The petition raises concerns about the potential alteration, disruption, and destruction of fish habitat in Albreda Lake, British Columbia, following the mitigation of a beaver dam on behalf of the Canadian National Railway in November 2024 and January 2025. The petition claims that the removal of a beaver dam in January 2025 resulted in a 20-inch decrease in water levels during the winter incubation period for coho salmon eggs, resulting in the dewatering of a known coho spawning habitat. According to the petition, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a winter site visit to assess whether fish habitat had been harmed, altered, disrupted, or destroyed but could not determine this because of the snow and ice conditions. The petition raises concerns about Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s reliance on a limited winter inspection, the lack of an additional independent habitat assessment during spring or summer, and the potential connection between the removal of the beaver dam and the new railway infrastructure construction occurring in the same area during January 2025.
The petition asks Fisheries and Oceans Canada to explain how they assessed the risk of dewatering and egg mortality, why no seasonal follow-up inspections were conducted, whether links to railway construction were considered, and what oversight measures exist to prevent similar impacts to fish habitat in the future. The petition also seeks clarification on the application and enforcement of federal environmental and fish habitat protection laws.