The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is fighting a plan to reduce by half the number of sturgeon to be released into the Nechako and destroy the remainder.
The Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre in Vanderhoof has raised 12,000 of the fish, an endangered species, for this year's release but there are concerns it may be too much for the river to handle.
In a statement issued this week, the CSTC said it was recently informed by the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations that it plans to halve the number to be released and destroy the remaining 6,000.
Better alternatives, according to the CSTC, would be to provide the fish to a commercial aquaculture facility or use them to stock suitable local lakes in the Nechako watershed.
The CSTC is calling the decision "highly culturally inappropriate from the Carrier Sekani perspective" and was made without proper consultation.
The CSTC said it will invoke sections of an agreement of environmental and socio-cultural initiatives it had signed with the provincial government two years ago.
Wayne Salewski, who chairs the hatchery's community working group, said its members knew the possibility was being considered for some time but were "more than surprised" at the decision.
"Some people out of our territory in the bureaucracy were making decisions on our behalf and we have been quietly questioning and grouchy about the issue," Salewski said in an interview.
Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad waded into the controversy, saying in a Facebook posting that the science behind the plan does not seem to be clear at this point but more theoretical.
"I think the best option would be to release all 12,000 fish this year and then do more work on the science side to determine the future direction for the recovery program," Rustad said. "I'm hopeful a solution can be found quickly."
Staff at FLNRO declined to comment, saying they are unable to do so while the provincial election is on. A spokeswoman at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the agency is aware of the CSTC's concerns and is "working with the FLNRO hatchery to explore options for a solution."
A release by local school children is set for Thurs., May 11 at Riverside Park in Vanderhoof with further releases scheduled for eight other sites along the river.
