Tag Archives: Low salmon runs

Rivers & Oceans

Salmon Babies Arrive, From A Sea Farmer’s Perspective

North Island Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Debbie Anderson stands on the floating dock at Quatsino Lodge, waiting for the barge. Behind her, a 25-foot-deep net pen, anchored in each corner and lashed to the dock, bobs in the still water. Rain spatters on a dreary Monday morning. Volunteers bustle around the dock getting ready.

“The babies are coming, the babies are coming!” Anderson calls. The barge arrives with three trucks holding 52,000 salmon smolts between them. “LIVE FISH” is emblazoned on the boxes.

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Animals

Species at Risk on Cortes Island

Helen Hall has been the Friends of Cortes Island’s (FOCI) Executive Director for close to five years. Autumn Barrett-Morgan came to FOCI as a summer student and continues on as the volunteer Conservation Assistant. In this morning’s program they talk about species at risk on Cortes Island. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Last Fall’s Chum Returns On Cortes & Quadra

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Last fall’s chum runs were poor throughout British Columbia. Wilf Luedke, the chief biologist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, described reports from the Sooke River, on Vancouver Island, as “the worst yet.” On the Fraser River, the Alouette River Management Society counted 500 instead of the 60,000 they expected. The chum returns on Cortes & Quadra Cortes were dismal. 

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Environment, Indigenous Nations History

New Threat To Desolation Sound

In the summer of 2016, a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading aggregate companies announced it was about to commence exploratory surface drilling in the Lloyd Creek Area of Desolation Sound. This is in close proximity to the region’s foremost kayak and boating area and, consequently, brings a substantial income to local businesses. Had the venture gone forward, one of the regions few remaining old growth forests would have been cut down, an important fish bearing creek would have been devastated and a number of important indigenous sites would have been threatened. Lehigh Hanson Materials abandoned its application, but local author Judith Williams talks about a new threat to Desolation Sound.

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Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Where Have All The Salmon Gone?

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Originally published on Cortes Radio, as part of the Deep Roots Initiative, Season One.

Fishing was once a cornerstone of British Columbia’s economy, but we’ve been hearing stories of diminished runs and out of work fishermen for years. On Cortes Island, the fishing industry seems to mostly be spoken about in the past tense. So producer Roy L Hales set to to find out where have all the salmon gone?

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