Every fish and egg we lose is a major hit

By Yvette d'Entremont - The Weekly News
SACKVILLE - Members of the Sackville Rivers Association can do little more than wait to learn what long term effects a recent oil spill will have on the health of the Little Sackville River.
On Nov. 8, someone deliberately cut an oil tank fuel line outside a business complex at 1053 Sackville Dr., freeing hundreds of litres of furnace oil that ran into the Sackville River drainage system.
Last week, members of the Sackville Rivers Association continued to visit the Little Sackville River along the Beaver Bank Cross Road to monitor the situation. The group isn't directly involved in the clean-up, but is regularly consulting with provincial officials.
Walter Regan, president of the Sackville Rivers Association, said it's estimated that 70 per cent of the 600 to 700 litres of furnace oil were cleaned up. It's believed that about 150 litres made its way into the river.
"We're concerned about a number of things, including the invertebrate population, the bugs," Regan said. "Fish have to eat bugs, so if you kill them, there's less food for the fish. The other thing is any oil that touches the Atlantic salmon eggs has killed them."
Last week, Sackville Rivers Association coordinator Steve Caines and a volunteer knowledgeable about entymology (insects) found evidence the insect population had been affected by the spill.
"We found more insects upstream than downstream, so from our own simple study we're sure the oil is affecting the insect population," Caines said.
Volunteers are also concerned Atlantic salmon that haven't yet spawned and are enroute to the river will smell the oil and leave.
"The oil was a light oil that you'd expect to float on the water, but we've found it's getting mixed up with the whole water column and is on the bottom of the river," Regan explained.
As a result, Regan said any salmon nests (reds) that were in the river have been lost.
"Many of the fish would have settled to the bottom over the winter, and they would have to relocate," he said. "That means they're going to move to settle somewhere else and will be open to predation at this (late) stage."
Since the federal department of fisheries and oceans halted their salmon stocking program, Regan said the river must rely solely on natural production.
"Every fish and egg we lose is a major hit to the river," he said.
Last month, volunteers wrapped up the Sackville Rivers Association's successful River Rangers program for the season.
More than 400 children and their chaperones went to the river to learn about the watershed, and they're also upset.
"The children are now calling up and sending emails expressing concerns about their fish and the river," Regan said.
"We've also had many businesses in the area express their concern and several have sent donations. The expressions of concern from the community have been incredible."
The association is hoping for some form of compensation to help the river's recovery.
They'd like the federal government to reinstate the stocking program for at least two years, and for the provincial government to do the same with speckled brook trout. They're also hoping the insurance company responsible for the business where the spill occurred will help pay for the stocking program.
"A lot of what's happening is intangible, we know it's likely happening but can't prove it," Regan said. "We're also watching the ducks closely. They're acting normally but we'll have to wait and see if the oil is affecting their normal insulating process."'
Caines said he walked along the river from the Beaver Bank Cross Road bridge to the Lions Den last week and didn't find anything visibly amiss.
"I didn't see any dead fish or dead ducks, and that's a good sign," he said.
However, if anyone does find any dead wildlife along the river, they're asked to report it.
In the past 21 years, Sackville Rivers Association volunteers have restored over 70,000 square metres of the river.
"It's very devastating for the volunteers. We've built up quite a sweat equity and someone's senseless act has really hurt both us and this community," Regan said. "This oil spill will affect the entire Little Sackville River right down to Bedford Basin in various amounts."
Anyone with information about who may have cut the fuel line that led to the spill are asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca