Alberni Springs - Bring On The Nets

lol, yes pretty bad. Hopefully a wholesale change in the program can address some of the issues. I'm no Biologist, but those fish are getting hammered by predators (probably Hake) who have learned to target out-migrating smolts released all at once. Some of the other programs adopted different release strategies and are starting to crack the ocean survival mystery maze. Again, way over-simplified, but basic premise is not to flush out a whack of food into the ocean en-masse only to create a feeding frenzy.
 
We tried a different strategy last spring on our coho smolt release.
Keep them longer and released them over a one week period.
Not sure we can keep them longer as the water conditions were not prime.
Water temps and lack of O2 is were we ran into problems.
Time will tell when they come back in fall of 2015.
I sure hope you guys get a handle on it because if you can get your survival up your numbers would be huge.
Thanks for your info and incite.
 
The numbers are in. 15 Chinook, 1 coho were caught in the FN Economic Opportunity fishery. 55 FN boats participated. 4 Commercial gill netters participated and caught 4 Chinook. There are no plans for future Chinook commercial fisheries. There is a short FN Economic Opportunity coho fishery planned for Sunday. The Chinook run was down graded from 40,000 to 35,000. This means there will be no commercial fishing.

I think our guys did a good job representing us at the Harvest Round Table and fighting to ensure there were fishing plans in place that helped mitigate over fishing that has taken place in prior seasons.
 
Was it last year or the year before when the hatchery in great central lake was allowed to release their Chinook? What were the numbers? Be interesting to watch the returns that year.
 
If memory serves correct, 2 years ago. Should be able to get a sense of how the S-1 program worked this year.
 
OK. So I was going to let this thread die after deleting all my posts, but it has been bugging me in the back of my mind ever since.

First off: I would like to say that I deleted them not because my opinion has changed but because I did a very POOR job of trying to express it. In the end I left some of you guys the impression that I was blaming the guys volunteering their time for the problems that I see in the management of the Alberni fishery. I know that is how it read to a few of you but I assure you that was absolutely not my intent. That was my fault for wording my post poorly due to lack of time. It was a purely reactionary rant that did not get the time and thought it deserved.

What I was trying to say is this:
Despite the efforts made by many people I feel all sectors, those representing them, those of us who fish there as well as DFO personal, to date have fallen short in achieving the goal of seeing this run get back to numbers like what where mentioned at the start of this thread. To date as I see it after all the effort and changes made we keep seeing the same net results year after year. I am not saying they are not trying. I am saying what has been done so far, although showing some change to how we do what we do has not ultimately changed the fact that we are seeing the same results. Until those changes happen, we are falling short despite the efforts.

I have much respect and admiration for those who put the time and effort into trying to better things for everyone.I do not blame them,or accuse them of not trying or being capable. So when I say things like this I do not do so to bash the guys working on it. (Although my deleted post may have suggested otherwise in this case.) I say them in the hopes of starting a dialog that may lead to some new ideas and interest in helping. So that said I raise the questions is there something else or a different approach that can be taken by those putting the time in? I know Searun has raised the issues surrounding the hatchery and their unwillingness or inability to change the program to match what others are now doing as possibly being a large culprit. Can anything be done to get back more water to support more production? Is there anything that can be done to improve on the wild naturally spawning aspect?

At the end of the day 30-40k although providing opportunity does not come close to providing the type of fishing that the 90-100K and even more of past did. At present numbers, unless in the loop and networked like sport guides and some locals, fishing is hit and miss at best(most days) with a whole lot of miss for many average anglers. Having fished the sound and inlet in the good years , less than good ones, and bad as well, I can say that when good the biggest decision we had to make was to turn left or right when leaving Bamtown harbour. The answer was usually yes either way. Let’s face it , it is GOOD FISHING that keeps people coming and provides the fun that gets new anglers hooked for the future. Right now opportunity is still there but realistic hopes of enjoying the kind of days we once had, or even a glimpse of them are only realized by a small percentage of the folks trying. That is why I will continue to disagree when I disagree.

In closing I feel it should be pointed out that disagreeing or even calling into question the work being done is not always a bad thing.If don with thoughtfulness and good intent. It has at times been far to quickly dismissed by some of you with the wrongful assumption that “they do not know enough of the facts and how complicated it is so be quiet or get involved” Sometimes despite a person’s inability to get involved they disagree with what is happening, and may have something to offer. As a user of the resource they should have the right to voice that opinion without fear of hurting someone’s feelings or being chastised for doing so.

