NPAFC reports on wild salmon in the North Pacific Ocean

North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission Technical Report #18. . . is the summary of what scientists found so far from ocean expeditions to the North Pacific in the study of Pacific salmon.

TECHNICAL REPORT NO.18 (2022)

Virtual Conference on Winter Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Results from the Two Gulf of Alaska Expeditions April 20–22, 2021 in Canada and USA April 21–23, 2021 in Japan, Korea, and Russia

The highlights of this extensive report are as follows:

First Nations transition from salmon fishing to salmon farming

Economic development meets Indigenous reconciliation

 

Diversity in the west coast seafood sector includes salmon farms, it is an achievement of which Canadians can be justly proud, especially regarding the First Nations factor in west coast salmon farming. Economic development meets Indigenous reconciliation through salmon farming and Indigenous communities on the west coast are working with Canada in a tremendous show of unity to the country, and the world.

Economic development is the play in this sector showing the benefits of being Canadian. Indigenous leaders and business people are committed to the process considering the number of agreements Indigenous leaders and communities have made in the salmon farm industry in B.C., and Canada, in the past three decades.

Premier Celebrates Wild Salmon Day by Supporting Conservation

VICTORIA, B.C. -  - As part of government’s work to protect salmon habitat and restore wild fish stocks in B.C., the Province is investing $5 million in the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) to continue its wild salmon conservation work.

“In B.C., wild salmon are part who we are. Coastal communities, First Nations, ecosystems and local economies depend on healthy wild salmon stocks,” said Premier John Horgan. “Together with organizations like the Pacific Salmon Foundation, we are working to restore habitats that support wild salmon stocks in our province.”

The announcement was made as part of the first B.C. Wild Salmon Day, a collaborative effort by PSF and the B.C. government to raise awareness of the need to conserve this important species for First Nations and all British Columbians.

“The important cultural and ecological role that wild salmon play in our province cannot be overstated,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “It’s critical that we do everything that we can to protect this species for generations to come.”

The investment will help PSF, a non-profit organization, restore wild salmon stocks through its conservation, science and habitat restoration projects, as well as connect the foundation with Indigenous communities and organizations to further reconciliation and conservation initiatives.

“The Pacific Salmon Foundation is grateful to the provincial government for this investment in our work and for making wild salmon restoration a provincial priority,” said Michael Meneer, PSF president and CEO. “PSF is a collaborative organization. We intend to strategically leverage these funds through proactive partnerships developed during the past 32 years.”

The funding aligns with key recommendations from the Wild Salmon Advisory Council’s report, released in March 2019, which called on government to focus on near-term actions that could address the immediate needs of wild salmon and their habitats. It also delivers on the Province’s commitment to revitalize and protect wild salmon, which will provide greater economic certainty for B.C.’s coastal communities.

The Wild Salmon Advisory Council consists of 14 British Columbians, including co-chairs Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, and Chief Marilyn Slett of the Heiltsuk First Nation. Restoration and protection of wild salmon is a shared priority with the BC Green Party caucus — Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, also participated on the Premier’s advisory council.

The event included students and teachers visiting the grounds of the Parliament Buildings and meeting with representatives of the PSF and community stream-keepers to learn about salmon conservation projects and how everyone can help protect B.C.’s vulnerable wild salmon populations in their communities.

Learning opportunities about salmon science, habitat conservation and restoration were paired with art activities such as the Stream of Dreams’ Fish on Fences project, where students were able to paint wooden salmon, personalizing their learning experience at the B.C. Parliament Buildings.

Quick Facts:

On March 15, 2019, the Province of British Columbia announced an investment of $42.9 million over five years to support the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund in partnership with the Government of Canada, for a total investment of $142.85 million over 5 years.

During the International Year of the Salmon, the B.C. government provided $75,000 to support a comprehensive study of the stock abundance, composition and condition of Pacific salmon in the Gulf of Alaska.

The B.C. government was part of a historic government-to-government process with First Nations to protect wild salmon in the Broughton Archipelago.

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is a not-for-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting, conserving and restoring wild Pacific salmon populations in B.C.

Learn More:

Pacific Salmon Foundation: https://www.psf.ca/
Stream of Dreams: https://www.streamofdreams.org/
Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/initiatives/fish-fund-bc-fonds-peche-cb/index-eng.html
For more information on the study in the Gulf of Alaska, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019AGRI0015-000243
For more information on the Broughton Archipelago agreement, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0151-002412
For more information on fisheries and aquaculture in the province, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/fisheries-and-aquaculture/minister-of-agriculture-s-advisory-council-on-finfish-aquaculture
For more information on the final recommendations made by the Wild Salmon Advisory Group, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/426/2019/03/Wild-Salmon-Advisory-Council-Report.pdf

Major Economic Damage, Job Losses, If Salmon Farm Licenses Are Not Renewed

  Feb. 23rd, 2022

BC COASTAL COMMUNITIES FACE MAJOR ECONOMIC DAMAGE, JOB LOSSES IF SALMON FARM LICENCES ARE NOT REISSUED BY DFO CAMPBELL RIVER, BC –

NEW ECONOMIC ANALYSIS REVEALS MORE THAN 4,700 JOBS and $1.2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AT RISK IF 79 LICENCES NOT REISSUED

BC Salmon Farmers Association

The BC Salmon Farmers Association have released an independent economic analysis outlining the consequences to BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities if 79 salmon farming licenses are not reissued by the federal government by June 2022. The report by RIAS Inc. found BC would lose more than 4,700 jobs, $1.2 billion in economic activity annually, and $427 million in GDP if these licences aren’t renewed.

An additional $200 million in economic activity and 900 jobs would be lost outside of BC. Federal aquaculture licences at 79 BC salmon farms are due to expire on June 30, 2022. Eighty per cent of these salmon farms operate in agreement with the First Nations in whose territories they operate in. For these salmon farms to continue producing a sustainable alternative to declining wild salmon stocks, while working with First Nations, their licences must be reissued by the new Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister Joyce Murray.

In December 2020, former DFO Minister Bernadette Jordan failed to reissue licences for salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands, creating economic hardship and uncertainty for many of BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities. In making her decision, Minister Jordan ignored the scientific consensus that salmon farms do not pose more than minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon, as well as her own department’s advice.

The decision is currently before the courts in the form of a judicial review. If the 79 licences up for renewal are not reissued, Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities will face even greater devastation. “Coastal communities in BC deserve better, especially during an ongoing pandemic that has already caused severe stress, mental health strain, and economic pressure on many families, households and communities,” says Ruth Salmon, Interim Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association.

“After years of instability and concern, these communities deserve a secure and prosperous future,” says Salmon. To minimize any further loss to coastal communities, BC Salmon Farmers need legitimate reissuance of all 79 licences. The reissuing of these licences would drive BC and Canada’s economic recovery, deliver on Indigenous reconciliation, support the restoration of wild salmon populations, safeguard Canada’s food security and sustainability, enhance Canada’s contribution to climate change mitigation, and align with the federal government’s Blue Economy agenda as outlined in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. “We invite Minister Murray to visit the affected rural, coastal communities to better understand the integral role salmon farming plays to the socio-economic wellness of these small towns,” says Salmon.

Find the full report here: https://bcsalmonfarmers.ca/licences/

Find the Impact Map on Coastal Communities here: https://map.bcsalmonfarmers.ca/

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: BC’s salmon farming sector is the provinces #1 seafood export, #1 agri-food export, and is designated an essential service by Federal and Provincial governments. BC Salmon Farmers hold agreements with 17 First Nations on B.C.’s coast. 79 (all remaining) federal finfish aquaculture licences will expire on June 30, 2022. More than 4,700 well-paid jobs are at risk in communities like Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni. About the BC Salmon Farmers Association: Farm-raised salmon is B.C.’s highest valued seafood product, the province’s top agricultural export, and generates over $1.6 billion towards the B.C. economy, resulting in thousands of jobs. The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in B.C. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.

Anti-salmon farming radio ad removed for false advertising

CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) expresses gratitude to Pattison Media for taking swift action to stop airing a factually incorrect radio advertisement by Wild First, an anti-salmon farming organization.
In the advertisement, Wild First claimed that wild Pacific salmon are “on the brink of extinction.” This sensationalist claim is false, with recent research and peer-reviewed studies confirming a record-high abundance of wild Pacific salmon in the ocean since recorded history. The advertisement then called for the removal of ocean salmon farms to protect wild Pacific salmon.

“False advertisements by Wild First mislead the public, particularly consumers who rely on accurate information to make informed choices about their food,” says Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BCSFA. “The spread of this misinformation undermines the significant contributions salmon farming provides to our communities, economy, and environment and is unfair to the hardworking professionals who contribute to this sector.”

