Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales

[traveller]

Iggy,

very well written! The link to the science forum I posted shows they considered this within 4 different groups in the forum, balanced in specialties...that is why, as a consensus of those groups, they recommended that increasing chinook be a separate workshop as it required more thought and specific science membership.

They also reached consensus that there is more to the problem than lack of chinook , if you read the summary section in the beginning of the report. The discussion that took part in the two days of the workshop did reach consensus that this was an integrated, complex set of problems, and not just one.....a lack of chinook which the populist tweet group of #Orcascan'twait fail to see...perhaps for a somewhat biased reason, like fund raising.

The solutions, IMO, are not singular, they require several attack strategies, which also may have to recognize that 50 years of toxins build up, behavioural changes as a result of those toxins, incremental affects of low gene pool from historic harvest/capture, and energetic depletion from toxin loaded hard fat reserves play a hard to rebuild scenario...sad, but sometimes adaptation demands come to the front of the line.

 

[ziggy]

Iggy,

very well written! The link to the science forum I posted shows they considered this within 4 different groups in the forum, balanced in specialties...that is why, as a consensus of those groups, they recommended that increasing chinook be a separate workshop as it required more thought and specific science membership.

They also reached consensus that there is more to the problem than lack of chinook , if you read the summary section in the beginning of the report. The discussion that took part in the two days of the workshop did reach consensus that this was an integrated, complex set of problems, and not just one.....a lack of chinook which the populist tweet group of #Orcascan'twait fail to see...perhaps for a somewhat biased reason, like fund raising.

The solutions, IMO, are not singular, they require several attack strategies, which also may have to recognize that 50 years of toxins build up, behavioural changes as a result of those toxins, incremental affects of low gene pool from historic harvest/capture, and energetic depletion from toxin loaded hard fat reserves play a hard to rebuild scenario...sad, but sometimes adaptation demands come to the front of the line.

To be clear that was an excerpt from SARA.

 

[searun]

While there seem to be few people posting, Spring Velocity, there have been 11,000 views which is interesting. The issue around declining chinook is interesting, as a general statement if one looks at the total chinook harvests over the last 10 years from California to SEAK, yes there has certainly been a decline overall. However, looking at Georgia Strait, to say that there is a huge lack of chinook I believe is misleading, and not entirely correct, but it seems to be the main focus of the save the whales groups. There are certain chinook runs which are doing pretty well, notable the South Thompson and lower Fraser chinook. The lower Fraser were at record numbers 3 or 4 years ago, and have declined a little to more average returns, but still healthy numbers. The chinook runs most in trouble are the spring and summer runs, as well as the yearling chinook which enter the sea as larger 1 or 1 + year olds. The single most successful stock, the South Thompson enter the ocean as small smolts in July into late July. We have been told by the scientists they know that seals and sea lions are eating emerging smolts, and of course they are targeting the larger smolts....yearlings for sure.

For the last three years the Lower Fraser chinook have returned through Georgia Strait, and from April through to August have been in large schools from Qualicum over to Texada Island, down to Nanaimo, Porlier Pass, and over to mainland providing excellent to outstanding fishing...reading the fishing reports from that time period for the Vancouver thread and Nanaimo thread will reinforce that....as would anyone who gets out on the water and fishes in these areas.

I still maintain that the availability of chinook is not the main problem during the April to August period if they were to forage in this large area. I believe that not is like many issues...a series of interconnected negative impacts....of course the genetics play a major role, I believe, and the build of a huge load of toxins does, I still maintain impact feeding desire and energetics of these animals. Yes, from late October to April; there is certainly a lower number of chinook, particularly in the 20 lb. range, although I understand the Birkenhead run comes through Georgia strait in February / March, and are larger fish, in the 20 lb. range.

Spring Velocity was right to look for solutions based discourse, and I think that should use the latest available knowledge to use better hatchery techniques, examine which specific stocks to choose for enhancement, and look at predation by pinnipeds as a beginning strategy.

100% agree - there are suspected to be several contributing problems impacting the success of SRKW. There isn't any 1 single reason that can be scientifically pin pointed - its a complicated mix of issues like:

1) Prey availability (salmon abundance)
2) Vessel interference impacting acquisition of prey
3) Pollution - this is impacting both the whale health as well as that of their primary prey (Chinook salmon)
4) Pinniped predation - competing with SRKW for available salmon & significantly reducing chinook abundance

We all want to simplify the problem into some one thing we can attach a label and bring about a quick easy fix - that's the easy solution. Nature doesn't work that way unfortunately - thus there will be no easy quick fix. The social media experts would have us believe that if we closed down the rec and commercial fishery problem solved!

