no - I wouldn't expect feral Atlantic salmon juvies "everywhere". I wouldn't expect to see them driving SUVs or flying. I would, however - expect to potentially see them in rivers adjacent to the open net-cage industry - rivers that have suppressed steelhead populations in similar stretches of river that support steelhead fry.
So far DFO is mum on what they did, why they did what they did, and what they found. They seem to forget they are public servants working on a public resource - and that the results and methodology should be open to the public - at all times. The guy to complain to is:
Byron Andres
Senior Biologist
Aquaculture Environmental Operations
Fisheries Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
1520 Tamarac Street
Campbell River, B.C.
V9W 3M5
Byron.Andres@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Telephone 250-286-5821
Facsimile 250-286-5837
I would encourage - challenge even - all those interested in trying to get answers from him. Let us know how it goes on this forum. See if you get the excel spreadsheet on what they found - or even info on why they chose the watersheds they swam or snorkeled, who funded the work, how long of a survey did they do in each watershed, how did they select the areas to snorkel, what was the visibility in these creeks? Did they look at steelhead numbers? All that stuff.
Reporting of Escapees is done voluntary by each farm. There is no 3rd party monitoring like observers in the commercial fishery. ok - lets try to put this into perspective:
What would happen if the RCMP stopped checking for speeders? What is there was a box outside the RCMP station where you submitted your name and the place you were speeding and how much you were over the limit? In return - you got a fine.
Think that would be an effective measure to generate speeding statistics for the province?
BUT - it's an effective strategy to generate data on escapees? HUH?