Hope this clears up my end of this anyways: Heading to Nanaimo for the sfbc BBQ tomorrow so good times are in store . Hoping for a sunny day!!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Ray, appreciate your post. Couldn't make the BBQ today. It would have been great to have a chance to talk about this issue and to also go over some of the things being accomplished at the Harvest Round Table process. I'd write a book trying to summarize all the issues that have been dealt with there. Hopefully folks can see that we have been able to learn from past mistakes in how the FN and Commercial fisheries were run. Through the Harvest Round Table process we have been able to get positive changes made to the fishing plans - learning from the past and adapting.

On the issue of changing up the Robertson program, we are really trying to convince the Robertson Hatchery guys to take a different tack by taking the bull by the horns and doing experiments on alternative approaches. One example is we have experimented with net pens basically to prove the fish would survive, while we wait for water testing results etc. All in an effort to get more Chinook committed to a net pen project to hopefully really put the theory to the test.

We are also waiting the outcome of the S-1 program in the Sarita. That may also afford another option; rather break down some of the pent up skepticism with S-1 programs. There's certainly been some encouraging results accomplished in some of the East Coast hatchery programs with staging releases over a number of weeks as opposed to all at once.

Lastly, the hatchery should be able to start running colder ground water now that the pumps are installed. That should also help improve the situation.

On a side note, the most recent Stamp Falls Fish Count data is showing a huge increase in Chinook jacks this season compared to prior seasons. I realize there isn't always a strong correlation between good jack returns and improved ocean survival for the main run which come in the following year as 4 year olds. But, nice to see there is a sliver of hope.
 
banger17 said:
thanks guys - valid points!

do we actually have a number of fish past the counter???
Click to expand...

4676 Chinook adults; 3118 Chinook Jacks. Jack count is quite hight compared to prior years. If there was a big rain those numbers will increase.
 
searun said:
... If there was a big rain those numbers will increase.
Click to expand...

Maybe... They have to actually exist to increase the escapement number...

SOMASS CHINOOK BULLETIN # 7 – 2014 Date: October 02, 2014
Somass Chinook Stock Assessment Update

Pre-season forecast: 30,000 Chinook

October 2 - Runsize downgraded on Sept 11 from 40,000 to 35,000 (no change this week)

The forecast terminal return of adult Somass chinook to Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet for 2014 was approximately 30,000, similar to the level observed in 2013. This forecast is a low return of Somass chinook given the 25 year average of approximately 100,000 (90,000 adults) fish returning to the terminal area.

Escapement – to September 28

Stamp Falls
Chinook Adults - 6727 Chinook Jacks- 4027
Coho Adults – 20,700 Coho Jacks- 2,089

Sproat
Chinook - 22
Coho – 7212 adults Coho Jacks -198

Biological information:

Biological samples will be collected from the fish ladders and hatchery racks. The predicted adult age composition is 8%, 85% and 7% of 3, 4 and 5-year old fish, respectively.

Catch Chinook (9502)

- 8000 Recreational (Includes Robertson Creek Chinook catch in Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet)
– 862 Tsu-ma-uss (Tseshaht, Hupacasath)
- 4 Commercial

Catch Coho
Tsumauss First Nations – 3817

NEXT WEEK'S FISHING PLANS:

First Nations

Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht) - Food social and ceremonial fishing
• Hook and Line open 7 days a week from the the outlet of Paper Mill Dam Pool to Ten Mile Point.
• Gillnets open Sunday October 5 from 8 am to 5 pm in the following area from The Highway 4 Bridge crossing the Somass River (Orange Bridge) to the Clutesi Boat Ramp and from the green flashing light at the mouth of the Somass River to ten Mile Point. Small mesh required, target catch is 1000 coho, chinook and chum may be retained as a by catch.

Commercial

No fisheries Planned.

Recreational

No changes to recreational fishery

For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440
 
Wouldn't panic just yet. River has been very low for most of the fall and when it did come up it roared for a few days then sharply dropped off. There is a good chance a lot of fish bypassed the fishway counter. That's certainly the current thinking because there are quite a few large mature fish sitting in the upper river. So, time will tell the full story.
 