Salmon farming plays a vital role in supplying a healthy and sustainable protein to consumers worldwide. British Columbia's salmon farmers are recognized globally through the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index for their commitment to sustainability and responsible aquaculture practices. They adhere to stringent regulations and follow best management practices to ensure the well-being of their fish, wild Pacific salmon, the surrounding marine environment, and the communities in which they operate. Canada's best science and multiple commissions and federal studies continue to support that farming salmon does not present more than minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon.

This is not the first time Wild First advertisements have been removed due to false information. The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) recently announced that Wild First’s anti-salmon farming billboards around Ottawa were removed due to false advertising. CTV News Vancouver also removed a news segment with anti-salmon farming advocates that contained false information, after the BCSFA filed an official complaint

“The continued spread of misinformation by Wild First and other anti-salmon farming organizations emphasizes the need for responsible advocacy based on facts and science,” says Kingzett. “We commend Pattison Media for their commitment to promoting accurate information and ensuring that false advertising is promptly removed.”

The BCSFA remains committed to promoting accurate and science-based information regarding salmon farming. We urge the public to seek reliable sources and engage in open dialogue to better understand the benefits and sustainable practices of this vital sector.

ABOUT THE BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION

BC salmon farmers are committed to reconciliation, and all farms operating in BC are currently done in agreement, negotiation, or established partnerships with First Nations in whose territories we operate. These agreements are founded upon recognizing First Nations’ right to exercise jurisdiction over the land, resources, and waters within their territories.

Farm-raised salmon generates over $1.2 billion for the provincial economy supporting thousands of jobs. Additionally, farm-raised salmon provides a nutritious and sustainably produced protein with a low carbon footprint that contributes to Canada’s food security and Blue Economy.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in BC. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.

For more information, visit bcsalmonfarmers.ca.

Pacific salmon community comes together in Canada

to cast a ‘Beamish’ of light on salmon science
​​

Gulf of Alaska Expedition Departed Feb 18, 2019

A scientific expedition sailed into the Gulf of Alaska in the month of February of this winter with scientists from Korea, Japan, USA, Canada, and Russia, "We're surveying as much of the Gulf of Alaska as we can in 25 days," says Dr. Richard Beamish. "All species in the gulf waters are being studied," and, with 2019 being declared the International Year of Salmon, obviously a focus will be made on this iconic species.

There are 50 people onboard the Russian vessel to conduct the experiments, 21 scientists, and 29 crew, technicians, and assistants. The expedition is a first-ever mission to study the ocean ecology of these important fish, about 1/3 of all salmon are in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter and this includes Asian chum salmon. "Overall we are going to have an estimation of the numbers of all salmon," says Beamish. The expedition will have DNA evidence of the origins of the fish. Eighty percent of the fish in the study are most likely to be chum and pink salmon.

Salmon in the gulf will be coming from a variety of sources, "A percentage of pink salmon will have been reared in hatcheries." Fish arrive in the winter to compete for available food, "Winter is when the food for the fish is at a minimum. Thus we will calculate the 'carrying capacity' of the gulf with the purpose of evaluating effective stewardship of fish resources."

Several hypotheses have been tabled, for example, "We intend to learn the most efficient use of hatcheries. Commercial fishing effects are also part of the science. There is annual demand on salmon fish stocks. With the operation of salmon hatcheries around the Pacific Rim, there are concerns that the hatchery fish impact wild salmon. A major reason for the expedition is to understand the basic mechanisms in ocean science."

Pink and chum are the most prevalent and probably the most observable. "This study has never been done to this extent, although the Japanese have gone out and done about 10 sets on one occasion, and about 15 sets on another."

Observations will be made on growth rates, age of the fish, and fish health. "We will test the hypothesis that abundance of these salmon appears may be determined by the end of their first year in the ocean.

We will look to see if the fish that grow faster, quicker in the first months at sea show the greatest chance of survival." Dozens of measurements will be taken, including extensive observation of the present state of oceanography.

"We are looking at the presence of plankton, predators, and salinity," says Beamish. "The issues of climate will be closely examined. Salmon inhabit the top 40 metres of ocean and temperature conditions affect the presence of plankton. Plankton is a major part of the diet of pink and chum, but not the exclusive food, squid is major, and small fish."

The program for this scientific expedition was put together by Dr. Beamish, "It was privately arranged. The scientists agreed to gather data and take it to the University of British Columbia to be shared for the purpose of study and reporting." Beamish wasn't on the voyage to the gulf departed Feb. 18 and returning to Vancouver Mar 18., "I'm too old."

The data will be assembled and preliminary reports will begin to emerge by the fall of 2019. "DNA evidence takes time to collate." One of the questions they are hoping to answer is, why is the commercial fishery for salmon experiencing some of the highest catches in history? Last year the Russians caught 640,000 metric tonnes of pink salmon which was their highest catch in history.

The scientists want to provide mechanisms for discussing sustainable harvesting practices, especially in light of changing climate and ocean conditions.

"As a society, we want to be the stewards over what's available and have consistent returns of fish to the rivers. One of the amazing things about salmon on the west coast is how they rarely go to extinction of the fish in the rivers. Other species across the country such as yellow perch, walleye pike, can have complete failures in some years. But such events are very rare here with salmon."

Even so, Beamish notes, the trends on salmon abundance on the Fraser runs have been going downward in the past 30 years. "The 2009 run of sockeye returning to the Fraser was the worst in history and there has been a declining trend since the early 1990s. However, the return in 2010 was the highest in history. Chinook salmon in the Fraser River are also declining in abundance. It is important to understand the mechanisms that cause these trends and this is a main reason for the expedition. " WEBSITE FOR DR. RICHARD BEAMISH

Dr. Beamish is expecting the return of an international team of scientists from the Gulf of Alaska on or about March 18, 2019. They set off from Vancouver on February 18. "The work is proceeding better than expected," says Dr. Beamish. "They have had good weather and they are exceeding all expectations in covering the areas of the gulf to be studied."

The scientists studying fish and oceans in winter conditions in the Gulf of Alaska come from Russia, Korea, Japan, Canada and USA, "They are getting along very well. Conditions on the ship are good, although all the instructions and signage are in Russian," it's a Russian vessel after all, "and language barriers do exist among the crew and professionals, everybody is getting along very well, the food is great."

They are finding the catches smaller than may have been anticipated, however, since it's never been done before, nobody really knew what to expect. "They are catching all species of salmon. The majority have been chum salmon. They have plenty of samples, there's not much left of the fish they catch," everything is preserved for the vast amount of study underway on the ship and that which is to come in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia.

"We expect them to come into Vancouver on March 18 as planned. They will also visit the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, and we expect them in Nanaimo on March 20." A historically important biological station in Russia will be sending a team of scientists and administrators to meet up at the historically important station in Nanaimo.





This anchor-project in the 2019 International Year of Salmon has been developed by Dr. Beamish and funding has come from a variety of sources, including $200,000 from the BC Salmon Farmers Association. See https://yearofthesalmon.org/gulf-of-alaska-expedition/

John Paul Fraser is Executive Director of the BCSFA, "We are all anxious to see and learn about the findings," of the Gulf of Alaska expedition, "so that we can better tackle the problems together.

"BC’s salmon farmers are proud to be a founding sponsor of this expedition, and we are all anxious to see and learn about the findings," says Fraser.

"As Dr. Beamish says, there’s a ‘black box’ out there in the North Pacific that we have shed no light on."

Fraser adds, "And because of Dick’s brilliance and perseverance, the salmon community is coming together to cast a ‘Beamish’ of light on the unknown challenges the salmon face."

Freelance Writing by Mack McColl

North Pacific salmon study preparing for second expedition

What regulates salmon abundance?

The $1.4 million required to go ahead with the second North Pacific Salmon Study was raised over the winter of 2020, according to Richard Beamish and Brian Riddell the co-organizers of these important science expeditions to discover the unknown factors in Pacific salmon winter feeding behavior.

"We have one Canadian vessel, called the Pacific Legacy, and we leave March 11 for 25 days for the Gulf of Alaska," says Beamish.

It's a new, modern commercial trawler, he says, holding 12 scientists on this trip. The purpose follows last year's North Pacific salmon study expedition with the goal of understanding more about the salmon's winter feeding grounds of the Gulf of Alaska, when the five species of salmon are widely dispersed over this huge body of water.

