Derby
Crew Member
Strong salmon numbers defy predictions in B.C.'s Adams River run
By Cam Fortems, Kamloops Daily News October 6, 2011 10:32 AM
Story
Photos ( 1 )
Sockeye salmon on the the Adams River run in 2010.
Photograph by: Jim Cooperman, Special to The Sun
Sockeye salmon en route to Adams River are expected to return in stronger numbers for the second year in a row, following a decade of trouble in B.C.'s Fraser River system.
This year is known as a sub-dominant year in the cycle, one year after the dominant run in 2010 that surprised experts with its 10-million strong return, the largest in recorded history.
While sockeye are just starting to enter the system and show up at Adams Rivers in small numbers, biologists expect as many as 400,000 to 500,000 spawning salmon this year.
That's up from an early forecast of only 58,000 — nearly a 10-fold increase.
While it pales to last year, it marks a sign of optimism considering that four years ago, when these salmon began life, there were only 50,000 spawners in the Adams River, one of the world's greatest runs.
"We've got two years in a better cycle after eight to 10 years of decreasing productivity," said Barry Rosenberger, area director for Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The decade of poor returns starting in the late '90s spawned a number of scientific papers and is the subject of the Cohen commission studying decline of the Fraser River's salmon runs.
Even if it reaches 500,000, however, the run will be half the historical average of one million returning salmon in the sub-dominant year.
Jim Cooperman, a director on the Adams River Salmon Society, said the forecast return is welcome news in light of what were declining stocks.
The society is hosting activities on the Thanksgiving weekend, including guided walking tours at Roderick Haig-Brown Park.
"As one of our members said, people are excited to see one fish, let alone thousands," Cooperman said.
The strength of this year's return corresponds with a later entry into the Fraser River system. Rosenberger said local residents have grown accustomed to the run starting in late September, something normal during the 10-year collapse.
But in 2010 and this year, as well as prior to the collapse, the run only became visible in early October and will peak in about three weeks.
Rosenberger said strength of returns corresponds to salmon entering the Fraser River system later, thus being less exposed to a freshwater parasite.
Scientists also believe there is a strong correlation to the ocean environment in salmon health.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Strong+...+Adams+River/5512762/story.html#ixzz1a1gzPz2w
By Cam Fortems, Kamloops Daily News October 6, 2011 10:32 AM
Story
Photos ( 1 )
Sockeye salmon on the the Adams River run in 2010.
Photograph by: Jim Cooperman, Special to The Sun
Sockeye salmon en route to Adams River are expected to return in stronger numbers for the second year in a row, following a decade of trouble in B.C.'s Fraser River system.
This year is known as a sub-dominant year in the cycle, one year after the dominant run in 2010 that surprised experts with its 10-million strong return, the largest in recorded history.
While sockeye are just starting to enter the system and show up at Adams Rivers in small numbers, biologists expect as many as 400,000 to 500,000 spawning salmon this year.
That's up from an early forecast of only 58,000 — nearly a 10-fold increase.
While it pales to last year, it marks a sign of optimism considering that four years ago, when these salmon began life, there were only 50,000 spawners in the Adams River, one of the world's greatest runs.
"We've got two years in a better cycle after eight to 10 years of decreasing productivity," said Barry Rosenberger, area director for Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The decade of poor returns starting in the late '90s spawned a number of scientific papers and is the subject of the Cohen commission studying decline of the Fraser River's salmon runs.
Even if it reaches 500,000, however, the run will be half the historical average of one million returning salmon in the sub-dominant year.
Jim Cooperman, a director on the Adams River Salmon Society, said the forecast return is welcome news in light of what were declining stocks.
The society is hosting activities on the Thanksgiving weekend, including guided walking tours at Roderick Haig-Brown Park.
"As one of our members said, people are excited to see one fish, let alone thousands," Cooperman said.
The strength of this year's return corresponds with a later entry into the Fraser River system. Rosenberger said local residents have grown accustomed to the run starting in late September, something normal during the 10-year collapse.
But in 2010 and this year, as well as prior to the collapse, the run only became visible in early October and will peak in about three weeks.
Rosenberger said strength of returns corresponds to salmon entering the Fraser River system later, thus being less exposed to a freshwater parasite.
Scientists also believe there is a strong correlation to the ocean environment in salmon health.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Strong+...+Adams+River/5512762/story.html#ixzz1a1gzPz2w