This government is looking for quick, cheap solutions. Unfortunately those are in very short supply. Successive governments have cut funding to enhancement and habitat programs aimed at increasing chinook abundance. Many hatchery programs have slashed production in half or more. Habitat improvement work has come to a halt. Pinniped predation has been ignored - despite recent studies that identified there are a few small populations of specific animals that have habituated to intercepting out-migrant Chinook.

They implemented a 200m spatial exclusion zone, when 400m would offer better protection from vessel interference with SRKW feeding success. The big protective measure was to introduce broad areas of recreational fishing closures, which do really nothing to offer protection to whales when in fact other vessel operations are still permitted - does very little to actually deal with actual overall vessel interference - other than it looks good and satisfies the social media experts calling for quick emergency fixes to a problem that in reality isn't well suited to quick and dirty actions when well researched science based solutions are most likely to provide success.

In reality actions like these have unforeseen economic consequences. The rec fishery generates $713 million USD each year in economic activity, and 6,150 direct jobs and $246 million USD in employment income. When we use heavy handed and ineffective solutions such as area closures, we chip into Canada's GDP. Those impact real families, in real communities in small coastal communities. The big city urbanites perhaps don't appreciate the harm their solutions cause.

With some careful planning an integrated set of solutions that offer both protective measures for whales and also allow for the rec fishery to co-exist alongside the whales is the wisest approach. Short-term emotion based responses that are rushed in with limited long term planning will have undesirable consequence IMO.

 

[searun]

And for those who haven't seen this article and research, the role of sewage pollution in making SRKW and their primary food source (Chinook) sick, this is interesting reading. The problem is more complicated that some would like us to believe! Very clearly some of the SRKW are sick - these diseases could be linked to the sewage effluent (human drugs) pumped into many of our coastal estuaries which then finds their way into chinook and ultimately impacting apex predators such as SRKW.

You can bet this government doesn't want to take the steps necessary to fix the effluent problem! They are looking for cheap, fast solutions to make this problem go away rather than taking the more difficult and effective long term path to invest in achieving real solutions.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...ugs-flooding-into-puget-sound-and-its-salmon/

 

[wildmanyeah]

In reality actions like these have unforeseen economic consequences. The rec fishery generates $713 million USD each year in economic activity, and 6,150 direct jobs and $246 million USD in employment income. When we use heavy handed and ineffective solutions such as area closures, we chip into Canada's GDP. Those impact real families, in real communities in small coastal communities. The big city urbanites perhaps don't appreciate the harm their solutions cause.

Hopefully towns like Sooke's chamber of commerce has documented that impact as people on here were saying the impact their has been quite significant.

great points and summary

 

[wolf]

Hopefully towns like Sooke's chamber of commerce has documented that impact as people on here were saying the impact their has been quite significant.

Dont hold your breathe on that...By far the worst year ive seen for tourists coming here and boats ... Sad as people are just not coming...
As for the whales its plain they are sick ... and when was the last time when you wernt feeling well that you wanted to eat let alone being rushed to do it...

 

[ziggy]

And for those who haven't seen this article and research, the role of sewage pollution in making SRKW and their primary food source (Chinook) sick, this is interesting reading. The problem is more complicated that some would like us to believe! Very clearly some of the SRKW are sick - these diseases could be linked to the sewage effluent (human drugs) pumped into many of our coastal estuaries which then finds their way into chinook and ultimately impacting apex predators such as SRKW.

You can bet this government doesn't want to take the steps necessary to fix the effluent problem! They are looking for cheap, fast solutions to make this problem go away rather than taking the more difficult and effective long term path to invest in achieving real solutions.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...ugs-flooding-into-puget-sound-and-its-salmon/

Sadly a method of cleansing all medications out of sewage, the 100% solution,is unlikely to be practical if even possible in the short term. In addition even if one was to be found tomorrow, it would still leave poorly maintained rural septic tanks and urban stormwater runoff to deal with. People like to live around the ocean and rivers / streams, people take way more medication than in previous generations and there’s way more of them. This is a problem with no easy solution, but a start would be primary, secondary and tertiary sewage treatment. Regular inspection of septic systems in riparian areas and storm water runoff treatment. A very big ,expensive and labour intensive undertaking.