Somass River Escapement Bulletin
Observations to October 5, 2014

IN-SEASON OBSERVATIONS:

Through October 5, a total of 9,190 adult Chinook, 4,681 Chinook jacks, 29,287 adult coho, 2,437 coho jacks, 109,495 adult sockeye, and 60,671 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway.

A total of 24 adult Chinook, 8,348 adult coho, 271,805 adult sockeye, and 106,754 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat fishway.

Over the past week, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 58 and 642 adult Chinook, and 165 and 733 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement over the past week ranged between 1 and 25 at the Stamp falls fishway and between 19 and 80 at the Sproat fishway.

River temperatures over the past week have ranged between 16.4 and 18.7oC at the Stamp Falls fishway (Figure 4), and between 19.1 and 20.1oC at the Sproat fishway (Figure 5). The discharge rate is moderate.

Note: Salmon escapement estimates in this bulletin are preliminary, based on an initial digital video review.
 
Of interest, did you happen to notice the Chinook jack count is way off the charts - as in historically high. Robertson has to make some changes to the program for sure. The Area 23 SFAC meeting is Monday October 27 at 7:00 at the Alberni Kinsmen Hut...please attend to hear more about the year end summary, hatchery updates and Carol will be there to update on the S-1 program results.
 
You guys need to look at the results from this test and see if it works. Could be one path that turns around the low numbers of smolt survival to adult return. Investment on the smolts that are currently produced could pay off with greater numbers of adult returns. Increasing the amounts of smolts would not be needed if you could get the ones that you do produce to return as adults. Food for thought....


<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Young coho get 'flu shot' in unique program


By Neil Cameron, Campbell River Courier-Islander; -With Files From Dfo December 7, 2012





About 40,000 young coho are getting their flu shot in a trial inoculation for native coho salmon at Quinsam River Salmon Hatchery in Campbell River.

And it could help fisheries managers understand why coho returns have dropped to one per cent of outmigrating salmon from the 10 per cent of the 1980s.

The coho received their injections at the Fisheries and Oceans Quinsam Hatchery in Campbell River in hopes of improving their survival rate in the Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia). The inoculation is for vibriosis a pathogen that researchers believe is especially prevalent in the spring when the young coho are released into the wild. It is thought that the higher than average spring water temperatures that are occurring from climate change, makes the disease more prevalent in the marine environment, and could be one of the factors that are adversely affecting ocean survival of coho salmon, said Dave Ewart, Watershed Enhancement Manager, Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement Branch, South Coast Area, Quinsam River Hatchery.

"Two years ago we met as a group including our Fisheries support and assessment biologists, and veterinarians from DFO and the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences," Ewart said. "We were looking at things the hatchery could do as a trial to try and improve coho survival, or at least learn what's happening to them after we let them go."

The group was keen at looking at a disease called vibriosis which is a bacterial disease that occurs naturally and is common in the marine environment. It is known to affect juvenile salmon in the early marine phase of their lives, and is triggered in the spring by warmer water. For coho salmon, migration from fresh water to the ocean occurs in May, when normally, temperatures in the estuary and near shore environments are warming.

This ocean entry timing may coincide with conditions that could lead to recently released coho smolts becoming infected.

In aquaculture, vibriosis is known to be a serious concern for juvenile salmon rearing in ocean pens, and for this reason, all smolts are vaccinated against vibrio prior to being put into the ocean.

This vaccination process has been used for years as common practice on salmon farms, and is very successful. For these reasons, a vaccination trial was proposed for Quinsam Hatchery coho.

Salmon enhancement facilities, (including Quinsam), routinely use a vibrio vaccine for chinook salmon smolts as part of sea pen rearing programs in the spring.

However, this is done with a bath solution which is not as effective as an inoculation, and although the incidence of vibrio is controlled for the short rearing duration in the sea pen, it is not known how effective this preventative measure is on larger and older fish.

There is evidence to show that not vaccinating fish in any way and then rearing in the ocean in pens can be very risky for young salmon, and vibrio outbreaks have occurred which cause significant mortality, said Ewart.

In particular, if the spring is warm and water temperatures rise, the conditions for the bacteria are ideal and when young salmon are added, losses may occur.

