Q and As – August

Salmon photo wanted: If anyone has the photo Peter Robson is looking for, contact him at:  p.robson@telus.net. He is project manager on a book about the Strait of Georgia for Harbour Pulishing. “We need a shot of a big crowd of boats fishing in Active Pass from back in the heyday 1970/80s.” I suggested Oak Bay Marine Group, and Tom Cole who has some very interesting text and image files from earlier years. Tom, he may come your way.

Salmon Disease Study: just in from the Pacific Salmon Foundation is a news release on the study that features doctors Brian Riddell and Kristi Miller. You will recall her work from the Cohen Commission showing ISA and HSMI in 25% of farmed chinook in Clayoquot Sound, and that along with doctors Fred Kibenge, PEI, and Are Nylund, from Norway, all showed ISA in BC – one of the worst diseases that can be spread to wild salmon.

The transcripts and videos from the third stage in the Cohen are available on an archived website: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/206/301/pco-bcp/commissions/cohen/cohen_commission/LOCALHOS/EN/INDEX.HTM. Cohen reopened the commission because a report that DFO did not include in the half million it buried him under was sent to him from another source, showing much ISA in BC, the Molly Kibenge report, that DFO subsequently said were all false positives. Sure.

Here is their magazine with a two page article: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/300930?utm_source=mailoutinteractive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salmon%20Science,%20Events%20and%20News. While they are good people, and Miller was shown to be the best at deducing disease (you will recall her ‘viral signature’ work that showed disease symptoms in Fraser sockeye back to 1988), the piece has the ongoing disappointment that DFO continues in conflict with fish farms. The article repeatedly says the results will be available for industry to use – meaning fish farms. This goes against Cohen’s 23 recommendations regarding fish farms, which includes, right up front, saying that it is a conflict that should be removed from DFO and for DFO to get on with saving wild salmon.

Fraser Sockeye: DFO has released updated information and, in summary, says that there are more early Stuart sockeye, but not enough other stocks for a marine sport catch at this time. Current stock analysis shows 50% early Stuarts, 20% early summers and 30% Harrisons. 210,400 sockeye have passed the Mission counter, 159,000 of them early Stuarts. The river flow has dropped to 4,518 cubic meters per second from 5,200 last week. Qualark temperature is 18.8, 2.8 degrees above average. Sockeye begin dying at 20 degrees Centigrade.

Run of River Power impact on salmon: See the PSF news release: http://www.psf.ca/files/2014/ROR_News_Release.pdf?utm_source=mailoutinteractive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Just%20Released:%20Run-of-River%20Review,%20Vancouver%20Gala%20Save%20the%20Date. Several recommendations are made for better monitoring and long term practices.

"Our independent review identifies pathways that could lead to impacts on salmonids, but the evidence now is inconclusive," said Brian Riddell, President and CEO, PSF. "This is because many of the early facilities (pre-1990) were not monitored and because the more recent, but well monitored sites, are in the midst of their environmental assessments. While we need more information for these evaluations, we expect much better insights in just a few years."

Anyone who has seen the environmental damage caused in Toba Inlet, with disruption to 15 watersheds, can only describe it as a moonscape of gravel that eliminates and degrades salmonid habitat in a big way. Anyone who compares this with Bute Inlet right next door, with its Homathko 28 mile alluvial plain, Southgate at 16 miles, bull trout to 11 pounds and cutthroat to 6 pounds can only shake their head at the outcomes in Toba and across BC. Bute is stuffed with wild trout and char.

But Plutonic Power has plans for Bute: http://www.alterrapower.ca/files/doc_financials/PCC_AIF_fye2009_10Mar30.pdf. It wants to build 17 run-of-river ‘sites’: Algard Creek, Allaire Creek, Bear River, Brew Creek, Coola Creek, East Orford River, Elliot Creek, Gargoyle Creek, Heakamie River, Icewall Creek, Jewakwa River, North Orford River, River, Raleigh Creek, Scar Creek, Southgate River – two dams – and Whitemantle Creek.

If you want to fly fish Bute Inlet while it is pristine – there are no roads – the Lodge at Gold River, does pretty nifty helicopter trips starting in February. There is nothing like helicopter fly fishing: http://www.thelodgeatgoldriver.ca/.

dcreid@catchsalmonbc.com