When we think about environmentalism, we tend not to consider the oceans because we don’t live on or in them, and they are just there as they have always been, defining the edge of the land that we occupy. Of course, oceans provide us with most of our fish, but in the popular understanding, they are mostly experienced as vast spaces of waves and wet that separate the faraway continents that we visit. So we tend to give much more importance to landscapes that we occupy. And because we live within the thin layer of air that girdles the globe, weather is also a concern to us. But we generally don’t consider that much of our climate and weather is determined by what happens in the oceans.
Continue reading The Quadra Project – Deep WaterTag Archives: Declining fish stocks
Will the second consecutive year of extreme drought impact salmon runs?
Editor’s note: A disturbing question, which is also pertinent on Cortes and neighbouring areas.
By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Vancouver Island, BC – Since July 13, Vancouver Island has been in a drought level five, making for an earlier dry season than last year. Some experts say that smaller salmon bearing streams could face impacts from the early drought if no substantial and sustained rainfall begins.
With last year’s drought causing weeks of delay, entailing salmon holding up and awaiting rainfall, this year is the first time that Jim Lane, manager of biologists with Uu-a-thluk, has seen extreme drought two years consecutively.
Continue reading Will the second consecutive year of extreme drought impact salmon runs?
Guided by her culture, Gitxsan scientist looks to old ways for climate resilience
By Aaron Hemens, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Whether harvesting salmon or simply spending quality time with her grandfather and uncles, Janna Wale has no shortage of stories about being on the water with her family.
She moved around a bit growing up, but can vividly recall different memories from her early years fishing in her Gitxsan homelands — there were “tons of fish everywhere” at the unceded confluence of the Skeena, Nass and Bulkley rivers near the village of “Hazelton, B.C.”
“Our culture is totally built around salmon. We have different roles for salmon in the feast hall. It’s a large food supply for a lot of people, especially in the winter,” said Wale, who is from the Gitanmaax First Nation and is Cree-Métis on her mother’s side.
Continue reading Guided by her culture, Gitxsan scientist looks to old ways for climate resilience
102 BC First Nations call for fish farms to be transitioned onto land
Representatives of 102 First Nations, from across British Columbia, voiced their support for the transition of open-net pen fish farms out of BC waters.
The First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance hosted a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday April 5, 2022.
Continue reading 102 BC First Nations call for fish farms to be transitioned onto land
Blue herons significant predator of juvenile salmon, study finds
By Quinn Bender, Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
It appears Pacific great blue herons have a much larger appetite for juvenile salmon than previously understood, potentially raising the complexity of salmon recovery strategies in B.C.
Continue reading Blue herons significant predator of juvenile salmon, study finds