The challenge is to understand what regulates salmon abundance from a multi-disciplinary and multi-national point of view. The expedition will be identifying fish by their DNA to produce the data on country of origin, including the river of origin. Scientists from Japan, Russia, USA, and Canada are involved.

They are looking at the behaviour of the fish under these winter conditions, only the second time a comprehensive expedition of this kind has been conducted in the North Pacific in winter. The focus is to understand what regulates the abundance of salmon. The study is in the winter because this is the most stressful period ,in the year for salmon. This year, the very warm water, named ‘The Blob” has returned and the scientists will determine how this warming event affects salmon survival. "Is the food source for the salmon affected by the water temperatures, and in what ways?" Are the salmon forced to deeper water with less food?

Support for the expedition comes privately and with some government funding and by the commercial fishing industry from Canada and USA.

"They survey a large area of the gulf where fish are widely dispersed," says Beamsh, "taking numerous samples from the salmon. The expedition follows a sampling plan that allows a large area to be surveyed. It's like polling for politics, taking small samples over a large area gives us population information including abundances. condition, health, diets, age, behavior and growth rates."

Beamish agrees this is a complicated scientific undertaking, and it requires a hardy spirit to take on the many tasks involved. The payoff is the new knowledge in understanding the behavior of these fish at a time when they face challenges of a changing environment and apparent losses in their survival rates.

Basic Need for Management Data

Brian Riddell has been raising money on behalf of the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and their involvement in Richard Beamish's scientific expeditions to study salmon on the North Pacific.

"Basically we have been reaching out to donors, especially in the commercial fishing industry, and they came forward with significant funding to put the second expedition in the North Pacific this March 2020," says Riddell.

He says the commercial fishermen are concerned about what they're seeing in salmon. "They want to help in identifying the changes. It's not the same picture everywhere on the west coast of Canada, but the Fraser sockeye return in 2019 was the lowest in the historical record."

The Fraser run is customarily huge, often exceeding 10 million fish, "These fish have met challenges this year as well, including the landslide called the Big Bar Incident: "In late June, a landslide in a remote, rugged canyon along the Fraser River north of Lillooet was reported to authorities. Huge pieces of rock from a 125-metre cliff had sheared off and crashed in to the river, creating a five-metre waterfall."

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/fish/fish-passage/big-bar-landslide-incident

"This incident made it worse because last year most of the returning fish were destined for the Upper Fraser watershed."

Riddell has spent his scientific career in the study of Pacific salmon. "I worked for many years in DFO doing stock assessments and genetics. I moved to the Pacific Salmon Foundation for 11 years and I retired, although I am presently working on raising funds on behalf of the PSF and acting as a science advisor to the organization."

PSF is a federally registered charity operating since 1989, providing funds to restore streams and operate conservation programs in B.C.. The Vancouver-centred organization fluctuates in size depending on the programs engaged.

The PSF supports the North Pacific Salmon Study endeavors of Beamish, "These expeditions require experienced people. Last year was atypical because they had good weather. It's difficult to travel out there in winter and work under those conditions."

The science will be conducted and results will flow to the Tula Foundation for data processing and management of the results. The process requires interpretation of data to learn the important details of fish numbers, condition of fish, genetic origins, "The goal is to learn what the fish are doing that is consistent with their returns to rivers of origin."

Ultimately they will be learning how to better forecast the timing and size of salmon runs. "There is a basic need for management data in every season."

Learning the Habits of Salmon

Eric Peterson started the Tula Foundation with Christina Munck at the end of 2001 with the general objective of pursuing "Innovation and Solutions in the Public Interest." They’ve run a number of programs including since 2010 the Hakai Institute, which pursues "Science on the Coastal Margin" of BC. That science includes a focus on oceanography and salmon science.

The Tula Foundation did early work with sockeye in Rivers and Smiths Inlets starting about 15 years ago, working with scientists from UBC and SFU. "At that time the mystery was the reason for the collapse of those two sockeye runs. Later it became evident that their collapse was part of a more general trend across the coast."

"At the end of 2009 we decided it was time to get serious, to establish a base of operations on the Central Coast, to hire staff, and to work more systematically with a long term plan,' says Peterson. They established an "ecological observatory" on Calvert Island, roughly halfway between Port Hardy and Bella Bella, and a few years later a second one on Quadra Island.

"We are soup to nuts on environmental data gathering (acquisition) to managing our own and our partners data." Peterson notes that he sat at the table where the North Pacific Ocean salmon studies were hatched in discussions about learning the habits of salmon in their winter feeding grounds, a task never before undertaken.

Tula Foundation offered to put data management resources on the table to the North Pacific Salmon Study partners. The organization has been engaged with DFO, Ocean Networks Canada, and other agencies and organizations involved with sustaining Pacific fisheries.

Tula Foundation will be presented with data on the oceanography as well as the feeding and food supplies of salmon, a second look after this area was visited in the Year of the Salmon 2019.

"Part of the challenge is to work with data and run it through a major process, and disseminate it. First of all, getting it organized to do this by taking data in Russian, Japanese, Korean, and English."

Peterson says it is an interesting challenge, "We are enthusiastic about being able to take this data and harmonize, analyze, and bring it all together. It will have scientific purpose and commercial purpose."

Peterson notes that the reasons for the collapse and lack of recovery of the Rivers Inlet and Smiths Inlet runs remain a mystery. Many factors — harvesting pressure, spawning habitat destruction, disease, may all have been factors — but there is no one "smoking gun".

"Confronted with such mysteries, experts have often said to me, 'oh it’s probably because of factors beyond our control out there in the open ocean.' I see these expeditions to the North Pacific as a positive step toward tackling these questions directly and resolving some of those mysteries. We like the fact that the nations around the rim of the North Pacific are all engaged in this effort."

The Tula Foundation also operates Hakai Magazine which publishes stories on "Coastal Science and Societies."

Freelance Writing  by Mack McColl

Dr. Dick Beamish's talk at BCSFA's Seafood West summit

The year 2019 was the International Year of Salmon and featured a 'signature event' in the North Pacific with a study of the behavior of Pacific salmon. The study was conducted a group of 18 scientists aboard a Russian charter vessel spending 25 days in the Gulf of Alaska. (A second voyage was in March 2020 truncated by Covid-19.)

Dr Dick Beamish was instrumental in putting together this close examination of the iconic Pacific fish species in its offshore habitat, a major science expedition included with the year of Pacific salmon recognition. Beamish spoke to the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association at Seafood West in fall of 2018.

"The Russians caught 650,000 metric tonnes of pink salmon last year. Why was the number so high? They don't know." The record pink salmon catch in Russia was made primarily for the purpose of harvesting highly prized caviar. Nevertheless there is no explanation for the extraordinary size of the harvest.

Beamish notes Russia doesn't catch salmon the same way Canadians and Americans do. Russians set nets close to shore near the mouth of the rivers and the fish swim in to be caught. Canadians and Americans remain largely engaged in hunting the catch.

"Not long ago Japan had a rising amount of chum salmon to harvest," he says, peaking at 250,000 metric tonnes, but more recently their total catch of chum dropped to 70,000 metric tonnes.

The numbers of Pacific salmon being caught in wide ranging amounts creates a fount of mystery. "In the 1970s the thinking was doubling the catch was possible until the quantity of the catch dropped in Canada to 30,000 metric tonnes. After the 70s we believed we were seeing a shortage of juveniles but that thinking has been proven incorrect."

Knowledge of the behaviour of wild salmon is still basically at square one. "We may have an understanding of the fish. it seems when they grow faster, quicker they survive better. What we need out of the study from the science teams is focus on the fundamental reasons of salmon abundance."

The International Year of Salmon was announced in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2018 to take place in 2019. It is a chance for Pacific salmon harvesting countries to promote effective stewardship of ecosystems, says Beamish.

"We need the scientists to come up with hypotheses and test them. It costs $1.1 million to charter a Russian vessel, which we got reduced to $900,000. We have raised money from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, North Pacific Salmon Commission, and others, and the salmon farmers of B.C. have been major supporters."

The expedition's purpose is to take into account everything known, and work on the unknowns to find a way to accurately forecast returns, or even explain the size of returns, like record numbers of pinks in Russia, and shrinking numbers of chum in Japan.

The cooperating scientists from several nations will be storing the recovered data at University of British Columbia to be made available to all. "The aim is to discover fundamental mechanisms behind salmon migrations."


Beamish asks, "What are the probables? We will probably find Pacific salmon rear in the Gulf of Alaska in winter. Their abundance is determined by the end of the first winter. Specific populations grow in specific areas. Faster, quicker growth contributes to better survival."