 

[ericl]

I see Eric copied this from the report "  SRWK often pursue salmon at or near the surface. These chases are readily disrupted by nearby vessels." Seeing as Chinook are deepest swimming of all the species of salmon, and in Georgia Strait we rarely catch them above 90 feet down, if the SRKW are surface feeders, this may be one of the reasons they re having trouble finding chinook.

From the viewpoint of biologists/scientists who study Killer Whales of all varieties surface feeders might mean something different to them as it does to us; as in surface feeding could mean the top 200 feet of water to them.

One of the best suggestions, in my opinion that the Recreational sector made was to have a moving " bubble zone " such that, as we nearly all do anyway, when the whales appear, we reel up, turn off the sounders;, and move to another area away from them. This would enable their foraging without our noise, and would happen wherever the whales appear

Given the majority of comments here on this subject I don't see "self enforcement" working - I'd love to be wrong on this

From the SARA registry document.

Listed below are the key areas where further knowledge is needed:

• The year-round distribution and behaviour of resident killer whales
• Critical and important habitat for resident killer whales, in addition to the areas identified in this strategy
• The historical abundance of resident killer whales
• The year-round diet and energetic requirements of resident killer whales
• The consequences of changes in key prey populations on resident killer whales, as well as their historic trends
• The population level consequences of low population size and its effects on the sustainability and viability of resident killer whales
• The population size that is needed to maintain the cultural and genetic diversity of resident killer whales
• The long- and short-term effects of physical disturbance (shipping, whale watching, aircraft, researchers and film makers) on resident killer whales
• The long- and short-term effects of acoustic disturbance (whale watching, seismic surveys, military sonar, researchers and film makers) on resident killer whales
• The full range of anthropogenic environmental contaminants to which killer whales and their prey are exposed, over time and in space, with special attention paid to the identification of sources and the resulting effects of environmental contaminants on resident killer whales, their prey and their habitat
• Diseases, pathogens, parasites and pathologies of resident killer whales
• The effects of climate or environmental change on resident killer whale prey and their habitat

Based on this it appears we have numerous knowledge gaps. Have any of these gaps been closed? It would appear there is no single factor and some like population level may be very difficult to solve, the catch 22.

Good stuff & point Ziggy - some of the issues are "in-work"

What is missing is where is the money gonna come from.

FYI; in an earlier post you asked what the US is doing? Here is a link to a lawsuit filed recently to get the area off San Juan Island as SRKW protected habitat:

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org.../pdfs/SRKW-CH-Delay-Complaint-8-16-18-ECF.pdf

As to the knowledge gaps and proposed actions, a proper study would include a risk assessment of proposed actions which would include the risk of doing nothing. There certainly are lot's of politics involved here, but I believe blanket statements such as "It's all politics" are untrue.

So Cali if vessel noise and fishing vessels are such an issue with the whales can you tell me why they hung out the entire summer in the fishing fleet in Sooke area,

Because that's what they do. As neither of us are PhD's in animal behavior we don't know why they behave like they do. Yeah, it sucks but I for one am ready to move-on to something we can control.

 

[ziggy]

FYI; in an earlier post you asked what the US is doing? Here is a link to a lawsuit filed recently to get the area off San Juan Island as SRKW protected habitat:

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org.../pdfs/SRKW-CH-Delay-Complaint-8-16-18-ECF.pdf
Thanks for the link Eric.
So what exactly does declaring an area as Critical Habitat actually entail and has it been done? Clearly it is very different from a refuge otherwise there would be no fishing on the American side of Juan de Fuca, Haro Strait and Puget Sound? According to the map provided in the link, this is a done deal and as I understand it the law suit is to expand the coverage ( whatever it entails) to the coasts of Oregon,Washington and Northern California? As an aside it’s interesting to see the winter foraging areas.

 

[Last Chance]

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) are pleased to notify you of the following information sessions regarding the proposed amendments to the Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada.

As noted in our previous e-mail sent September 4th 2018, the amended Recovery Strategy includes identification of two additional areas as proposed critical habitat for Resident Killer Whales following recent science advice, as well as clarification of the features, functions and attributes for proposed and existing critical habitat. The proposed amended Recovery Strategy is currently posted on the Species at Risk Public Registry, and public input is being sought on Section 7 (Critical habitat) of the document for a 60-day comment period (September 4 – November 3, 2018). Input is sought via the above link or through the regional SARA program (contact info below).

