BOW VALLEY - The province couldn’t land its proposal to increase the daily catch limit for brook trout from two to five in many areas of Alberta, including Canmore Creek, Policeman Creek and Kananaskis River.
Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) had proposed the daily limit be increased for the new 2020 fishing regulations, but public feedback raised concerns about potential misidentification of trout, particularly given work to recover at-risk westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout, among other concerns.
Officials say the department received strong feedback from the public who did not want these particular changes for non-native brook trout.
“The public generally did not want harvest of trout on the east slopes,” said Jess Sinclair, press secretary to Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon.
“The provincial fisheries team recommended that we do not make these changes this year despite the fact that these are brook trout. We anticipate that we will review these regulations again in 2021.”
The new 2020 fishing regulations came into effect April 1.
According to AEP, anecdotal evidence suggests Canmore Creek, which flows from the Rundle Canal to the confluence with the Bow River, may historically have had a population of native westslope cutthroat.
Species in the upper Bow River, such as mountain whitefish and brown trout, can be found in the stretch of stream below the two waterfalls.
Between 1941 and 2006, brown trout, brook trout, rainbow tour and more recent cutthroat trout, have been stocked above the top waterfall.
“Brook trout currently are the dominant species in the upper portion of the stream,” according to AEP. “Cutthroat trout are rarely caught.”
Policeman Creek is a side channel of the Bow River that mainly gets water through underground seepage.
The creek was stocked with cutthroat and rainbow trout between 1926 and 1941, but according to AEP, those fish are rare in the stream.
“The stream contains a resident population of brook trout,” the department said.
Kananaskis River, which flows through three hydroelectric dams before joining the Bow River at Seebe, originally was home to native bull trout, west slope cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish along with other species.
According to AEP, bull trout are found in Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes and some tributaries “but are rare overall in the watershed.”
“Native west slope cutthroat trout are largely extirpated in the drainage, but are found in a few tributaries,” they said.
“Brown trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout were historically stocked in the Kananaskis River and its tributaries and can still be found in the watershed.”
The new 2020 fishing regulations allow for additional fishing opportunities for walleye, northern pike and yellow perch in certain water bodies.
Nixon said fishing is an important part of Alberta’s cultural fabric.
“This winter, Albertans told us they wanted additional opportunities to catch and keep fish from water bodies where additional harvest is sustainable,” he said in a news release.
The Alberta Fish and Game Association also embraced the changes in the sport fishing regulations for 2020.
“Even during these trying times, outdoor activities such as fishing are possible,” Alberta Fish and Game Association executive director Delinda Ryerson said, noting people must follow orders, including social distancing, by Alberta Health Services during the COVID-19 crisis.
According to the Alberta government, about 300,000 people fish Alberta’s lakes and rivers every year, with sport fishing contributing more than $600 million a year to Alberta’s economy.
Here are the 2020 Alberta Sportfishing Regulations.