The aquaculture industry vaccinate all their fish and have a good understanding of how it protects them against disease because they have the fish at hand throughout its life cycle.

"The problem with our hatchery reared salmon, like coho, is we let them go from here and we wave goodbye and we don't know where the losses occur," said Ewart. "They're gone and we wait for two or three years and the survivors come back but we don't have any way of knowing what kills (the others) out there, other than humans who report their catch and turn in tagged heads."

The proof in the vibriosis pudding will come as early as 2013. The coho being injected now will be released in May and some will return at jacks (precocious males) in the fall.

Another 40,000 coho will act as the control group. They will be anaesthetized, tagged, and inoculated just like the vaccinated group, only it will be with a placebo, a saline solution. All 80,000 will be released along with the rest of the coho smolts currently being reared at Quinsam (total release will be 650,000 smolts), in May of 2013.

Comparison of the two tag groups at adult return will give some indication how the program worked, said Ewart.

"When those adults and jacks come back into the hatchery, we will look for the tagged fish and sample them for their tags," said Ewart. "If we find that the vaccinated group has significantly more numbers than the placebo (control) group, then we will have some initial indication that vaccinating coho is worthwhile.

"Injection vaccinating of coho for vibriosis is something that our DFO salmon enhancement program has not tried at a hatchery. This is a first that I'm aware of," he said.

But as good as the potential of the program is it wouldn't have happened without the support of Campbell River, one of the other reasons it is known as the Salmon Capital of the World. With budget constraints and the financial ability to do the program found wanting, Ewart said he put the word out in the community and the response was unbelievable.

Stepping forward was the Campbell River Salmon Foundation, who has donated $9,200 in cash. Mike Gage, veteran fund raiser and past chairman of the CRSF, started knocking on doors and received $2,000 from Mercury Marina and Trailer Park, and a $1,000 donation from Marine Harvest Canada which was put towards this project. The Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences is donating the fish health checks of the juveniles before inoculation, at release in the spring, and when the adults return something that's worth about $8,000.

Novartus donated the vaccine ($700), Northwest Marine Technology donated coded wire tags ($4,000), Syndel labs donated anaesthetic, ($200), and Fisheries & Oceans Canada, (Quinsam Hatchery) is providing in-kind services valued at approximately $8,000.

"It really is a community-based program," said Ewart. "And it could go a long way to shedding more light on what's happening out there, finding out another piece to the puzzle."
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
 
GLG said:
You guys need to look at the results from this test and see if it works. Could be one path that turns around the low numbers of smolt survival to adult return. Investment on the smolts that are currently produced could pay off with greater numbers of adult returns. Increasing the amounts of smolts would not be needed if you could get the ones that you do produce to return as adults. Food for thought....


<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Young coho get 'flu shot' in unique program


By Neil Cameron, Campbell River Courier-Islander; -With Files From Dfo December 7, 2012





About 40,000 young coho are getting their flu shot in a trial inoculation for native coho salmon at Quinsam River Salmon Hatchery in Campbell River.

And it could help fisheries managers understand why coho returns have dropped to one per cent of outmigrating salmon from the 10 per cent of the 1980s.

The coho received their injections at the Fisheries and Oceans Quinsam Hatchery in Campbell River in hopes of improving their survival rate in the Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia). The inoculation is for vibriosis a pathogen that researchers believe is especially prevalent in the spring when the young coho are released into the wild. It is thought that the higher than average spring water temperatures that are occurring from climate change, makes the disease more prevalent in the marine environment, and could be one of the factors that are adversely affecting ocean survival of coho salmon, said Dave Ewart, Watershed Enhancement Manager, Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement Branch, South Coast Area, Quinsam River Hatchery.

"Two years ago we met as a group including our Fisheries support and assessment biologists, and veterinarians from DFO and the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences," Ewart said. "We were looking at things the hatchery could do as a trial to try and improve coho survival, or at least learn what's happening to them after we let them go."

The group was keen at looking at a disease called vibriosis which is a bacterial disease that occurs naturally and is common in the marine environment. It is known to affect juvenile salmon in the early marine phase of their lives, and is triggered in the spring by warmer water. For coho salmon, migration from fresh water to the ocean occurs in May, when normally, temperatures in the estuary and near shore environments are warming.