The purpose of the information sessions is to provide information about the proposed critical habitat for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales, including the description of the science advice underlying the identification of the additional proposed critical habitat areas, and to answer questions about the proposed amendments to the document.

Locations, dates and times of these meetings are:

Webinars:

·Webinar 1: Tuesday, September 25th, 2018, 10 am – 12 pm

·Webinar 2: Wednesday, September 26th, 2018, 10 am – 12 pm

WebEx Information:

oToll-free dial-in number (Canada/US): 1 877-413-4782

oLocal dial-in number: 613-960-7511

oConference ID: 5681284


Regional in-person meetings:

·Port Alberni (Best Western Barclay Hotel, 4277 Stamp Ave.): Wednesday, October 3rd 2018, 6-9 pm

·Ucluelet (Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Ballroom, 596 Marine Drive): Thursday, October 4th 2018, 6-9 pm

Please RSVP for the above webinar(s) and/or in-person meetings to SARA.XPAC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. If you require further clarification, please call 604-666-7907 or email SARA.XPAC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Species at Risk Program

Pacific Region

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

200-401 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC V6C 3S4

Telephone: 604-666-7907

Facsimile: 604-666-0417

Is this messg

 

[The Jackel]

Sorry Eric **** poor answer to my question

 

[Charter Tofino]

Sorry Eric **** poor answer to my question

For what it's worth, scientist think cultural behaviours of Orca's shape their travel patterns as much as prey distribution. Tough to really measure this or definitively call it.

 

[searun]

For what it's worth, scientist think cultural behaviours of Orca's shape their travel patterns as much as prey distribution. Tough to really measure this or definitively call it.

Absolutely, and it appears that the older non-sexually productive females pass along their knowledge to younger members of their families. There appears to be heavy reliance on the knowledge of older members when foraging for prey. For instance, younger whales tend to fair more poorly when their mothers pass away - suggesting the importance of traditional knowledge being culturally passed along. So where whales utilize habitat isn't always linked to locations and times where prey species are abundant. LaPerouse is a good example, we rarely ever see killer whales on LaPerouse, and on rare occasions when we do, they are travelling as opposed to actively pursuing prey - even when fishing for Chinook, their preferred prey is very good.

Solutions to helping achieve a stable population of whales will be difficult as we know relatively little about the actual limiting factors - therefore there needs to be careful measured responses before we humans meddle. The current so called "emergency" calls for action are mis-guided - potentially classic "Read, Shoot, Aim" solutions.

 

[searun]

You may want to read this paper. It may change your view on hatchery broodstock selection.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/faf.12272

Thanks for sharing. The study authors couldn't definitively state the root cause(s). They have a number of likely theories, one of which is genetic changes due to selection of larger Chinook either through fishing practices and/or RKW selection of large chinook as prey. I also think to some degree a likely candidate is the food web that once supported larger/older chinook is under attack from a variety of sources (over-fishing and climate change). So I have to agree that there isn't likely one simple reason. That said, how we run our hatchery programs currently has still IMO contributed toward an erosion of the larger chinook genes from the population over time.

 

[GLG]

The goal is to have healthy females that can produce viable calves that can survive the first 3 to 4 years. If we can get those calves past that time then the chances for them increases greatly.

Perhaps it would help if broke it down into short term / medium term / long term solutions.

Searun linked to a study that shows that pollution in our water can affect salmon. I have no doubt that may be true but the solution is long term and costly so we we have time to not fall for the "Read, Shoot, Aim".

Salmon enhancement is what I would consider as a medium term solution. Who could argue producing more salmon where they do the least damage to wild stock should be explored and acted upon.

Last but not least is the short term solutions. This is where we will never like the solution..... we reduce our competition with the killer whales.

I encourage everyone to read this science paper.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-14471-0

 

[ziggy]

I think you nailed it re breaking it down to manageable elements and factoring in timelines. While limiting our competition is the only likely step that will be taken, the current method they have chosen to do so is perhaps not the best. They could have adjusted annual and daily Spring limits coast wide, but chose not to. They could have instituted Spring non retention in additional areas ( like they do annually in the Saanich Inlet) they chose not to. Instead they chose to institute a complete fin fish closures in select areas and declare them whale refuge areas, which I think is BS.

