Salmon Steward

2016

Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada

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I have always marvelled at the life cycle of wild Pacific salmon and their mysterious, almost heroic journey from their natal streams, their migration to the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, then back again to their stream of birth for the ultimate sacrifice. But I never seriously considered the need for conservation until first fishing with my sons in Rivers Inlet on the B.C. Central Coast in the early 1990s. I am a lousy fisherman for sure – partly because I am on the side of the fish – but it occurred to me that this cycle, which has been occurring for millennia, might not always do so, and what a tragedy that would be. My appreciation for our wild salmon grew as I learned how important they are to the cultures, economy and eco- systems of our province. Wild salmon have sustained First Nations from the beginning and are thereby understandably revered. They provided a new province with an important early staple industry. Today they remain a keystone species for our complex ecosystems, and they continue as the backbone of our commercial fishing and tourism economies. This has motivated me to seek out those doing important conservation work and to do my part to support the cause. Through Good Hope Cannery, we support salmon ecology research on Rivers Inlet Sockeye salmon. This Central Coast «ord once vied with the Skeena River as the location of Canada's second-most prolific Sockeye salmon run. The run declined in the late 1990s to less than one per cent of its historic abundance and has yet to show solid signs of recovery. Simon Fraser University's Professor Rick Routledge and science graduate student Stacey Hrushowy coordinate this project. The research is focused on the role of the freshwater environment in this decline, with particular emphasis on the propagation and impacts of viruses. Good Hope Cannery staš, the Wuikinuxv First Nation, and other local residents are all integrally involved. The researchers are also collecting similar information on other severely depressed Sockeye salmon populations in British Columbia. With the leadership of Rick Hansen, the Wuikinuxv First Nation and Duncanby lodge owner Sid Keay, we are also pleased to support the Wannock Chinook Protection Plan, which will take a big first step this summer by building a hatchery at the head of Rivers Inlet. Exciting times. I have always admired the mission and work of the Pacific Salmon Foundation and when I learned about the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, and particularly the part that deals with salmon health, I was keen to contribute. So when Rudy North and Ross Beaty, two of our homegrown world-class entrepreneurs and philanthropists, supported the Project and challenged others to do so, I was excited to jump in and match their donations. One objective of the Project is to discover microbes present in our Pacific salmon that may reduce their productivity and performance. As part of that, it will try to clarify the debate about the presence of microbes in wild, hatchery and aquaculture fish and the potential interactions of open net-pen salmon farming and migrating Pacific salmon and vice versa.® This latter issue is a huge one, but to date it has been mostly emotional and polarizing and not strongly based in science. My own layman's view is that given what is at stake, the open net-pen industry should prove that it is "doing no harm" before being allowed to expand along our coast. This does not seem too much to ask and is consistent with the precautionary rule followed by most other life science industries. Through the Strategic Salmon Health Initiative, the Foundation, Genome BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are using new genomic scientific technology to analyze more than 30,000 salmon – from wild sources, fish farms and federal hatcheries – for the presence of microbes that could impact salmon health. The results will go a long way towards informing this debate and will be ošered to governments and industry to help better manage our salmon resources. I look forward to the results of this initiative and hope they will provide some insight into what is going on in the Salish Sea. And hopefully, the findings will translate into measures that will help ensure wild Pacific salmon remain abundant for all British Columbians always. This historic $10-million research is happening because individuals who care deeply about wild salmon are willing to donate funds to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. I hope everyone who reads this article will consider making a donation to the Foundation and its Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. Pacific salmon are a shared resource and we all can do something to ensure salmon for the future! to learn more about a tax-deductible donation to the salish sea Marine survival project and salmon health initiative, please contact support@psf.ca or 604.664.7664 ext. 127. salmon Steward magazine 15 who CareS about sAlmoN? Tony Allard PRESIDENT, HEARTHSTONE INVESTMENTS giving baCk to the salMon that have given us all so MuCh PHOTO (TOP): BARRIE KOVISH

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