Latest news with #Werring
Global News
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
DFO orders halt to gravel mining from salmon-bearing B.C. creek
Conservation groups are celebrating after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) ordered a halt to controversial gravel mining from a salmon-bearing stream near Mission, B.C. But while opponents say they're happy the work has been stopped, they're concerned about how long it took the government to act. Biologists John Werring and Marvin Rosenau started pushing the issue after they found a cluster of dead fish in a dried-up salmon spawning bed in December. 'It dewatered this massive wetland and salmon spawning and rearing area,' Rosenau said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy That creek is a tributary of Norrish Creek, where for years the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad had been removing gravel to lower the water level and protect a rail bridge. But Rosenau and Werring believe so much gravel was taken out that it lowered the water table across the area, damaging vulnerable salmon habitat. Story continues below advertisement '(It's ) hard to think we had to engage legal services to get any kind of response from DFO,' Werring said. For months, they tried to get information and action from government, but say little happened. Then, earlier this month, lawyers from Ecojustice fired off a demand letter that appears to have gotten attention. Last week, DFO told Global News that no more gravel can be taken out without explicit authorization, and that the railroad will have to work with them on a remediation plan. 'This was a giant step for us,' Rosenau said. In a statement to Global News on Friday, CPKC confirmed it was working with DFO and that no gravel removal will happen this summer.
Global News
20-06-2025
- General
- Global News
Conservationists demand end to gravel extracton on B.C. creek
A coalition of conservation groups is calling on the federal and provincial governments to stop gravel extraction from a creek near Mission, B.C., saying it's destroying salmon habitats. The groups say gravel mining has lowered the level of Norrish Creek and its tributaries. Retired biologist John Werring said it was the sight of dead salmon dried up in teh creekbed last December that spurred him and others to try and figure out what was going on. Werring said he noticed the water level had been intentionally lowered by gravel extraction, work completed by the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad to protect a bridge there. 1:56 Anger and frustration in Fraser Valley over railway dredging of creek He suspects that caused the neighboring creek to dry out and damage the Fish Habitat….and over the past six months he's been pushing government to reveal what they know about the situation. Story continues below advertisement He said he's recieved 'absolutely nothing' in the way of ansers since then. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Normally Firsheries and Oceans Canada and the provincial govenrment would be involved in any activity that could affect fish habitat and involved mining of a public resource. After months of frustration Werring and his colleagues have turned to the lawyers at Ecojustice for help. This week they sent demand letters to Victoria and Ottawa, alleging that the digging is being done without a provincial permit and goes beyond the scope of work authorized by the federal government. 2:08 Gravel removal blamed for salmon habitat damage near Mission They say that's destroying the spawning habitat of tens of thousands of salmon, and drastically altering water levels that are vital to the survival of wild chum and coho. They accuse the company of expanding its operations without provincial approval and beyond the scope of its federal permission. Story continues below advertisement 'Massive amounts of gravel have been extracted, hundreds of meters upstream and hundreds of meters downstream of the bridges that are supposed to be protected,' Werring said. Fisheries and Oceans Canada wasn't able to respond in time for this report. The provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said it had not given any permits for gravel removal on Norrish Creek, and that they have forwarded complaints to the federal agency. Werring said given that his group involves professional biologists, getting anwsers will be a daunting task for anyone else. ' If we're facing that, one has to wonder like, what about the public if they want to get involved in something like this?' he asked.