Beamish says anomalous warming in the North Pacific in recent years has had a major impact on growth, but it's difficult to qualify the effect. Furthermore, hatchery production adds complications. There is a need to understand variables in the release of hatchery salmon. "You have to be more experimental about raising smolts to be released."

Whatever the outcome, next year promises to contain an exciting learning process related to the understanding of Pacific salmon dynamics in their ocean habitat.

Dr. Richard J. Beamish C.M., O.B.C., Ph.D., D.Sc.,F.R.S.C. http://www.richardbeamish.com/
Richard.beamish@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Freelance Writing by Mack McColl 2018, Updated 2020

Campbell River community spirit shines

 BC Salmon Farmers and Local Supporters Raise Nearly $5,000 for the Campbell River Food Bank at Appreciation BBQ

CAMPBELL RIVER, BC --  The BC Salmon Farmers Association and its members hosted a Community Appreciation BBQ at Robert V. Ostler Park in Campbell River August 22. The team prepared over 680 salmon fillets to serve throughout the day, accepting donations in support of the Campbell River Food Bank. The local community turned out in full force, leading to an early sell-out and raising a notable total of $4,862.

“It was a surprise when we began hearing from the chefs that we might run out of salmon. We never anticipated that over 680 people would attend, but we are truly honoured that so many came to support the Food Bank, learn more about us, and enjoy some delicious locally farmed salmon,” said Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association. “We are also incredibly grateful to the numerous local businesses that donated their time and resources to help make the BBQ a success.”

The event featured a variety of engagement stations, including a Virtual Reality tour of a salmon farm, an Ask Us Anything booth, a Kid’s Zone with crafts and a bouncy castle, a Photo Booth, an Aqua Guardians Station in collaboration with the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, and a First Nations-Led Salmon Farming booth presented by the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship.

The Campbell River Food Bank was also present, collecting cash donations and volunteering their time to help serve salmon, salads and cold drinks.

“Donations tend to decrease during this time of year, and these funds will be used to purchase fresh produce, meat, and dairy for our neighbours in need,” said Joanne Watson, Executive Director of the Campbell River Food Bank. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who came together to make this event an incredible success. We can only continue our important work thanks to the generous support of our community.”

The event was an excellent opportunity to show appreciation for the community while raising awareness about the salmon farming sector. With food affordability and security being significant concerns for British Columbians, recent government decisions to phase out current ocean-based salmon farms by 2029 have raised alarms about the future availability and affordability of salmon, as well as the viability of rural coastal communities on Vancouver Island.

“The City of Campbell River supports the BC salmon farming sector and will continue to do so. It’s a vital economic generator, and we are currently facing challenges in aquaculture,” said Susan Sinnott, Councilor of the City of Campbell River. “The livability of our city depends on the vibrancy of our first-dollar industries, and we aim to work collaboratively to ensure our citizens remain engaged.”

To learn more and to donate to the Campbell River Food Bank, please visit crfoodbank.ca.

ABOUT THE BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION

BC salmon farmers are committed to reconciliation, and all farms operating in BC are currently in agreement, negotiation, or established partnerships with First Nations in whose territories we operate. These agreements are founded upon recognizing First Nations’ right to exercise jurisdiction over the land, resources, and waters within their territories.

Farm-raised salmon generates over $1.142 billion for the provincial economy, supporting thousands of jobs. Additionally, farm-raised salmon provides a nutritious and sustainably produced protein with a low carbon footprint that contributes to Canada’s food security and Blue Economy.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in BC. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.


For more information, visit bcsalmonfarmers.ca.

Science of wild salmon report on North Pacific Ocean

The North Pacific Marine Science Organization held the PICES-2019 Annual Meeting in Victoria, B.C., Oct. 16-27, 2019, "Connecting Science and Communities in a Changing North Pacific"

Dr. Richard Beamish, one of the scientists behind the 'Year of the Salmon' expedition to the North Pacific last February by an international team of scientists of various disciplines, was in Victoria, B.C., to hear the emerging reports from the first expedition.

Meanwhile, Beamish and Brian Riddell are working with the Pacific Salmon Foundation to organize a second scientific expedition to the North Pacific the late winter/spring 2020.

Beamish says, the first expedition was very successful. They estimated that there were about 55 million salmon in the survey area. Abundances were large for chum and coho but much smaller for pink salmon (which should have been the most abundant).

Fraser River sockeye abundance was very low, possibly an indication of what is now expected to be returned. Fraser River sockeye were found farther west than previously known. Pending are the reports of the overall health of fish that were caught in the North Pacific and a test of the idea that abundance of salmon is determined by the end of the first ocean winter.

Beamish and Riddell with the support of the Pacific Salmon Foundation are raising funds for a second expedition. They have receive strong support from the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, a five-year funding program, established late in 2018, with 70 percent from Federal money and 30 percent from B.C. province money. The fund has been instrumental in supporting the study of salmon throughout B.C..

The underlying purpose of the salmon study expeditions to the North Pacific is to understand the mechanisms that regulate salmon abundance. "There is a mechanism that ensures a small percentage of salmon survive to return to the rivers to spawn."

Beamish has said the surviving 'spawners' have to be the 'fastest,' 'quickest' fish in the fight for survival in the oceans and that the eventual spawners must show a lot of strength in the early development phase of their four-year life-cycle. It's a fight for survival in the ocean.

In addition to the normal challenges to the salmon's survival, scientists are studying how climate change is changing ocean ecosystems. in the North Pacific. "The international scientific community has joined together as part of the International Year of the salmon to work cooperatively, to understand the effects of climate change on the salmon in the North Pacific," says Beamish.

The privately organized Gulf of Alaska Expeditions are an important facet of the salmon studies being done by researchers from several Pacific salmon producing countries.

Coastal Indigenous release plan for sustainable Canadian salmon farming

ANISHINABE ALGONQUIN TERRITORY/OTTAWA, ON -- Coastal First Nations from British Columbia came to Parliament Hill today to release a new, positive plan for modern, sustainable, in-ocean salmon farming in their traditional territories.

The Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship (FNFFS) has developed a Nations-led, science-backed, and industry supported plan for salmon aquaculture that is responsible, realistic, and achievable, and will drive the following five outcomes for their rural communities:

- Wild salmon revitalization
- Economic Reconciliation
- An Indigenous-led Blue Economy
- Social and ecological well-being for their territories and communities
- Food security and affordability for their communities and all Canadians

“As conservationists, our coastal Nations have travelled thousands of kilometres to Parliament Hill to present a solution to what’s been a divisive issue in BC: a real, achievable plan for salmon farming that enables our remote communities to continue to thrive socially, economically, and culturally while working to revitalize wild salmon,” says Dallas Smith, spokesperson for the Coalition.

“We have proven we can be both salmon stewards and salmon farmers in our sovereign territories, and by asserting our rights and title with this comprehensive plan, we fully intend to lead this process to achieve what’s best for our communities,” Smith adds.

Nations that participate in the Coalition span from western and central Vancouver Island to BC’s central coast. They have been working alongside the Department of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO) and the Province of British Columbia to develop a framework for the modernization of salmon farming in their traditional waters.

The plan announced today ensures that the future of salmon farming in BC is led by the Nations in whose territories the farms operate, while retaining good, sustainable, year-round jobs and building economic and scientific capacity in Indigenous communities. It also integrates the vision for a new Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (iCAHS) based in Campbell River, BC.

“Because of the work and dignity that comes with the salmon farming industry, we have had no suicides in my community of Klemtu for the past 18 years. Think about that,” says Isaiah Robinson, Deputy Chief Councillor for Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, located 800 km north of Vancouver, on the Central Coast. “My community now has 99 per cent employment and 51% of our income comes from the salmon farming sector. It makes no sense to shut it down. There is no industry that can fill that space.”

With 40% of the fish farms in BC closed in recent years, nearly 400 jobs have already been lost, small businesses have been impacted, and food bank lines are longer in communities like Port Hardy on Northern Vancouver Island. Considering the impact on remote communities, any further decision-making regarding the future of the sector must be done so with Rightsholder Nations at the table, and with their communities top of mind, says Smith.

“With new technology and best practices, and the guardianship and monitoring of our Nations, the salmon farming industry is even more modern than it was 10 or even five years ago. Salmon farmers have innovated far more quickly than any other industry I work with, and at our request,” adds Smith, “But our Nations want to keep working with the industry to truly elevate the potential of our rich marine spaces. To do that, we need the government to also partner with us sit together at the table to implement this plan for modern, sustainable, in-ocean salmon farming that provides a realistic solution for our Nations.”