This ocean entry timing may coincide with conditions that could lead to recently released coho smolts becoming infected.

In aquaculture, vibriosis is known to be a serious concern for juvenile salmon rearing in ocean pens, and for this reason, all smolts are vaccinated against vibrio prior to being put into the ocean.

This vaccination process has been used for years as common practice on salmon farms, and is very successful. For these reasons, a vaccination trial was proposed for Quinsam Hatchery coho.

Salmon enhancement facilities, (including Quinsam), routinely use a vibrio vaccine for chinook salmon smolts as part of sea pen rearing programs in the spring.

However, this is done with a bath solution which is not as effective as an inoculation, and although the incidence of vibrio is controlled for the short rearing duration in the sea pen, it is not known how effective this preventative measure is on larger and older fish.

There is evidence to show that not vaccinating fish in any way and then rearing in the ocean in pens can be very risky for young salmon, and vibrio outbreaks have occurred which cause significant mortality, said Ewart.

In particular, if the spring is warm and water temperatures rise, the conditions for the bacteria are ideal and when young salmon are added, losses may occur.

The aquaculture industry vaccinate all their fish and have a good understanding of how it protects them against disease because they have the fish at hand throughout its life cycle.

"The problem with our hatchery reared salmon, like coho, is we let them go from here and we wave goodbye and we don't know where the losses occur," said Ewart. "They're gone and we wait for two or three years and the survivors come back but we don't have any way of knowing what kills (the others) out there, other than humans who report their catch and turn in tagged heads."

The proof in the vibriosis pudding will come as early as 2013. The coho being injected now will be released in May and some will return at jacks (precocious males) in the fall.

Another 40,000 coho will act as the control group. They will be anaesthetized, tagged, and inoculated just like the vaccinated group, only it will be with a placebo, a saline solution. All 80,000 will be released along with the rest of the coho smolts currently being reared at Quinsam (total release will be 650,000 smolts), in May of 2013.

Comparison of the two tag groups at adult return will give some indication how the program worked, said Ewart.

"When those adults and jacks come back into the hatchery, we will look for the tagged fish and sample them for their tags," said Ewart. "If we find that the vaccinated group has significantly more numbers than the placebo (control) group, then we will have some initial indication that vaccinating coho is worthwhile.

"Injection vaccinating of coho for vibriosis is something that our DFO salmon enhancement program has not tried at a hatchery. This is a first that I'm aware of," he said.

But as good as the potential of the program is it wouldn't have happened without the support of Campbell River, one of the other reasons it is known as the Salmon Capital of the World. With budget constraints and the financial ability to do the program found wanting, Ewart said he put the word out in the community and the response was unbelievable.

Stepping forward was the Campbell River Salmon Foundation, who has donated $9,200 in cash. Mike Gage, veteran fund raiser and past chairman of the CRSF, started knocking on doors and received $2,000 from Mercury Marina and Trailer Park, and a $1,000 donation from Marine Harvest Canada which was put towards this project. The Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences is donating the fish health checks of the juveniles before inoculation, at release in the spring, and when the adults return something that's worth about $8,000.

Novartus donated the vaccine ($700), Northwest Marine Technology donated coded wire tags ($4,000), Syndel labs donated anaesthetic, ($200), and Fisheries & Oceans Canada, (Quinsam Hatchery) is providing in-kind services valued at approximately $8,000.

"It really is a community-based program," said Ewart. "And it could go a long way to shedding more light on what's happening out there, finding out another piece to the puzzle."
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
Click to expand...

Sounds promising, wonder when the y will be making those results public?
 
IN-SEASON OBSERVATIONS:
Through October 12, a total of 14,591 adult Chinook, 5,914 Chinook jacks, 34,278 adult coho, 2,649 coho jacks, 109,635 adult sockeye, and 60,737 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway. A total of 31 adult Chinook, 9,899 adult coho, 272,871 adult sockeye, and 107,021 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat fishway.
Over the past week, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 354 and 1059 adult Chinook, and 337 and 1488 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement over the past week ranged between 9 and 27 at the Stamp falls fishway and between 78 and 190 at the Sproat fishway.
River temperatures over the past week have ranged between 16.2 and 18.8oC at the Stamp Falls fishway (Figure 4), and between 18.1 and 19.7oC at the Sproat fishway (Figure 5). The
 
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