This “plan” IMO calls into question if there was logic applied,or simply an attempt to appear to be taking action and following the path of least resistance. Ask yourself, if the Orcas feed primarily on Spring salmon, why a total fin fish closure necessary? If it’s about noise from vessels trolling on their kickers, why are whale watching vessels, commercial vessels and transmitting vessels exempt. It makes no sense!

This “plan”would make more sense if they actually looked at issues from a coast wide perspective! Heck did they even consult the Americans about the impact of the South East Alaska Commercial Fishery? What are they doing to ensure more fish arrive in the refuge areas? All they are currently doing is encouraging more pressure in the still open areas, for the same fish, surely they realize boats are trailerable. Seems to me they have not thought this through!

Full disclosure I like to fish an area (Pender Bluffs)that has outright fin fish ban. I could have lived with a Spring Closure or reduction, but would have liked to fish the Sockeye run and am hoping to fish Coho there. I could trailer my boat to Sooke, but other than burning more fossil fuel in the name of conservation, what would that accomplish? If anything it highlights the stupidity of how this was implemented!

 

[wildmanyeah]

The hatchery solution is an interesting one. Most Fraser river hatcherys over the last 30 years have went from producing red chinook that reared on the out side to producing white Harrison chinook that live and feed in the strait of Georgia.

Hatcheries on the little Campbell river, serpentine, Nicomekle (small rivers in langley surrey) have experimented as well. Harrison whites were tried and produced some monster 60# plus chinook but the returns were small. I believe now they are using a Puget Sound origin chinook, smaller chinooks but they get more back.

Chilliwack natural spawning chinook are extinct and have been replaced with summer reds and fall whites. I beleve but @Dave can confirm they have been now generally producing more whites that rear on the inside.

Capilaino hatchery has been switching from producing Qualicum reds to producing Harrison whites.

5th year of rebuilding Capilano’s Chinook run with eggs from Chilliwack Hatchery. The goal is to eradicate any of the remnant Qualicum red population and replace with a fish that is less likely to rear in the inside passage. The program to date has been a success. With this program came with some CWT funding that we are using to evaluate rearing strategies (net pens vs. river release). This was the third year of receiving data on this project. Data suggest that net pen fish are being caught in high numbers and their survival is also high.


IMO these changes over the years has supported fishermen more then SRKW.

 

[searun]

Thanks for sharing. Read this article previously, and one problem I have with their methodology is they are assigning assumed rates into the model. They under-valued the cumulative impact of toxins introduced into the food web in my view. Secondarily, I also think they under-valued the impact of physical and acoustic disturbances. Hard for whales to acquire prey when there are so many vessels jumping in front of where they are foraging disrupting their prey. We also need to take a closer look at whom within the SRKW population is struggling. That would be the L Pod, whom spend much of their time in US waters. Also of note, the NRKW are playing a role competing for available food, and in fact, this population may be in the process of normalizing their population base to fit the carrying capacity of the available environment. We may be rushing to conclusions before we actually fully comprehend what is taking place. Ready, Shoot, Aim.

"Mortality has averaged 5.3% per year since the 1993 census. However, per capita births of viable calves have been only 3.1%, leading to a decline in the population. The bulk of the decline in calving has occurred in L Pod, the largest of the three Southern Resident pods, while calving has remained near 5% in J and K pods. (It is interesting to note that about 5% mortality and 5% recruitment would fit well with a stationary population of 100 individuals at the start of collection for public display, rather than the increasing population shown in Figure 1). Four candidates are often mentioned as potential causes for the decline, and all may play some role. These are: disruption of the age structure by collections for public display; a reduction in carrying capacity due to reduced food supply; increased mortality and reduced fecundity due to exposure to toxic chemicals; and disturbance by extensive whale watching traffic (Baird 1999). In addition, there may be non-anthropogenic factors such as competition for food with increasing numbers of Northern Resident killer whales and other marine mammals, the population may have overshot its carrying capacity and is in the process of returning to normal levels, or it may be exhibiting random fluctuations. The relative contributions of these factors will be addressed in future work on Southern Residents and neighboring populations."

 

[searun]

The hatchery solution is an interesting one. Most Fraser river hatcherys over the last 30 years have went from producing red chinook that reared on the out side to producing white Harrison chinook that live and feed in the strait of Georgia.

Hatcheries on the little Campbell river, serpentine, Nicomekle (small rivers in langley surrey) have experimented as well. Harrison whites were tried and produced some monster 60# plus chinook but the returns were small. I believe now they are using a Puget Sound origin chinook, smaller chinooks but they get more back.

Chilliwack natural spawning chinook are extinct and have been replaced with summer reds and fall whites. I beleve but @Dave can confirm they have been now generally producing more whites that rear on the inside.

Capilaino hatchery has been switching from producing Qualicum reds to producing Harrison whites.

5th year of rebuilding Capilano’s Chinook run with eggs from Chilliwack Hatchery. The goal is to eradicate any of the remnant Qualicum red population and replace with a fish that is less likely to rear in the inside passage. The program to date has been a success. With this program came with some CWT funding that we are using to evaluate rearing strategies (net pens vs. river release). This was the third year of receiving data on this project. Data suggest that net pen fish are being caught in high numbers and their survival is also high.


IMO these changes over the years has supported fishermen more then SRKW.

Actually, looking at the DNA evidence from programs such as the Avid Angler Program, the data suggests that fish from the lower Fraser and those along ECVI (including the Qualicum) contribute highly to Chinook catch inside the SOG. We know, for example, that Cowichan Chinook spend almost all of their time inside the SOG - which led to management measures up in Area 13 & 14 to protect Cowichan Chinook when they were a stock of concern. The catch data supports the importance of ECVI rivers as contributors of prey source for SRKW - ranked #2.

The significant chinook origins have been grouped as (source; Richard Lake - Avid Anglers):

Puget Sound 425
East Coast Vancouver Island 320
Lower Fraser 128 (whites)
Southern Mainland 48
Thompson 47
Upper and Mid Upper Fraser 6

Similarly, Puget Sound Chinook also contribute very significantly - perhaps more so because the US releases of hatchery origin Chinook is considerably higher than Canada produces. These fish also tend to range largely inside as opposed to becoming ocean grazing up in Alaska.

I believe you probably meant to say that selecting brood stock that are known to range inside the SOG, provides both opportunity for anglers and prey for SRKW. The DNA data from the Avid Angler program strongly suggests that the natural range of these particular stocks is largely limited to inside the SOG and WCVI. AND, fish that rear and grow near their natal rivers provide much of the food supply that SRKW rely upon as it closely matches their range as well. Fish that range up into Alaskan waters and later return, only contribute to SRKW when they are migrating to their home rivers. So, Harrison whites (ranked 3rd) are an important potential food source for whales based on their range and year round availability to whales as prey.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Actually, looking at the DNA evidence from programs such as the Avid Angler Program, the data suggests that fish from the lower Fraser and those along ECVI (including the Qualicum) contribute highly to Chinook catch inside the SOG. We know, for example, that Cowichan Chinook spend almost all of their time inside the SOG - which led to management measures up in Area 13 & 14 to protect Cowichan Chinook when they were a stock of concern. The catch data supports the importance of ECVI rivers as contributors of prey source for SRKW - ranked #2.

The significant chinook origins have been grouped as (source; Richard Lake - Avid Anglers):

Puget Sound 425
East Coast Vancouver Island 320
Lower Fraser 128 (whites)
Southern Mainland 48
Thompson 47
Upper and Mid Upper Fraser 6

Similarly, Puget Sound Chinook also contribute very significantly - perhaps more so because the US releases of hatchery origin Chinook is considerably higher than Canada produces. These fish also tend to range largely inside as opposed to becoming ocean grazing up in Alaska.

I believe you probably meant to say that selecting brood stock that are known to range inside the SOG, provides both opportunity for anglers and prey for SRKW. The DNA data from the Avid Angler program strongly suggests that the natural range of these particular stocks is largely limited to inside the SOG and WCVI. AND, fish that rear and grow near their natal rivers provide much of the food supply that SRKW rely upon as it closely matches their range as well. Fish that range up into Alaskan waters and later return, only contribute to SRKW when they are migrating to their home rivers. So, Harrison whites (ranked 3rd) are an important potential food source for whales based on their range and year round availability to whales as prey.

I honestly did not expect the SOG stocks to be that important to SRKW given the limited time the SRKW are actually in the SOG. I would of thought that chinook abundance in the JDF would of been more important.

I thought I read in one of the reports that the chinook abundance in april, may and july was the issue for the SRKW