Tag Archives: Phillips Arm

Rivers & Oceans

No Chum in Basil Creek yet, but the outlook for salmon may be improving

It is November 26 and there are still no Chum Salmon in Basil Creek. Normally they would have returned a month ago, but there was a prolonged drought this year. While the water level has risen, there are still no fish.

“It’s getting to be late for Chum, but we’re seeing other populations come in late. We might see Chum return into the next few weeks, it’s very possible. This year is definitely characterized by a lot of weird conditions,” said Matthew Clarke, DFO’s Head for stock assessment in North Vancouver Island, from Black Creek to Cape Caution (which is actually on the Mainland). His area also includes Cortes and Quadra Islands.    

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Tourism, Transportation

Sightseeing on the Discovery Island Mail Run

According to Luke, the pilot, there are usually sightseers on board when CorilAir delivers the mail in the Discovery Islands.

A man from Campbell River and his sister-in-law from Ontario were on the plane when it picked me up at Cortes Bay, on Wednesday, March 23rd. Neither of them had made the trip before, and they were busy taking pictures throughout the trip. So was I. Everything looks much different when you are sitting hundreds of feet up in the air!

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Rivers & Oceans

Potential elimination of open-net salmon farm sector in sight

The licenses for all 19 salmon farms in the Discovery Islands expire in June. There will only be 7 farms left in the Broughton Archipelago by 2023, at which point their tenure ends unless they can obtain First Nations approval and Department of Fisheries licences. That leaves an estimated 79 salmon farms throughout the province, and all of their licenses come up for renewal on June 30, 2022.

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Rivers & Oceans

Salmon farms win court victory: can restock pens

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National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Aquaculture companies have won a court victory that appears to overturn aspects of a recent federal government decision to phase out contentious fish farms in the Discovery Islands.

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Animals, Rivers & Oceans

A closer look at Sea Lice on 15 Salmon Farms

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There has been a lot of talk about sea lice infestation of fish farms lately. According to a recent article from the North Island Gazette, there were more than the ‘acceptable’ number of parasites on fourteen sites this Spring. The President of Cermaq Canada just sent an industry perspective of this issue to the Strathcona Regional District Board. I decided to take a closer look at the sea lice on 15 salmon farms.

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