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Salmon return in record numbers

Chum counts in Lang Creek reach almost 24000

by Laura Walz editor@prpeak.com Record salmon returns in the Powell River area mean dead fish have been piling up on creek banks during the fall.

Some residents have speculated that a salmon virus was the culprit. But according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, no confirmed cases of the infectious salmon anemia virus have been found in BC wild or farmed salmon tested by the federal government.

In October, Simon Fraser University researchers announced they had detected the disease in two wild juvenile Pacific salmon collected from BC’s central coast. The announcement prompted fears the influenza-like virus could infect salmon runs.

George Illes, vice-president of Powell River Salmon Society, said this has been a record year for fish returns in Lang Creek, where the society operates a hatchery. “We’ve had above average returns on all species,” he said. “Statistically our hatchery has always had a high return, compared to the provincial average.”

At the end of October, the society had documented almost 24,000 chum returns. As well, there have been 2,731 coho returns, 1,659 chinook and 1,678 pinks.

Another reason for piles of dead fish on the banks of the creek is the lack of heavy rains. “Normally the creek is two feet higher,” said Illes. “Normally the fish would have washed out to the sea.”

The abundance of fish carcasses is attracting bears, said Illes. “There have been lots of bears,” he said. “We have five resident bears at the creek.”

There have been record returns of salmon at Willingdon Beach as well. More than 200 chum had returned by the end of October. The increase in returns to Willingdon is directly attributed to the imprinting of chum fry at the site in rearing troughs for a 10-day period, a project organized by CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 798.

One morning, there were over 100 fish in the system and the same number of dead fish on the shoreline, said Paul Nassichuk, one of the CUPE volunteers and City of Powell River parks foreman. “Many more were still out in the estuary, waiting for another high tide to come in on,” he wrote in an email. “This is by far the best year to date and proves our efforts over the years have spawned results.”

CUPE Local 798 volunteers began working on revitalizing salmon runs in the area in 1997.

Lee George, manager of Sliammon Salmon Hatchery, said fish on the banks of Sliammon Creek were placed there after egg takes at the hatchery. “The carcasses that we’re throwing out are ending up in the river,” he said. “Unfortunately there isn’t enough rain to wash them out, that’s why the carcasses are there.”