Welcome to Week CLCIV of 鈥楩ishing Parkland Shorelines鈥�. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I鈥檒l attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don鈥檛 have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
Last week a day came, and went, with little fanfare, and I admit without my realization until a release arrived at the office hours into the day itself, and too late to do anything with until this edition.
World Wetlands Day was Feb. 2, and it is a day we fisherfolk should respect given that wetlands are a crucial element to the health of the overall fish environ.
We may tend to think of wetlands as potholes and sloughs for frogs and ducks, more than as fish-bearing water, but the day looks to raise awareness of the importance of water in general.
Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, Feb. 2, 1971.
鈥淲orld Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since then government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These activities include seminars, nature walks, festivals, announcement of new Ramsar sites, newspaper articles, radio interviews and wetland rehabilitation,鈥� detailed www.environment.gov.au
The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2016 was Wetlands for our future: sustainable livelihoods.
鈥淲etlands play an important role in the processes that keep our landscapes healthy and productive. They support industries such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism by supplying water for crops, stock and people, maintaining water quality, providing habitat for commercial species and having cultural and recreational values. Wetlands host a huge variety of life, protect our coastlines, provide natural defences against river flooding or storm surges and store carbon dioxide to regulate climate change,鈥� related the Australian website.
鈥淯nfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland, and more than 64 per cent of the world鈥檚 wetlands have disappeared since 1900. World Wetlands Day is an annual opportunity to raise public awareness and promote the value of wetlands.鈥�
I purposely checked out the Australian site to get an international feel for the importance of the day.
It was the same reason I followed links to www.worldwetlandsday.org, where it was noted; 鈥淟ivelihoods from fishing, rice farming, travel, tourism, and water provision all depend on wetlands.聽 And wetlands are vital to us in many other ways.聽 They host a huge variety of life, protect our coastlines, provide natural sponges against river flooding, and store carbon dioxide to regulate climate change.
鈥淯nfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland, and more than 64 per cent of our wetlands have disappeared since 1900.
鈥淓nabling people to make a decent living, and at the same time ensuring that wetlands can still provide their essential benefits, do not have to be conflicting goals.鈥�
The same website (www.worldwetlandsday.org), has a number of stories related to wetlands importance.
An example I noted was entitled 鈥楽ustainable fishing on Lake Geneva, Switzerland鈥�.
鈥淛ulien Monney is a fisherman on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. He is one of the 61.8 million people around the world that make a living from fishing. We caught up with him at La P锚cherie Coheran in Hermance and he told us about his job and why Lake Geneva is very important for him and his family,鈥� detailed the story.
鈥淗e admits that fishing is not the easiest job in the world, before adding promptly, 鈥渇or me it is not just a job, it is also a passion.鈥� Hence the reason why he is not bothered about being up as early as 3:00 am in the morning, even during the winter months.
鈥淲hen asked about whether he worries about the future of fishing, his response is frank, 鈥測es like most people.鈥� But he adds 鈥渨orrying isn鈥檛 constructive.鈥� Being a practical man, Julien Monney believes using the right fishing gear is essential, because it ensures he catches only what is essential for his trade and avoids waste or discards.
鈥淚n Switzerland fishing is regulated by the Government and this provides strict guidelines on when to fish, defines the quotas for fishing as well as where fishing can take place. These measures are taken to give the fish stocks found in the Lake such as the Fera, Brochet or the Perche time to replenish.
鈥淛ulien Monney is pleased with the active role of the Government. He says it demonstrates respect for the lake and guarantees a future for fishing.鈥�
Protecting wetlands and our beloved fish must be undertaken on a worldwide basis.
Closer to home, it was a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) release which crossed my desk to remind me of the day.
鈥淚f you brushed your teeth this morning, chances are you used water to rinse. You may have also cooked a meal or quenched your thirst with water. World Wetlands Day helps us recognize and more fully understand that wetlands are making our lives better by working for us throughout the seasons,鈥� noted the release.
鈥淏y recognizing World Wetlands Day we can learn more about wetlands, the great work they do for our environment and for us, and why we should care and conserve them. Wetlands are called many things鈥loughs, potholes, bogs or fens, marshes, swamps or lowlands that can only sometimes hold water. No matter the name, wetlands are a substantial part of our lives and deserve our care, and our respect.
鈥淲etlands help mitigate the extremes of flooding or drought, and they store carbon by helping remove sediments, impurities, excess nutrients and bacteria, cleansing waters used for cooking, bathing and quenching thirst. Over two-thirds of Canadians get their drinking water from lakes, rivers and reservoirs, and the quality of that water depends on watershed health and functioning wetlands. Like giant sponges, wetlands absorb, filter and replenish water as well as buffer our communities from climatic extremes.
鈥淲etlands are also key nesting and feeding grounds for many migratory bird species including waterfowl and shorebirds, and they are nursery habitat for amphibians and fish, as well. At least one-half of our wildlife species rely on wetlands for part of their lifecycle.鈥�
What I did find intriguing from the NCC release is that 25 per cent of the world鈥檚 wetlands are on Canadian soil, more than in any other country.
But, those Canadian wetlands are in decline, something local organizations such as the Assiniboine Watershed Authority and Ducks Unlimited have noted in recent years, and worked with landowners to slow, or reverse.
The NCC is part of that effort too.
鈥淣CC Saskatchewan`s work involves conserving vital floodplains, riparian areas and wetlands used by diverse wildlife species,鈥� noted the release. 鈥淎s well as providing homes for wildlife, NCC鈥檚 wetland work also benefits people. Wetlands provide recreational opportunities such as wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing and canoeing, along with educational opportunities for young and elderly as we learn, explore and enjoy nature.鈥�
Some NCC efforts include;
鈥� conserving 1,544 acres (625 hectares) around Reed Lake in southwestern Saskatchewan, in an area known as the Chaplin, Old Wives, Reed Lake area that is world-renowned for its numbers and diversity of shorebird species. This area was designated an area of hemispheric shorebird significance through the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. From American avocets to sanderlings and sandpipers and the endangered piping plover, many birds can be easily viewed at this vital nesting and stopover haven.
鈥� at Big Quill Lake 麻豆视频, 460 acres (186 hectares) of shallow saline wetland with mixed grasslands, is part of Saskatchewan鈥檚 Quill Lakes in south-central Saskatchewan. This world-class birding habitat is also designated through the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network with international significance for shorebirds. In addition, the site is also an Important Bird Area and a Saskatchewan Heritage Marsh where visitors can view many species of waterfowl and shorebirds.
Birdwatching at the Quill Lakes involves great viewing of sandhill cranes, snow geese, yellow warblers, LeConte鈥檚, clay-coloured and Nelson鈥檚 sharp-tailed sparrows, and colonies of American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants. Stop and stage shorebird species include the black-bellied plover, Hudsonian godwit, stilt sandpiper, sanderling, semipalmated sandpiper, long-billed dowitcher, red-necked phalarope, lesser yellowlegs and more! Duck breeding is extraordinary, with mallards, northern shovelers, green-and blue-winged teal enjoying the area. The area鈥檚 species at risk include Sprague鈥檚 pipit, northern leopard frog, fescue prairie grass, piping plover and bobolink.
Hopefully World Wetlands Day will grow in terms of local initiatives to raise awareness of such a critical undertaking as wetland preservation.