“If Canada is going to walk the talk on true reconciliation, I think every Canadian would agree that the future of modern salmon farming in BC must be shaped by the coastal First Nations in whose territories the farms are located.”

The FNFFS plan titled, “Indigenous-led Finfish Aquaculture Transition Framework” has been delivered to new DFO Minister Diane Lebouthillier last week, and requires specific commitments to succeed, including:

Government investment in territory-specific Indigenous-led science, technology, and stewardship.

Greater investment and broader, territory-specific siting and implementation of new barrier and monitoring technologies.

The completion of social and economic impact studies in First Nations communities to understand the significance of the presence of the modern salmon-farming sector.
Greater trust and transparency in data-sharing between DFO, industry, ENGOs and First Nations.

The creation of a new Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (ICAHS) in Campbell River to unite western science and Traditional Knowledge in modern scientific methods, as well as provide a coastal training centre for Guardian Watchmen and scientific capacity building for Indigenous communities.

The immediate renewal of long-term salmon farm licensing (9 years) for investment security and growth.

info@firstnationsforfinfish.ca

BC Indigenous Coalition lobbies Ottawa on the salmon farm industry ​

OTTAWA -- Chris Roberts, elected chief councillor, Wei Wai Kum First Nation, based out of Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, in coastal British Columbia, spoke in Ottawa today.


"It's through our rights and title that we must have a say on how, if and what kind of salmon farming can take place in our territories, in our backyards, where we have lived for millenia.

"After the disrespectful and damaging decisions to close salmon farms in my territory the Laichwiltach People, in the Discovery Island without proper consent of the rights holders, we at the coalition can no longer trust that the minister Murray can deliver a thoughtful, unbiased transition plan for the remaining salmon in our sovereign territories.

"That is very worrisome as I stand here with my brothers and sisters . . .

"We as First Nations, we are the original environmentalists, not the fancy downtown activists that you hear about.

"Our people have been looking after wild salmon for thousands of years, and we continue to do so through our guardian programs and our monitors, and we will continue to do so.

"People 5,000 km away will not be making political activist driven decisions for ancient nations that have been stewards of our lands and waters and resources, since time immemorial.

"Now we know there are divergent views on salmon farming among First Nations on the coast of British Columbia. And that's their right. But it's also our right as First Nations to be able to say, YES.

"If a nation can say no to a resource extraction development activity in their territory, they should be able to say yes. And that's because it's done on their terms, on terms that are set out by the laws and traditions of our people.

"Those laws and traditions guide how business is carried out and how things are to be monitored properly.

"This enduring stewardship obligation that I talk about is bestowed to all of us by the Creator of the territories that we call our home, all across Turtle Island.

"And we must respect each other as sovereign nations, and trust in each other that we will uphold those. And when we disagree, we should come together nation-to-nation to talk about our difference of opinion to find areas of compromise, and to seek to understand how we might be able to move forward collaboratively.

"The DFO minister Murray's decision to close all salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, against the wishes of the right's holder nations, in our case the Laichwiltach people, has set a dangerous precedent.

"Not only does it mean that the rest of the transition planning process for the sector is unstable, it threatens salmon farm operations in the rest of the territories where the nations want those farms to operate.

"More importantly, her decision has threatened rights holder First Nations ability to pursue their self-determination, and their right to economic reconciliation by allowing outside influences to make decisions in our territories.

"Just a little bit more about the proposal that was put forward from the Laichwiltach Nations, we were seeking to understand what the impacts are, every sector, every single activity in our territories have an impact, and it's our responsibility to understand what those are, to determine if we can come to grips with it and manage them in a way that is sustainable, and in keeping with our true values and traditions.

"It's really sad that our proposal was unaccepted, because it's a lost opportunity. The opportunity that existed was to advance our guardian watchmen programs, our fisheries stewardship technicians, to directly participate in the research and monitoring to evaluate the impact from salmon farming on the environment and on wild salmon.

"I am not going to deny those exist, but as we talk about a transition, as this government likes to call it, we wanted to be on the front lines of what that would be, to embrace new innovations and the possibility of new technologies that could be implemented to reduce or eliminate the risks to wild salmon.

"And the fact that our proposal was disregarded is troubling. It sends a signal that I don't know if there was ever a genuine interest in supporting a transition.

"And so to just kind of mandate something to land-based in this case, it doesn't make sense to me, because there's a lot of evidence and investment across the world where this has been attempted, and maybe it will be figured out one day, but if we talk about a transition and going towards something better, we have to embrace and work with what we have now.

"To try and flick it off like a switch I think it flies in the face of what is required to have investment in research and development and bring new innovations.

"So we call on Prime Minister Trudeau to pass a critical file on to more responsible and unbiased minister to complete. We strongly recommend the minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, the Hon Mark Miller, for this job.

"We are also fathers and mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, like you, who want to see our families succeed and communities thrive and have a promising future.

"Like you, we want our people to have good jobs, and like you we want everyone to be able to afford healthy food and put food on their tables for their families.

"The government of Canada is on a dangerous track, with policy decisions to close sustainable farming in our waters. They are suggesting that we grow Canadian salmon on land, even the B.C. government says it's not feasible, and at this point in time it does not make sense.

"We have with us, an example here, the salmon that you see, it was not grown in Canadian waters, where it could have been or should have been. It was not grown in any of our territories, where it could have been and should have been.

"It was not processed by workers in the community of Klemtu of the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais, or the community of Port Hardy on north Vancouver Island, because Minster Murray has severely impacted the production of the salmon farming industry by closing down farms in our territory, and we're concerned of the track that might continue on with the rest of the coast.

"The piece of salmon was flown all the way from Norway or Chile, thousands of kilometres away, and when you think about the net effect and of citizens of the planet that we care for, of climate change, and carbon emissions, how is that sustainable?

"And because of decisions by Minister Joyce Murray, this costs you and your family more on your grocery bills to put this healthy meal on your table for your family.

"I'm not sure what the price of it says, but I think, uh, yikes!" he looks at the label on the package, "It's $55 for this slab of salmon, something that would have previously costed around $30.

"And this piece of salmon is going to become even more unaffordable for you and your families if these decisions continue, not only because it's imported from far away, but because we no longer have the jobs of farming salmon in the communities.

"And we have also been fishing nations, it's engrained in my blood for several generations. But we are also salmon farming nations as we stand here together, and we are coastal nations.

"And we should have the right to say what happens in our territory.

"This is an important job that we have, and I am reminded by some of my Elders and people in my community that often have a difficult time coming to grips with various industries, because of their perceived impact, but when we talk about it, we're reminded that, as newcomers came to our territories, balance has been disrupted from day one, and we have constantly had to adapt to changing times.

"A lot of the things that are being sought to protect are the commercial salmon industry, which I am proud of my family's participation for many years, but an industrial full scale commercial fishery on the whole coast of British Columbia with countless canneries dotting the coastline, that was not our way as a people, but we were participants in that and we embraced it.

"Unfortunately, our rights to make decisions on how that fishery would be managed were not recognized early enough and we are suffering the consequences of a vast reduction of salmon on the coast.

"So when we look at a new industry like salmon farming, we're also meeting it head on, embracing it for the opportunity that it could be, and ensuring that things are happening on our terms.

"And that's very important because each nation is distinct and unique, and have their own set of laws and values that must be upheld, for this industry to continue."

Fraser River Salmon Table Society meetings devise long-term strategies for sustainable salmon returns

The Fraser River Salmon Table Society is working toward consensus, said Richard McGuigan, PhD, co-chair of the salmon table (along with Marcel Shepert, Pacific Salmon Treaty) during the meeting in Prince George, BC, Sep 18 07, at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre.

Dr. McGuigan said, “Cooperative Decision Management is the way to achieve consensus,” for the fledgling table society.

By this emerging method interest-based negotiations are conducted through (three) stages and everybody abides by a final consensus. Cooperative Decision Management allows no veto to any party, and is not co-management, which, “has a negative reputation and gives regulators a lot of power,” said co-chair McGuigan.

The salmon table process must respect the ability of First Nations to represent their constituencies, said Doug Kelly, Sto:lo Tribal Council, “especially regarding the inter-tribal treaty process.” The table is open as long as Aboriginal rights and title are respected.

David Moore worked on table planning, “One goal of the salmon table is to create transparency in marketing, ultimately to resolve problems like selling caviar for as low as 11 cents per pound and finding out it fetches $15 a pound in the US food market.”

This transparency is the goal of a Siska First Nation demonstration project, to, “catch, process, and sell their fish harvested from a fish wheel,” with approval of CFIA, BC Food Safety Act, and BC Centre for Disease Control.

