Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 31/02) - Questions are being raised over how a fish habitat fund established by BHP Billiton Diamonds is being handled by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

DFO is responsible for managing the fund.

Stakeholders with one study being conducted on Ingraham Trail lakes are fuming that their funding has been cut off, and another group conducting a study on Stark Lake near Lutsel K'e say that the fund could be put to better use.

BHP established a $1.5 million "no net loss" fund three years ago as required by an agreement reached with aboriginal stakeholders and the federal government when they began construction of Ekati Mine.

After three years, more than $1 million of the fund has yet to be spent.

DFO policy demands that mines either establish a "no net loss" fund or restore or create fish habitat themselves to replace habitat destroyed by mining activity.

North Slave Metis Alliance president Clem Paul said, however, that the DFO doesn't have its priorities straight.

The Metis Alliance began a habitat assessment and creel survey on three lakes -- Prosperous, Prelude, and Ross -- on the Ingraham Trail two years ago.

The results thus far, said Paul, are alarming. Lake trout stocks on Prosperous and Prelude appear to be on a sharp decline due to overfishing.

"The government is very reluctant to do anything about it," said Paul. "They don't want to (admit) having a problem because they're ultimately responsible for fixing it up."

The DFO awarded the North Slave Metis Alliance $67,000 out of the BHP fund two years ago, but discontinued the funding after deciding that the fishery on the Ingraham Trail lakes was a "management" issue not a habitat one, and consequently does not qualify under the guidelines set out for the fund.

"BHP would like the world to know that they spent a million and a half dollars on a fish rehabilitation program because they damaged the fish in another place," said Paul. "They paid the price so why not let it be known, and why not do something worthwhile with the money instead of hiding it in the general coffers of the federal government."

Paul said they would like to see DFO place stronger restrictions on fishing on the lakes, and possibly even a moratorium. The Metis Alliance also think DFO should construct a local lake trout hatchery.

BHP senior environment specialist Chris Hanks said the company has been contacted by various stakeholders about the fund but have little say in the matter.

"Various groups have contacted us to say (instead of doing) our ongoing habitat compensation work of around the mine, where there's very little stuff that could actually be done, (there are places) identified by aboriginal groups where there has been previous habitat damage, where you could get a bigger bang for your dollar," said Hanks.

"Our response has always been we would love to, but that's dependent upon whether (DFO) would let us do that, and to date they haven't."

DFO habitat biologist Marc Lange said the guidelines under the BHP fund a very specific.

"The reason why we are only targeting habitat related projects is because we have a policy that applies across Canada to have no net loss in fish habitat," said Lange. "So if we take some of that money (from the fund) and work on fisheries issues we still have a habitat loss that we can't account for."

Because the Ingraham Trail's problem is a management one -- overfishing -- the fund does not apply. Lange also said a fishery hatchery there is likely out of the question because it would cost millions, money that DFO doesn't have.

Tracey Williams, project co-ordinator of the fish habitat study on Stark Lake near Lutsel K'e, said, DFO's approach to the BHP fund is inherently flawed.

The Lutsel K'e Dene band received only $50,000 from the fund for its ongoing fish habitat study on Stark Lake. While the project is still under review and may receive more of the BHP fund, Williams said the project deserves much better considering that it is close to a community.

The lake was once a prime harvesting area for local fishermen, but the health of the trout population appears to be in decline -- a key indicator being trout caught with large heads and skinny bodies.

"There is no procedure in this fund," said Williams. "There is no respect to the scientific method. It's just, 'We're going to pick something at random and we're going to make it better.' "

Williams was criticizing a DFO request to Diavik Diamond Mines -- currently under construction at Lac de Gras -- to create expensive fish habitat on a few small isolated lakes in the vicinity, instead of asking them to contribute to a fund that could go towards community projects like those currently being conducted by the Lutsel K'e Dene band.

"It's dangerous waters to tread," said Williams.

"That you can say, 'because we are scientists we can take these three little lakes and make it better, and that's actually going to be worth something.'

"Here we have a project in Lutsel K'e, a community of 300 people, they have been complaining of their Stark Lake territory and having fish problems for two decades, maybe more ... What's the point in proceeding with restoration (at mine sites) for the sake of restoration in itself."