Program looking for families

Hundreds of new anglers got their feet wet for the first time at British Columbia's provincial parks during 2012.

A record number of B.C. families took part in free Learn to Fish programs in provincial parks, which added value to the park visitors' already great experiences.

The program served 2,765 youth and their families at more than 78 sessions in 19 different provincial parks during the 2012 season. This was a 20 per cent increase over 2011 levels in BC Parks.

The provincial parks program is a result of a partnership with the non-profit Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC that has delivered the Learn to Fish program in B.C. since 2006. The Learn to Fish program has served nearly 100,000 participants throughout B.C., and of those participants, more than 12,500 baited their hooks in provincial parks. The program is delivered by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC in partnership with BC Parks and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

Designed to attract new anglers to recreational fishing, the Learn to Fish program has a strong focus on conservation and increasing environmental awareness. It expanded in 2012 to include provincial parks in the Thompson-Nicola, Okanagan, East Kootenay, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island regions.

The program's increasing popularity builds on a 2011 expansion that was assisted by BC Parks funding of $5,000. Additional growth in 2012 was possible due to continued support from BC Parks, as well as $80,000 from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, $35,000 from the Columbia Basin Trust Fund and increased funding of $50,000 from the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.

For 2013, the Learn to Fish program aims to serve another 25,000 people at various locations throughout B.C.

This will include more than 80 programs in provincial parks, reaching more than 3,000 youth and their families.

"BC Parks partnership with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.'s Learn to Fish program, helps embody our Families' First agenda and one of its core pillars - family affordability," said Environment Minister Terry Lake.

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Motorola Defy + May Just be the Droid You Are Looking For

I really avoided the whole cell phone thing for several years until they had the capabilities I wanted. Around this time last year I got Samsung Galaxy S and I haven’t looked back. At times I had wished I had gone with the iPhone 4, but after fixing a few “bugs” with the phone I really do love it now. My only issue with the phone is that I’m terrified to use it near water, which is a bit of a problem when you fish 3-5 times a week like I do. Luckily, Motorola has released a phone recently that I seems to be built with the fisherman in mind. Introducing the Android powered, water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof Motorola Defy+. While the phone is a little under powered by todays standards, it does boast a 3.7 inch touch display, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera and much more.

Only one problem, you cant get them in North America.

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Summer Safety Tips for Boaters Looking for a Good Swim

ALEXANDRIA, Va.- "Boating and swimming often go hand-in-hand," says BoatUS Director of Damage Avoidance Bob Adriance, "but adding alcohol to that mix can lead to some unintended outcomes." Charged with combing through the BoatUS Marine Insurance Claims files to identify unsafe boating behaviors and help boaters avoid injury or accidents, Adriance knows what he's talking about. "People know not to drink and drive a boat, but they don't always know that it's not a good idea to drink and swim," he added.

Buried deep in the claims files, Adriance comes across a story about a group of friends having drinks at a Florida resort that decided to go for a moonlit tour of the harbor. At midnight, despite choppy seas and 20-knot winds, their boat is allowed to drift while several jump in. Unfortunately, winds quickly sweep the boat away, so the captain "backs down" on the swimmers in the water to get everyone back aboard. Amazingly, no one is hurt except for a 40-year old woman - later identified as a good swimmer - who is simply never found.

It's no secret that alcohol often causes people to take unwise risks while at the same time inhibiting their ability to think quickly in critical situations. With up to about 50% of all adult drownings involving alcohol, BoatUS has the following information that all boaters should know:

Medical researchers have found that combining alcohol and swimming without taking in sufficient carbohydrates can be dangerous. In the Florida case, it is believed that the woman had only a salad and two glasses of white wine for dinner, but when adding the exercise of a midnight swim, she may have developed hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which causes weakness and confusion.

US Coast Guard tests have shown that environmental stressors - sun, wind, wave motion, vibration and glare - can slow a boat operator's reaction time and make them prone to more errors. This fatigue reduces an operator's reaction time as much as drinking alcohol alone. However, when you combine the two, it can lead to boaters missing ten times as many "cues" as those who are only exposed to the environmental stressors alone.

Alcohol also inhibits the body's signaling system so that swimmers may not realize how quickly hypothermia has set in. In one case from New England, a man who was drinking beer on a sunny day fell overboard, but the cold waters quickly prevented him from climbing back aboard. He tried to swim to shore but never made it.

Sudden cooling of the skin can also cause caloric labyrinthitis and/or hyperventilation. An inner ear disturbance, caloric labyrinthitis causes disorientation leading some swimmers to become confused on which way is up. Hyperventilation can also cause a swimmer to "breathe in" water.

Know what drowning looks like: someone who is drowning lacks lung capacity to call for help. Drowning victims move their arms as though climbing a ladder, taking quick gulps of air before slipping back under. In an adult, this can last up to a minute before the victim never resurfaces - a child may only do this for 20 seconds.

Never jump overboard before ensuring the depth of the water and knowing that it's free of underwater hazards such as rocks, shoals, stumps, or other structures. Also pick swimming areas away from boating traffic and strong currents. It's always best to anchor, shut down the motor, and deploy the boarding ladder before going in.

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About BoatUS:

BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money-saving services such as boat insurance. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628. For a free online insurance quote, go to www.BoatUS.com/insurance or call 800-283-2883. For more information on boating safety, go to www.BoatUS.com/Foundation.

Media Contact
D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

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