Salmon is a commodity from the wild realm, and salmon is still largely misunderstood in terms of behaviour and even physiology

Moore explained, “We have learned colour of the flesh is not determined by how far up the river the fish has gone,” a previous assumption, “rather, maturity is the determinant in quality and colour of the flesh.”

This is interesting because the old view was the farther up the river salmon were caught the less red and more dark the flesh would be (and dark is inedible). Now upstream fishers can join the mainstream market.

“The key is flexibility in marketing,” said Moore to the table society meeting.

He said, “Micro-processing can be done profitably without over-capitalization.” A boondoggle may exist in the changing provincial management of food health via Regional Health Authorities in BC.

The BC government says on the internet, “This structure, introduced in December 2001, modernized a complicated, confusing and expensive health care system by merging the previous 52 health authorities into a streamlined governance and management model.”

Today, said Moore, “these regional health authorities are charged with supplying permits required for the catching processing and selling of fish.”

The commercialization of fresh caught salmon may be advanced through a new process, noted Moore, now including a specific container for storing a fish, a card-board, wax-coat that preserves ice and fish together for the few hours required to get a fish a proper larder.

The problem is, however, a lack of fish to market. Teresa Ryan works in Vancouver as a fish biologist on the Pacific Salmon Commission and a scientist representing coastal First Nations. They were all asking the same question: where have all the fish gone?

A report in the Prince George Free Press said low salmon returns found along the Fraser River this year show nets producing a tenth the expected catch. As a result people are not going fishing.

Obviously this is a major concern in Canada’s North West Pacific where often the First Nations are losing of a way of life. Traditional salmon harvests unite communities but this year nobody goes to the river.

These people are facing a disappearing cultural diet, a staple food for the poor, and a lack of control over problems associated with the loss.

BC Salmon Farmers Concerned About Fiscal Update:

Reckless Policy Decisions Compound an Expected Dire Fiscal Forecast 

Liǧʷiłdaxʷ TERRITORY/CAMPBELL RIVER, BC -- December 16, 2004 -- The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), representing thousands of workers across British Columbia, is deeply concerned about the grim picture painted by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Freeland from the Trudeau government today. 

The government's reckless actions exacerbate our ballooning debt and stagnant economy as Canadians face rising living costs, higher food prices, and a weakening Canadian dollar. The estimated $9 billion taxpayer-funded cost of phasing out the BC salmon farming sector is another example of costly political gimmicks over sound economic policy. 

Despite clear scientific evidence, the decision to ban current marine net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029 is driven by political motivations rather than long-term, responsible planning. This policy ignores the real-world consequences for thousands of workers, First Nation communities, and the broader economy.  

Wild Pacific salmon studied in North Pacific winter habitat

The study of salmon in their winter feeding grounds of the North Pacific will continue with the impending voyage of the Pacific Legacy, leaving Victoria March 11 and returning April 4, 2020.

"The intent is to investigate the winter ecology of salmon and the effects of changing water conditions," says Richard Beamish, who has been spearheading deeper research into the survival rates and behaviors of wild salmon in their ocean environment along with Brian Riddell.

Survival of salmon in their first year at sea seems to be the basis for essential understanding of the return rates of spawning salmon, says Beamish The effort of scientists from several Pacific Rim nations is focused on gaining new insights about the five Pacific salmon species in their winter habitat of the Gulf of Alaska.

The 12 scientists from Canada, USA, Japan, S. Korea, and Russia, will examine how much food is available when they spend their first year at sea. "To test the idea of the importance of the first year in the ocean you have to be out there," and this second voyage builds on observations made last winter in the gulf.

In 2019 British Columbia had the lowest salmon catch in history. It was only 1.5% of the total record high commercial catch in 1985. What are the basic fundamentals determining the survival rates? What is regulating the ocean? How do we become professional stewards of this resource?"

The ocean conditions for the fish are a complete mystery. One cannot stress the point enough about the lack of knowledge there is regarding the ocean effects of the salmon's life. Salmon spend about 75% of their life in the ocean and most of it is a secret.

"What is happening with ocean water temperatures? Salinity?" Wind, weather, and climate change. All these effects need close examination, and to do it you need to sail out and be there.

"There are changes affecting preferred prey, including currents and water chemistry.

The 12 scientists of various disciplines are funded by private donations from a wide variety of sources, especially commercial fishing companies in both Canada and the United States, and BC Salmon Farmers, "The donations have come both small and large," says Beamish. We were able to raise one million and three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

At the end of summer 2020, a major conference about Pacific salmon occurs in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September 21-23, 2020, where all participants and others will interpret results and publish the findings.

Chinook salmon are disappearing and management changes could fix it

We ask a Chinook salmon expert to answer the question, Is it too late for the last of the Chinook salmon stocks?

It is a very real and serious situation, declining numbers of Chinook salmon returning to rivers in many areas of Canada’s Pacific coast. The disappearance has happened to countless water sheds on Vancouver Island. There is a large collection of fish hatcheries operated by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and others in conjunction with community organizations and Indigenous communities. All hatcheries must follow DFO standard rearing practice model which is growing an S-zero type smolt released at 6 months old, i.e., adult spawn in October and juveniles are grown rapidly to attain a 3 to 5 gram release size by the following May. The number of DFO funded hatcheries adhering to the S-Zero approach is listed in the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan.

According to the expert, this ongoing 40-year approach is not working and the release of millions of juveniles chinook have ever diminishing number of adult fish returning to spawn in the rivers.

"We know the harvest of wild seafood products has flatlined in the past 10 years, and demand for sea food products now sees upwards of 60% of what is being consumed provided from "aquaculture worldwide."

Our expert operates a Pacific salmon hatchery and research program formerly growing Chinook salmon for aquaculture and a few hard-to-obtain enhancement projects. We asked what is the reason for, and solution to, the Chinook salmon problem?

"Over the past 12 years I have provided information to the DFO on how to improve and reverse the down-turn for Chinook salmon. This is based on 35 years hands on growing Chinook salmon. We looked at what DFO’s enhancement approach is, what we've learned growing Chinook for aquaculture and compared everything to the wild salmon lifecycle.

"Since 2003 we have submitted proposals to demonstrate that by incorporating changes at the fresh water rearing stage, ocean survivals can be drastically improved. DFO current ocean survivals are .17 to .6% or less. By our assessment this can be increased to 3 – 10%.

"In 2009 we were allowed to bring in eggs and grow Chinook smolts using our methods. Preliminary adult returns in 2013 to the Sarita River are showing 15-times or greater ocean survivals compared to DFO smolts. Simply put; our 48,000 juvenile releases of S-One should see 1500+ adult returns whereas 450,000 S-Zero releases by DF0 in the same river are seeing 700 to 1700 adult returns."

What are the reasons for your higher survival rates?

"The key to smolts higher survival is due to the type of smolts, their condition and how they are grown in fresh water. Information we have gathered demonstrates the predominant lifecycle for Vancouver island Chinook is a fish that spends one year rearing in fresh water before going to the ocean. This information is supported by technical reports and simple lifecycle profiling which demonstrates wild Chinook are .5 to 1.1 gram by the first of May, then spend an additional 12 months rearing in freshwater before they migrate to the ocean in April and May at 2 to 5 gram size, referred to as an S-One. By comparison, Coho, Steelhead and Sockeye all have a fresh water rearing duration from one to three years before going to the ocean.

"The freshwater nursery stage is extremely important for proper physiological development of the immune system. By not having this fresh water development duration most of the enhanced S-Zero Chinook juveniles die from a common ocean bacterium in the first 4 months of ocean entry.

"In 2009 I gave a presentation at the Annual Aquaculture meeting entitled, 'Freshwater Hatchery Management Practices' which could be incorporated to "Re-build Wild Stocks of Chinook salmon”. AAC Advance Spec. Publ. No. 15 (2009). Dr. Beamish also did a study on Cowichan Chinook whereby only 1.8% of DFO’s smolts were alive 4 months after ocean entry verses 33.8% for wild."

What has DFO’s response been to this information?

"DFO maintains that all Vancouver Island Chinook are S-Zero type fish and go to the ocean by the first May at 3 to 5 grams. Under the Wild Salmon Policy they are obligated to grow fish similar to the wild. DFO also did several past S-One Trials saying they produced a large number of jacks and 3 year old instead of 4 year old females, with overall ocean survival similar to their S-Zero releases. This information has been their bench mark on what to expect when rearing S-One smolts and why they do not work."

DFO’s comments on the higher survivals and returns, saying, "the number of adult returns are “substantial and extremely important."

How will this play into DFO’s future approach to chinook salmon management?

"Listed in the SEP 2014 IFMP are several 'New S-One Trials' for Chinook. A number of these are for projects we have annually proposed but never been allowed to do."

Does this mean you will be growing the fish for the Trials?

"We annually submitted projects since 2003, from our hatchery and through committees to continue S-One projects. Only after I read the 2014 SEP IFMP on line posting for public comment, did I become aware that DFO has planned to do several new S-One Trials."

Were you part of the IFMP Process, which allows public and all small hatchery’s the opportunity to attend DFO meetings and submit proposals for the upcoming 2014 Season?

"Over the past four years DFO had instructed me to attend the local IFMP hatchery meetings. This year I was told I could not attend, for I was not part of their PIP program, and instead to attend an afternoon session for 'others', which ran out of time, so we simply had to email our projects.

"As well, since the ocean survivals have been so low for Chinook entries into Georgia Strait, I have asked over the past three years to be given an opportunity to attend the IFMP meetings for the Cowichan and present a proposal to grow a 50,000 entry group in the S-One program at our hatchery. I still have not been given any opportunity by the Department and have simply had to submit the projects by email.

"The Salmon Enhancement program prides itself through Public Involvement Program (PIP) working with hundreds of organizations and as part of their community outreach program. Through its PIP, DFO collaborates with community volunteer groups to undertake fish enhancement programs that are supposed to be open and unbiased. If this is not happening with regards to allowing you to participate, especially after what is most likely the “most important ocean survival information to come across DFO’s desk in the past 25 years from your efforts," all I can say is, what is going on?"

"We were told in order to participate we would need to gather letters in support. To date we have 16 letters in support from Huuayaht and Ucluelet First Nations and others, including the City, Regional District, Recreational Fishing, Oak Bay Marine Group, Salmon Festival Society, Port Authority, BC Wildlife Federation etc. who have written directly to DFO specifically requesting to allow our participation and to work with us on this topic. It has been tough, I participate on a number of fisheries committees locally, and put a lot of my time, effort and resources to trying to make a difference and help to get the Chinook issue addressed."

What do you think needs to be done next?

"To date our hatchery program is the only one that has delivered proven S-One results, demonstrated by actual adult returns to the Sarita River. No one from DFO has ever asked what our program is. With several new Trials listed it is important the smolts be grown in our hatchery 'proven program’, allow the true results to come in and we will transfer the protocol and assist DFO facilities to set-up a program at all locations which will ensure success. Too much time has already gone by and it should not be subject to further set-backs. We know we can provide a Chinook smolt that has more predictable, higher returns.

"DFO needs to make a common sense decision “or the betterment of the Chinook stocks, which is expected by the Canadian citizens who have entrusted DFO with the responsibility to best manage the fish. They need to read all those letters and allow our participation to ensure the future S-One trials are successful. My assessment is, there is enough information present to support immediate integration of an S-One smolt component to many of the ongoing projects, currently releasing over 20 million S-Zero smolts."

If the right decisions were made, what do you see for the Future?

A successful program is not solely measured by the number of juveniles released but more importantly the number of fish surviving to return as adults. Done properly, the integration of a successful S-One program will drastically improve many outcomes which are dependent on healthy large Chinook runs. It will, increase adult returns from a few hundred, back to historic thousands, ensuring the many runs currently at a few hundred adult returns are less vulnerable to extirpation.

"It would revitalize economic prosperity to local First Nations, recreational and commercial fishers, in turn coastal communities who would all benefit through greater access of Chinook for harvest, reduce the number of brood stock removed and juveniles required for smolt releases, leave greater numbers of adult fish to naturally spawn in the rivers, provide food to wildlife such as Orcas who target specific species and be a cost-savings to the Salmon Enhancement program as a whole."

Freelance Writing by Mack McColl 

Beard House Seafood Collaboration Dinner included Creative Organic Salmon

NEW YORK, NY - Chef Ned Bell celebrates sustainable seafood in all its forms. The Three Cheers for Seafood! dinner October 16 at The Beard House in New York, NY, was another fine example and for this meal, Creative Salmon Organic was on the menu.

Creative Salmon Organic is the first certified organic farm salmon producer in Canada and the only major farmer of Chinook – King – salmon in North America.

“This event was a celebration of National Seafood Month in the United States,” says British Columbia-based Chef Bell. “It was an opportunity to engage people in talking about and appreciating sustainable seafood.”

Chef Bell visited Creative Salmon Organic’s operation in Tofino, British Columbia, in 2017.

“Creative is organic. Creative is small scale. The focus is quality and it shows. Creative is a showcase for responsible salmon farming and it’s a pleasure to work with this product.”

Among the many spectacular menu items, the chefs prepared Slow-Roasted-and-Smoked Creative Salmon with Roasted Apples and Watercress, Black Pepper, and Brioche.

“It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Chef Bell these past couple years. His passion for sustainability and environmental responsibility fits our company’s philosophy perfectly,” says Creative Salmon Organic General Manager, Tim Rundle.

Mid-Island’s three biggest First Nations signed 2011 deal with Marine Harvest

One of the first commercial fisheries to turn to aquaculture was Klemtu, and the people have never looked back since making the investment in processing fish for Marine Harvest Canada . The Atlantic salmon are farmed in Kitasoo/XaiXais waters. Klemtu community on Swindle Island has a fishery-conscious labour force that MHC draws on for employees.

Other community members work at Kitasoo Seafoods Ltd.. Klemtu leadership created conditions that put MHC on- site. Klemtu community participates from environmental to fiscal level of seafood operations. They are there to monitor their traditional waters. This well-balanced arrangement continues to deliver economic and social benefits.

At the end of June 2011 MHC and three Central Island First Nations concluded three years of discussions intending to guide the operations of salmon aquaculture in their territories. On June 24th, the We Wai Kai, We Wai Kum and K’omoks First Nations celebrated signing of a capacity-building agreement with MHC. The agreement requires environmentally sustainable practices, provides economic and investment opportunities for the First Nations.  

“We are very pleased to start a positive relationship between Marine Harvest Canada and our people,” says Chief Ralph Dick of the Wei Wai Kai Nation. “It’s important that we have input into how companies operate within our territory since they are already here,” states Chief Robert Pollard of the Wei Wai Kum Nation, “and the best way to have our say is to work collaboratively. This agreement provides that opportunity.” 

A spring 2011 announcement by the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association is receiving positive feedback on the west coast. The Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture (APSA) standard of certification has been applied to Mainstream Canada, and, according to proponents, “other aquaculture companies are inquiring about certification. 

Richard Harry is president of the AAA, “We need to make the world understand and appreciate First Nations communities operating in aquaculture. It is the biggest employer in our communities. There are jobs for people which  sustains communities, and we are  partners in these endeavors.”

Harry notes, “Fish farming is probably the most over-regulated industry in the country. To us, it`s operation standards that matter. And where the industry goes we need to be part of it. Fiirst Nations and the companies involved will lead the APSA program. But the market place itself is probably the most important place.” 

He says, “It`s the people who accept this form of certification that will do the promotion. I don`t know if it`s ever happened that a First Nation certification of an industry has occurred.”  Ahousaht is engaged in the aquaculture and fish farm industry, “This is a good first example of implementation. 

In the Alberni Valley is the Sarita River, lands and waters of the Nuu Chah Nulth nation, where once a richness of Chinook salmon resources was unsurpassed. Sarita was a  special project done by Omega Pacific Hatchery with financial help from Huu Ay Aht First Nation (Sarita is part of their traditional territory), sponsorship from Creative Salmon and other fish farm companies working to release 50,000 wild Chinook salmon, April 12, 2011.

To make salmon resources thrive again, production capacity of Omega Pacific Hatchery was employed in a special project to release 50,000 ‘S-One’ Chinook salmon smolts. Stephan Ochman is the 14 year fisheries manager of Huu Ay Aht, and says the April 2011 release in Sarita River was the outcome of long term process to rehabilitate the fishery in the watershed. “These fish will return as three or four year olds.”

Pacific Coast aquacullture economy a major growing concern

The multi-million dollar aquaculture industry on the west coast is more and more becoming a billion-dollar industry, with growing facets in species, markets, and investors. First Nations on the coast are big players in the industry and the credit for the  way that came to pass belongs to the past. First Nations were the backbone of the commercial fishery in many areas. They have a substantial number of licensees participating in commercial fisheries today. Depleting resources could be a threat to every license,  however.

