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BACKGROUND TO THE FRASER RIVER COALITION PRESS RELEASE

The Fraser River Coalition is a newly formed organization
comprised of delegates from various other groups including the
B.C. Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the B.C. Federation
of Naturalists, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union,
the Richmond Antipollution Association, the Vancouver Natural
History Society, the Community Forum on Airport Development,
the Scientific Pollution and Environmental Control Society, and
the West Coast Environmental Law Society. The chairman is Helen
Boyce and the secretary is Dr. R.S. Stace-Smith. The Fraser
River Coalition is concerning itself with environmental problems
resulting from developments on the lower Fraser River Delta and
Estuary.

The Fraser River Estuary and Delta is the largest and most
productive on the Canadian west coast; a coast that has extremely
few significant estuaries. It is impossible to overestimate the
importance of estuaries as primary biological producers for
terrestrial, marine and aquatic ecosystems. The Fraser River
Estuary is essential to the Pacific salmon fishery, a highly
remunerative renewable resource industry. The Fraser’ Estuary
is also a vital habitat for millions of migrating and resident
waterfowl and shore birds. Furthermore, this area could provide
immense recreational and educational opportunities to the large
populations in the surrounding municipalities and cities if
preserved and properly managed.

The Ecological Sub~Committee for the Vancouver International
Airport Planning Committee in a summary report published in
January 1976, recommended a moratorium on Fraser River and Estuary/
Delta developments. The committee also recommended that “a com-
prehensive policy should be prepared for both the management and
the protection of the Fraser River Estuary/Delta as an ecological
unit". There is as of now no moratorium on development and no
comprehensive policy in place. There are however numerous devel-
opments taking place on the Fraser River Estuary and Delta and
it is these ad hoc, environmentally irresponsible developments
that have compelled the member organizations to come together
and form the Fraser Coalition.

‘As its first act the Fraser River Coalition in conjunction
with Douglas College is sponsoring a major conference on the use
of the Delta and Estuary of the Lower Fraser River. The conference
will begin on the evening of Friday, June 17, and run through
Saturday to noon Sunday, June 19. It will be located at the
Richmond campus of Dougias College except for the Saturday dinner
which will be at the nearby Richmond Inn. Our hope is that this
will be both an information and action orifmted conference which
will establish more clearly the problems gad possibilities that
exist in the Lower Fraser River Estuary arf Delta area.

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