BISC 113 - Project (1)

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Simon Fraser University *

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113

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Oct 30, 2023

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Project: Clean Catch Lake, Fishing and Resort April 15th, 2022

The Vision and Mission of Clean Catch When people think of British Columbia, they automatically come to the great outdoors, as the province is a haven for wildlife having forestry that spans almost 64% of the province (149 million acres) (Canada’s Log People, 2022), and houses 137 species native to the land, more than any other province in Canada (Nagorsen, 2009). In light of BC’s affinity with the great outdoors, the next thing that comes to mind when thinking about the country is the wide array of activities that human beings can take part in to do with the outdoors, a major one being the recreational fishing and lake lodging industry. Here at clean catch, our aim is to provide BCers, Canadians, and anyone from around the world who wants to try their hand at lakewater fishing while taking a vacation in a lake-front lodge in the wilderness of back-country British Columbia, the opportunity to catch wide varieties of fish, while being sustainable in the process. The wide attraction of Lake fishing does have the potential to be a sustainability issue, as overfishing, catching under-age, pollution, and ecosystem concerns are all up in the air when conducting a fishing resort. In this context, our idea is to bring in sustainable practices for fishing to keep the fish population safe on Clean Catch Lake, and the ecosystem of the Lake that relies on the fish and vice versa intact. Our company would take on the task of working with environmental agencies of the province to develop a system that best tackles these issues regarding fishing, and the related factors that create an ecological footprint in the process, highlighted by the equipment being used for fishing such as gas powered boat motors and non-disposable equipment. We want to not only create a fun, long lasting experience for many Canadians, but protect the environment in the process, and act as a model business in the outdoor sport and leisure industry so that other resorts and organizations make this a top priority, so that we can continue to enjoy the joys of fishing and lodging while being able to sustain these activities for generations to come, province, nation, and world-wide. At Clean Catch, sustainability, the environment, fishing and lodging, sport, and community found at our resort all go hand in hand. The Necessity for Sustainable Fishing Resort Practices British Columbia has proved to be a haven for freshwater fishing in North America, and quite possibly the world, having over a whopping 20,000 lakes that attract over 350,000 anglers each year, that spend a combined 3.8 million days fishing (BC Freshwater Sport Fishing, 2019). Freshwater fishermen and women collectively spend 498 million annually on sportfishing, which includes expenditures on fishing rods, vehicles, lake housing/camping, and other fishing

equipment, and contributes 299 million towards the province’s annual GDP (BC Freshwater Sport Fishing, 2019). The industry is also a catalyst in job development, supporting 3,500 employees (BC Freshwater Sport Fishing, 2019). Freshwater fishing and lake-front lodging without question is not only an important popular sport and recreational activity, but also a great economic contributor to the province and the country. Unfortunately, little concern in the industry has been put towards keeping its system sustainable. One of the problems is that fishermen are not rigidly restricted from catching and killing younger fish and fish that have not had a chance to reproduce, which has a negative effect on the population. An example can be seen in the prominent species Rainbow Trout, which are a heavily fished freshwater fish (50% of all fish reportedly caught recreationally in 2015) (BC Freshwater Sport Fishing, 2019), currently have no minimum size that they are required to be caught by (BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, 2021). An example of fishing interrupting reproductive cycles can be seen in the catching of Salmon attempting to spawn upstream, where they are caught before being able to reproduce (Holebuc, 2017). Particularly with younger fish, overfishing this portion of the population leads to less stock of fish, and it is important for fish to spawn at least once to preserve the population adequately (Vasilakopoulos et al., 2011). Another issue with the industry is the presence of fishing equipment waste, which is often left behind and pollutes the water the fish and other organisms dwell in. Fish can become entangled in left behind plastic fishing line, and plastic lures and other angling gear is left polluting water quality (Holebuc, 2017) The water of the fishing site can also become poisoned by lead weights that are in use on fishing rods (Holebuc, 2017). Finally, a current issue with the industry is that many lake resort businesses use gas powered motor boats for their clients to get around the lake and to fish. This raises a few concerns, one being that the loud noise of the boats and their engines disrupts surrounding wildlife, not just in the lake but around the coast as well (Whitfield et al., 2014). This can particularly affect certain fish species communication with one another (Whitfield et al., 2014). The next concern is the impact the expulsion of fuel has in the environment, as this not only affects the fish population making the water quality poorer, but other parts of the lake ecosystem such as the other aquatic life, microorganisms, and freshwater plants that contribute food for fish and other organisms (Whitfield et al., 2014). These are just a few of the environmental concerns that Clean Catch is aware of, and is determined and committed to change, as much as humanly possible,

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while still maintaining the productivity, authenticity and experience of the fishing- lodging retreat pastime. Clean Catch’s Methodology to Sustainability Clearly, the recreational fishing and lodging industry is a pinnacle of outdoor activity and economic prosperity for the province of British Columbia. However now, we must tackle how to best approach running the lucrative service while being environmentally conscious, particularly towards fishing. The sustainability issues mentioned above are what we believe to be the key areas in which we can do the most good at preventing. Firstly, at Clean Catch Lake, working with the environmental and conservation authorities of the province, such as the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, we will set an appropriate minimum size of fish that can be caught, to promote the continued reproduction of fish to keep the population stable for generations of fishermen to come to enjoy, and deliver more stock fish in the long run, as more will be able to reproduce. Next, we will also impose tight regulations on bigger adult fish, as defined by conservation authorities. These regulations would move to regulate how many of these types of fish can be caught and kept, and as determined in tandem with conservation authorities, would be overseen year-round by employed workers part of the organization. Clear graphic messaging would be posted at the operations house about either regulation, and strict financial penalty would be put in place for breaking either rule, as well as a temporary suspension from the resort if infringed on multiple times. For issues regarding equipment waste and lake pollution, we will mandate that only live bait will be used on the line, that weights must be regular rocks and no lead material can be used, and used/broken excess line must be stowed away in labeled trash compartments that Clean Catch will provide for each fishing boat we rent. If an individual decides to bring their own boat, they will be given a waste compartment to use for all their plastic fishing equipment and other waste. If these regulations are not kept, fines will be drawn out and depending on the severity of the pollution, temporary or long-term expulsion from the lake is again a possibility. Finally, another major concern that we researched in planning our unique sustainable approach to the recreational fishing and cabin lodging industry was the effect of gas-powered motors on the boats that we would supply. That is why, unlike any other fishing and lodging resort, we would decree that all of our boats for rent would either be driven by electric motors that are quieter and do not

pollute the water of the lake, or canoes that would be driven by manpower. The same would go for any group attempting to bring their own fishing vehicle, as they would have to follow these guidelines. With these regulations and systems in place, we believe that Clean Catch is creating a one of a kind lakefront resort that puts the environment first, while still maintaining a fulfilling experience for our patrons in the process. We are excited to be the only fishing resort in British Columbia that is taking this thorough an approach to protecting our fish, ecosystem and overall environment. Marketing and the Community For starters, we believe that to protect the environment, not only do we as a company need to employ sustainable business practices, but that we can share our knowledge with our community as well. That is why in the Thompson-Nicola community of BC, we will be marketing our resort as a “Clean Catch” in that we are protecting our environment through our fishing business practices, working with local BC Conservation officers as well as the British Columbia Conservation Foundation and will be listing our different methods of environmental protection transparently on our website, facebook and other social media pages, advertisement billboards, newspaper ads, television and more. We are also excited to announce that we will be the only company that requires hired employees to take a week long environmental sustainability course taught by the local conservation officers as a part of their training to ensure that our workers are practicing what we preach, and they will be tasked of understanding our methods of sustainability and the benefits derived from them, A Look at Clean Catch’s Lakefront Lodges

to explain to every guest in a face-to-face greeting into the resort. We believe that passing on the environmental knowledge we as a community have is a major way that we can move towards not only a more sustainable industry, but a more eco-friendly world, that understands the importance of maintaining the environment not only for the gain of the living things that dwell in it, but us as well, as it will allow us to enjoy nature on the lake, and everywhere in the province for generations to come. This will also be a core aspect of our marketing, as we will transparently display this in our advertisements, as well as pictures and testimonials of our beautiful wood lodges, including a A Pristine View of Clean Catch Lake kitchen, bathroom, sleeping up to eight with a rustic cabin like build and feel and our Clean Catch lake, abundantly stocked with many kinds of fish (trout, salmon, bass) naturally, because of our sustainable practice. Finally, each guest will receive with their stay a video link and a brochure on the sustainable practices we are imposing on our location, their benefits, and why sustainability really matters, what it actually is and the science and studies behind it. After watching the video link, visitors will receive a $30 in-store credit and a complementary Clean Catch fishing

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cap of their choice at the front office, the in-store credit something they can put towards a new reel or rod, bait, resort merch, or some snacks to keep them going throughout the day. We will make this a main focus of our marketing scheme, putting this deal on our mentioned marketing platforms as “learn about the environment, and get free bait!” Concluding Thoughts Finishing off our plan at Clean Catch Resort, we clearly believe that in order for our fishing resort to run soundly, the environment must come first. We do this in partnering with conservation authorities, amending the way we run our business while putting a high priority on customer satisfaction and engagement through passing on our knowledge of the environment to the community, and making sure that our workers have the same values and aims as we as a company do. We are proud to continue to promote and share in the British Columbia communities’ love for freshwater fishing and the outdoors, while learning, teaching and spreading an environmentally friendly message. As noted earlier in our business plan, it is clear that the attraction and need for recreational fishing is a lucrative one, as it financially benefits the province, builds up a great sense of outdoor culture in the country and maintains jobs for many individuals. We are excited to fulfill these needs through our sustainable pledge at Clean Catch, bringing our passion for lake fishing and retreat lodging in tandem with supporting our lush, biodiverse environment for generations to come. Because at Clean Catch, every Catch is Clean!

References Canada's Log People . (2022). BC Forest facts . BC Forest Facts . Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://canadaslogpeople.com/en_ca/about/bc-forest- facts#:~:text=Almost%2064%25%20of%20the%20province,forest%20land%20is %20harvested%20annually. Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. (2019). BC Freshwater Sport Fishing Economic Impact Report . gofishbc.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.gofishbc.com/PDFs/Footer/economic_impact_report.aspx#:~:tex t=The%20diversity%20of%20both%20geography,combined%203.8%20million %20days%20fishing. Government of British Columbia . (2021, April 1). Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis . Government of British Columbia . Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and- culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/freshwater- fishing/pw_regulations_guide.pdf Holubec , L. (2017, April 12). Factsheet impacts of recreational fishing on wildlife and . High Park Nature.org . Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://highparknature.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/10/Factsheet_Impacts_of_recreational_fishing_on_wi ldlife_and_environment_update_Apr12_17.pdf Nagorsen , D. (2009, September 30). An Introduction to the Mammals of British Columbia . Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia . Retrieved April 13, 2022, from http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/mammals.html#:~:text=The %20province%20is%20home%20to,than%20any%20other%20jurisdiction %20Canada. Vasilakopoulos, P., O'Neill, F. G., & Marshall, C. T. (2011). Misspent youth: Does catching immature fish affect fisheries sustainability? ICES Journal of Marine Science , 68 (7), 1525–1534. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsr075 Whitfield, A. K., & Becker, A. (2014). Impacts of recreational motorboats on Fishes: A Review. Marine Pollution Bulletin , 83 (1), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.055