One of the first commercial fishery players to turn to aquaculture was Klemtu, and the people have never looked back since making the investment in processing fish for Marine Harvest Canada . The farmed  Atlantic salmon are grown in Kitasoo/XaiXais waters. Klemtu community on Swindle Island has a fishery-conscious labour force that MHC draws on for employees in the pen-sites.Other community members work at Kitasoo Seafoods Ltd. processing plant. Klemtu leadership created conditions that put MHC on- site. Klemtu community participates from environmental to fiscal level of seafood operations. They are as ever there to monitor things in their traditional waters. This well-balanced arrangement continues to deliver great economic and social benefits.

More recently, at the end of June 2011,  MHC and three Central Island First   Nations concluded three years of discussions intending to guide the operations of salmon aquaculture in their territories.  On June 24th, the We Wai Kai, We Wai Kum and K’omoks First Nations celebrated the   signing of a capacity-building agreement with Marine Harvest Canada. The agreement requires environmentally sustainable practices, provides economic and investment opportunities for the First Nations. 

“We are very pleased to start a positive relationship between Marine Harvest Canada  and our people,” says Chief Ralph Dick of the Wei Wai Kai Nation. “It’s important that we have input into how companies operate within our territory since they are already here,” states Chief Robert Pollard of the Wei Wai Kum Nation, “and the best way to have our say is to work collaboratively. This agreement provides that opportunity.” 

The signing increases the total number of agreements between Marine Harvest and coastal First Nations to ten. “Marine Harvest recognizes the importance of working with local First Nation bands,” said  Vincent Erenst, Managing Director at Marine Harvest Canada. “We look forward to working with our partners to ensure that our business promotes sustainability for our oceans, our economy and local communities.”

Collectively, the three Nations and Marine Harvest Canada represent a significant portion of BC’s aquaculture production – both shellfish and salmon. Marine Harvest Canada is BC’s largest producer of fresh farm-raised salmon and directly employs 550 staff. We Wai Kai, We Wai Kum and K’omoks First Nations represent approximately two thousand members and are in the shellfish business. 

A spring 2011 announcement by the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association is receiving positive feedback on the west coast where so many communities are dependent on a commercial fishery   that has declined to a shadow of it’s former self for several years. The Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture (APSA) standard of certification has been applied to Mainstream Canada, and, according to proponents, “other aquaculture companies are inquiring about certification. Richard Harry is president of the AAA, “We need to make the world understand and appreciate First Nations communities operating in aquaculture. It is the biggest employer in our communities. There are jobs for people which  sustains communities, and we are  partners in these endeavors.”

As a close observer of the industry over the years, Harry notes, “Fish farming is probably the most over-regulated industry in the country. To us, it`s operation standards that matter. And where the industry goes we need to be part of it. Fiirst Nations and the companies involved will lead the APSA program. But the market place itself is probably the most important place.”

Harry says, “It`s the people who accept this form of certification that will do the promotion. I don`t know if it`s ever happened that a First Nation certification of an industry has occurred.”  The AAA mission statement is to support First Nation sustainable aquaculture in ways that support and respect First Nation community culture and values. It means First Nation-approved aquaculture products coming onto the market. 

The AAA designed the criteria beginning with environmental performance of these companies and industries, “a performance that has to be better understand by public. But we also realized the need for monitoring social aspects of aquaculture, that we should focus on the economic impact in communities, and cultural aspects, asking if aquaculture operators are meeting needs in local communities.”

Ahousaht is deeply engaged in the aquaculture and fish farm industry so it makes a good starting point for a certification program, and, Harry adds, “Mainstream has been working with Ahousaht for long time to develop the relationship, in fact, signing a protocol agreemenl last year. They had a natural foundation for certification.” Thus fish farming received the first certification of aquaculture under APSA, but, “The whole idea is to go across all sorts of aquaculture.

“But this is a good first example of implementation. AAA`s goal is to have APSA applied to any form of aquaculture, operator, and First Nation across the country.” APSA audits the economic, social, water and land use, personnel use, and applies to aquaculture on the ocean, or land, including hatcheries.

In the Alberni Valley is the Sarita River, lands and waters of the Nuu Chah Nulth nation, where once was a richness of Chinook salmon resources that could only described as unsurpassed. To make the salmon resource thrive again, production capacity of Omega Pacific Hatchery was employed in a special project to release 50,000 ‘S-One’ Chinook salmon smolts, those that are raised in fresh water (at great expense ) to over a year old. These were released into the Sarita River with the sponsorship assistance of Creative Salmon of Tofino and other partners in the fish farming industry.

This was a special project done by Omega Pacific Hatchery along with financial help from Huu Ay Aht First Nation (for the Sarita is part of their traditional territory) and the help of a group of fish farm companies, all working together to release 50,000 wild Chinook salmon into the Sarita River, April 12, 2011.

Bruce Kenny and Carol Schmitt own OP, on Great Central Lake, not far north of Port Alberni, B.C., on Vancouver Island, where, Bruce said, “We grew the wild Chinook salmon to one year in fresh water, and we are making a concentrated effort to improve survival rates of hatchery released Chinook.” Growing S-One (year-old) fish is an arduous task, for they achieve a mere four inches of growth a year in fresh water.

Carole Schmitt worked on the Sarita River enhancement program to gather eggs in 2009 that were hatched and grown in 2010, and have now been shipped in 2011. Bruce says, “It’s a long period for wild animals to be in captivity, and people said to us, ‘Oh, they’ll be domestic by the end of a year in your facility.’ We released 6 km upstream with underwater camera watching, and they snapped into wild mode instantly.” The released fish, “Went upstream, came back down, stood around for two days, gathered under a bridge, and then all departed for the ocean.”

Stephan Ochman is the 14 year fisheries manager of Huu Ay Aht, and says the April 2011 release in Sarita River was the outcome of long term process to rehabilitate the fishery in the watershed. “These fish will return as three or four year olds. They are code-wire tagged so we’ll be able to see exactly, during brood stock capture, what percentage came from this Omega Pacific release.”

The Sarita River fishery has been sustained by the hatchery release of fish for many years, says Ochman, “It appears ninety percent of the fish that come into the Sarita came from hatcheries. There are very few native-born fish in the river.” The recent S-One release was done outside the usual procedure of hatchery release as operated by Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

“We are going to do the release of S-zero hatchery fish, about half-a-million as usual this spring. This release always gave us returns in the 1990s, during which we got 3,000 and 4,000 returns per year. In the last few years the returns dropped to very low counts. That’s why we tried a different method, releasing the S-Ones grown by Omega Pacific.”

S-Ones are grown 18 months in a tank of fresh water on reduced diets, whereas S-Zeros are hatched and grown for 6 months and released. There is a science to growing fish and DFO adheres to different science than OP, DFO releasing larger quantities of younger fish, OP taking eggs exclusively from native brood-stock and putting a natural cycle into early rearing and release. Ochman took part in the S-One release and says the Sarita River was gushing, visibility wasn’t good, and the fish were gone two days later when he went for the swim in his dry suit and snorkel.

Carol Schmitt explains the rationale behind developing the S-One hatchery fish, “Mother nature keeps them at least a year, sometimes three. The DFO S-Zero hatchery fish are released at six months because they make them grow fast, which triggers them to go into the ocean early. We are thinking the fish have to mature in fresh water longer in order to build up the physical stamina to survive in oceans.”

Omega Pacific one of the few independent hatcheries left, specializes in Chinook and raises eggs for export and supplies Chinook smolts to fish farms. “Our facility is beside the lake and the tanks are fed by a fish-free creek of mountain water,” notes Kenny. ”The entire facility is designed around the needs of fish. We have 30 years acquired knowledge. Carol has spent seven years developing a method of rearing and releasing S-One wild Chinook.”

OP is totally immersed in the raising of Chinook salmon from eggs to captive broodstock. They live beside the lake in the wilderness with salmon 24/7, 365 days a year. “We don’t have a 4 o’clock,” says Kenny. Carol says, “We go out to a stream with few returns and take eggs from the few back to the hatchery.” Kenny and Schmitt agree that ideal conditions would be to deploy satellite hatcheries that do egg hatches at the site from brood stock and reintroduces them to the native river.”

OP anticipates the S-Ones will have a higher survival rate amid the biology of a natural cycle in growth and timing of departure to sea. “We are hoping they come back to do natural reproduction on the stream, lessening the need to release fish by hatcheries,” so there it is a form of satellite-enhanced stream enhancement. Stefan Ochman says, “Now we wait three years to see the results.”

Carol Schmitt is an independent force majeure in the enhancement business and her knowledge grows from a lot of experience in aquaculture, including producing the fish presently swimming in AgriMarine’s new closed containment tanks afloat in the Seymour Narrows near Campbell River.