Opinion: More salmon hatcheries will not help killer whales or chinook

Opinion: More salmon hatcheries will not help killer whales or chinook

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/opinion-more-salmon-hatcheries-will-not-help-killer-whales-or-chinook

 

Here comes the next Raincoast and MCC campaign. Look out this has been brewing and expect show down on this in the fall.

 

These supposed authorities on Pacific salmon can't even detect the difference between a Chinook and a Coho in their posted pic....

 

Pretty pathetic that these people would declare war on all our small community hatcheries and compare them to the industrial ones of the states.

 

Indeed!
"Chris Genovali is executive director of Raincoast Conservation Foundation."
"Misty MacDuffee is a biologist with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s Wild Salmon Program."
"Nick Gayeski is the senior fisheries scientist at the Wild Fish Conservancy"
Is an ideology scientist better or worse than an corporate scientist?
Where is the opinion of the tenured (read 'can't be fired for telling the truth') scientist?

 

The underlying theme of this synopsis or theory is that the Orca, namely the SRKW, have evolved over centuries to prefer the larger older early run Fraser Chinook salmon. One could surmise from that hypothesis that they are ever evolving and adapting to changing environmental conditions. So.....they can adapt. They’ll learn to eat other fish other mammals other pinnipeds. They’re the Oceans dominant predator, without rival. They’re highly intelligent. They’re not bound by barriers and have been seen in California, Oregon etc. They’re probably transitioning away from a declining food source like Fraser Springs and have been for a while now. I doubt starvation is their biggest threat. I think pollution is more harmful, I think there’s much we don’t know but these magnificent creatures aren’t dying off from starvation. There’s food out there for them and they’ll adapt. Nature demands it. She always has. There are other Orca pods on our coast that are healthy. This is shock crap from the Eco fanatics who smell an opportunity here. Keep up the fight

 

SRKW "away from BC 10 months of the year"

 

Yup another do nothing solution. I 100% disagree.

 

I agree with most if your points. However I see the SRKW not so much as evolving to eat Fraser Chinook but rather as fat capitalist pigs that are experiencing a recession on the verge of a depression and are forced to join the blue collared transient whales and get a real job that takes some effort.

 

At 32 min Dr. Andrew Trites discusses the Northern Resident KW that also choose Chinook salmon (chum, black cod ...) and are increasingly moving into the SRKW territory.
At 44 min he talks about the BC Ferries causing noise that is a bigger issue.

 

Here is a good read.

https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noa...ls/killer_whales/esa_status/ford-feeding2.pdf

Looks like the Northern Residents eat much more than just Chinook.

(Taken from presentation from the link above)



I also understand the Northern Residents are problematic for Alaskan commercial long liners as the NRKW are now frequently practicing depredation on hooked halibut, etc.

 

NONE of these asshats are "scientists" in any way shape or form. They are paid eco-mouthpieces, with a clear Agenda in mind.
And their article is simply not worth the bandwidth it unfortunately resides in.

Complete Bullshit.

Nog

 

The actual truth for once. Great job on rebuttal.

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op...ation-should-put-its-money-into-saving-salmon

 

Misty strikes again, Im sure glad DFO gave her hundred of thousands of dollars so she could interview for these things.

Dan Murphy: Skip The Salmon; Order The Beef

https://www.drovers.com/article/dan-murphy-skip-salmon-order-beef

 

Here is my reply to the paper on this article. Now maybe some of you on here can type a letter or two instead of bitching and doing SFA, do you folks get my point, if we just sit back and read this shit and do nothing we are doomed.

The Jackel

Well what can I say, I always questioned Donald Trump when he would go on and on about fake news but this article clearly shows he is on to something. First off there were not hundreds and hundreds of killer whales caught for aquariums from the SRKW population. There were only 27 SRKW'S caught for aquariums. The highest number of SRKW's since records were kept was 98. Was this an ethical thing to do, no, but at the time there was no data/info like we have today.
As for the hatchery fish, yes they are somewhat inferior to wild salmon but the science behind the hatcheries and the way that these fish are produced has come full circle. If the author would have taken the time to maybe do something that is called research he could find out accurate data and the processes involved. Maybe he could even had read up why the whales were late in returning this year but seeing as he didn't I will tell you. They were off the coast of California feeding on the record returns of chinook to these waters and you know what is more amazing these fish are primarily hatchery fish in origin.....imagine that. I guess they like to eat hatchery fish too, who would have ever thought that. Oh and another thing when they did come back to the local waters they where in great shape, no peaheads.
As for lack of chinook numbers in our local waters, again all the author had to do was get on his ebike and go down to the docks and talk to the people and ask how the runs of chinook are this year, one word, fantastic. The ocean conditions in the pacific are great, the warm blob has dissipated and the herring and salmon have benefited from this as will the killer whales.
Now as for Misty, maybe the author can get an answer from her on how much she and her organization have put into stream rehabilitation, fixing old clear cut logging slashes. I have asked numerous times and nothing, but from all the research I have done the answer appears to be zero.
Are the SRKW's endangered, yes, the reason, because of their low numbers, as stated before there have never been hundreds and hundreds of them which brings me to my next point, inbreeding and contamination. These are two things that greatly affect the population and maybe Misty can put some time and effort into this.
So please in the future try and print an article that has some merit!!

 

Good to see those with both experience and knowledge joining in the fray. Misty and her cohort of parent funded, entry level , purchased degrees, with no life experience need to be properly educated. They pump out partial at best truths and rely on emotion over science. I have more respect for the inflatable whale on a stick crew, at least they work for free and don’t try and pass themselves off as scientists or experts!

 

Excellent response. Did you send this to the Sun/Times Colonist? I don't recall seeing it published.

 

I just sent it to the sun yesterday, not holding my breath that they will put it in the letters to the editor, but i did get one printed last week in the Times, if you go to the Renfrew thread i believe someone posted a link to it, WRITE YOUR LETTERS FOLKS,it is going to be a shit show this winter with these dippers!! Hell maybe even our school teacher Saxe Point can get off his high horse and write one