne.

One item of bumblebee trivia is that bumblebees like to have separate bathroom facilities in their homes wherein to defecate...bumblebee plumbing, anyone?

It is a little too early yet to know how our wildlife species are faring this winter.

We had a late, comparatively mild fall, followed by a great downfall of snow in December...then we had the big wet, mild, early January thaw followed by bitter cold. What does it mean? We will know better as the winter wears on.

As a point of interest, the Christmas bird count had an all-time low recording for ruffed grouse, and was at an all-time high for turkeys by a factor of three.

Blake Smith, Chairman, Forests &Wildlife Committee .

Archery Committee

Our Annual 3D Shoot for all classes will be held on Sunday May 1 st.

Our Annual Traditional 3D Shoot will be held on Sunday May 29 th.

A “Fred Hunt Memorial “ Traditional shoot will be held at the Otter Creek Club, Mildmay on the weekend of June 4 th & 5 th. Call Bill Thompson, 376 4555 for further details.