Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 21/02) - The Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association wants to restrict snagging, netting and boating on the Sylvia Grinnell River for at least the next five years.

Glenn Williams of Tukturjuk Outfitting drives his jet boat on the Sylvia Grinnell River. - Kerry McCluskey/NNSL photo

Association chair David Ell said last week that fish stocks have not rebounded enough since commercial fishing operations ceased in 1966.

"Our fish are coming back, but they aren't as healthy as they were in the '50s and '60s," he said.

The association imposed a similar measure once, closing the river from 1982 to 1987. "The number of fish went up," said Ell.

Elders also warned about the effects of motorized boats on the river.

Ell said the HTA is working with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to draft rules. The association will hold a meeting in March to show the public what it has produced.

HTA members also voted to close the river to motorized boats. Kayaks will probably still be allowed on the water, he said. "I don't know how we can stop them. They aren't doing any damage."

But Glenn Williams, who operates a jet-boat business on the river from late May through early July, is not convinced a full closure is necessary.

He said fish are higher up the river during those months, and he questioned how his business is harming fish.

"I will stop going on the river if someone can tell me how it is hurting the fish," he said. "But it has got to be because of something legitimate."

The river, he added, is pristine and beautiful. "I certainly don't want to see anything happen to the river."

Ell said elders believe motorized boats destroy fish, habitat and eggs. "There's always fish left up there. The smaller fish stay in that area," he said.

Williams also wanted to know if the association has the authority to impose rules on the entire community.

DFO fisheries management biologist Karen Ditz said she hopes, once the HTA explains the concerns, the restrictions will become a wish of the entire community.

"That said, the DFO could close the river to fishing, which would be enforceable," she said. "We're not going to sweep in and do that independently. We'll work in partnership with the community."