Sooke Chinook Sea Pen

[agentaqua]

Over 220,000 young Chinook to be released to help B.C.'s endangered orcas
Anglers' coalition hopes the project will increase food certainty for the 78 remaining resident orcas
By Justin McElroy, CBC News Posted: May 17, 2017
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/orcas-chinook-bc-coast-1.4119051

 

[Prairie Locked]

.. The SVIAC board also believes that good data is important in all our fisheries and that going forward the more we know and can back up with sound data we will all be better off. Many of you know that clipping and wire code tagging is not cheap...in fact other than the cost of the pen itself it is the largest cost of this effort. Going forward if this project grows as planned these costs will increase as we will be clipping and wire code tagging 50% of a larger number of fish. We will have donation boxes out in local marine outlets soon as we will need to start our fund raising campaign sooner than later to raise these larger sums of funds.

Cool to see they are tagged as well, the data from that will be interesting to see what plays out with the data over time. Great effort for a great cause!

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Went fishing out of sooke last weekend.....pens look awesome! Great work to the people involved in this. My membership to SVIAC will be renewed this weekend......thank you!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Ignore the nay sayers guys-- good work.

 

[Stosh]

Great work! This kind of effort is our best hope for the future of our great sport fishery.
Stosh

 

[profisher]

When the food supply runs out the fish will be released. Glen is going to do this at night with an ebb current. The birds and seals will be sleeping and the fish will have a few hours to disperse and the ebb current should pull them towards whiffen spit and some eel grass where they can find some cover.

 

[tubber]

When the food supply runs out the fish will be released. Glen is going to do this at night with an ebb current. The birds and seals will be sleeping and the fish will have a few hours to disperse and the ebb current should pull them towards whiffen spit and some eel grass where they can find some cover.

Years ago we did some research seining in Oregon. Weyerhaeuser was sponsoring net pen releases, since they messed up the drainages through shady logging practices. The biologists on board told us that over time the birds were ready for them. It sounds like you have a plan for that. Good luck.
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-197478-3-.htm#197478

 

[wildmanyeah]

Chinook have such a big appetite, last year a 8 inch chinook smolt (400 grams) bit my 3.5 inch spoon. The hook when though its mouth and out its belly I felt so bad. Hope these smolts are smarter!

 

[Go.Fish]

Great to see. Now why don't they bring some Vancouver island pinks over to bring back an EVEN year run to the Fraser or just pen them like the do chinook at the DFO research lab in West Van?? I thought it hadn't been done because of not wanting to mess with nature and transplant a different strain of salmon in rivers or waters they dont belong but doesn't seem like that matters?

 

[profisher]

There are transfer areas for for salmon species. Nitinat stocks can be transferred as far south as Race Rocks. These zones are based on DNA . Stocks within that zone have similar DNA characteristics and is likely a result of wondering of a small percentages of fish to neighbouring streams over the years. Chinook in the Sooke River cannot be distinguished from Nitinat stocks when DNA of both are aniized and compared.

 

[profisher]

It sounds like the food will run out by Friday and Glen is planning for either a Friday or Saturday night release at about 9pm. So far the fish have survived very very well as the conditions in the harbour have been ideal.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Great project, that can make a big difference to help the local endangered orcas and the salmon they depend on. Over time this can greatly help improve the fishing in Sooke and the local economy.

This type of work need lots of fundraising and volunteers to make it happen. If you have not become a member of SVIAC, then consider joining up to support this project. Here is a link to the SVIAC webpage: http://anglerscoalition.com/?page_id=2136

If you would like to help someway, phone (778) 426-4141 to volunteer some time.

Here is a link to a recent CTV News article on the Sooke Sea Pen Project: http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/s...ect-in-sooke-will-feed-hungry-orcas-1.3420307

 

[agentaqua]

These fish are being released in a few weeks and their primary function is to become a reliable source of food for our threatened local resident killer whale population on the south Island. (J,K &L pods) ...

Low orca birth rates linked to lack of Chinook salmon
More than 2/3 of southern resident orca pregnancies failed over a 7 year period says new research
The Associated Press Posted: Jun 29, 2017 8:22 AM PT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...es-linked-to-lack-of-chinook-salmon-1.4183609

 

[Whole in the Water]

Glad to be supporting a local project that is part of the solution to this tricky situation!

If anyone whats to support SVIAC in this project go here: http://anglerscoalition.com/?p=4522

 

[walleyes]

Thx for the link boys. Decided it was time to contribute to the cause. I've been going out west for a number of years it's time to put back in other than just the usual spending in the communities. Bought a membership and gave a healthy donation as well, will do so for years to come.

Again thx for the link.