Tag Archives: Watershed Watch Salmon Society
B.C. salmon farms linked to explosive spike in wild fish deaths
Dead juvenile herring with their eyes blown out after getting caught in a hydrolicer
B.C. salmon farms killed more than 800,000 wild fish in 2022, 16 times more than the last decade’s yearly average, federal data shows. The unprecedented spike in aquaculture bycatch accounts for more dead fish in one year than the combined death toll over the previous 10 years. In one graphic example, video captured at a Cermaq facility in Clayoquot Sound shows herring floundering at the surface after getting sucked into a powerful machine meant to remove sea lice from farmed salmon. Stan Proboszcz, a senior scientist at Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said he has never seen anything like it. “All these herring that went through the hydrolicer had their eyes blown out,” Proboszcz said. “It’s horrific.” more, photos, >>click to read<< 18:07
Alaskan fishing fleet catching huge proportion of B.C. salmon
As salmon runs in British Columbia hit record lows, commercial fisheries along the Alaska panhandle are catching a growing share of salmon bound for B.C. rivers, according to a new technical report. The report, which includes a detailed analysis on each B.C. salmon species caught in Southeast Alaskan interception fisheries, was commissioned by Watershed Watch Salmon Society and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust and comes as Canada and the United States begin their annual review of bilateral management under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Many of B.C.’s largest salmon runs pass through Alaskan waters on their way home to spawn in Canadian rivers. >click to read< 11:50
Conservationists raise alarm over wild fish killed inside B.C. salmon farms
A conservation charity said it’s concerned by what it calls a “growing trend” of wild fish killed by the salmon farming industry on British Columbia’s coast. Stan Proboszcz, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said nine times as many wild fish were reported inside open-net pen farms in 2017 compared with 2011.,, The society estimates that about 13.2 million wild fish may be held in B.C.’s 65 salmon farms at any given time, and an additional 653 tonnes of wild fish may be hanging around outside the farms because they’re attracted by things like food and lights.,,, “The farms are known to be amplifiers of pathogens, parasites and viruses. Are these things being spread to wild fish?” >click to read<20:47
Fisheries official says 2018 saw a ‘reasonably good return’ despite low numbers
The number of sockeye salmon that made it up the Fraser River last fall was lower than originally predicted, prompting a conservation group to blame the federal fisheries regulator for allowing the area to be overfished. “This year, it was the lowest run or spawning return they’ve seen on record on this cycle,” Greg Taylor told CBC Radio’s Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce. “They were very disappointing,” said Taylor, a senior fisheries advisor for the Watershed Watch Salmon Society.,,, A DFO representative told Joyce on Thursday that, while the numbers were lower than predicted, the return numbers were not out of the ordinary >click to read<20:14
British Columbia: What is behind the sockeye salmon collapse?
The sockeye salmon run this year, is, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other reputable sources, down considerably. The reason for this, depends on who you talk to. Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, says part of the problem is the fisheries ministry has dragged its feet on the Cohen Commission recommendations. The Cohen Commission, created in 2009, issued a report in 2012 with 75 recommendations on how Fisheries and Oceans Canada (working with its provincial partner) could monitor and safeguard the Pacific salmon fisheries. click here to read the story 11:43
Sockeye overfishing risks salmon future: critics
Conservationists say federal fishery managers allowed serious overfishing of Fraser River sockeye salmon,,, Bob McKamey, vice-president of the Area E Gillnetters Association, dismissed the objections from Watershed Watch. “It wouldn’t matter what the fishing plan is, they have a kneejerk reaction to the commercial fishing industry in general,” he said. Read the rest here 21:12
DFO Director ‘Ready to Tackle Endangered Coho’ – will ‘do their best’ to protect endangered salmon species. Will it be enough?
When sockeye salmon return en masse to the Fraser River this year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will have a large presence on land and water to ensure commercial fishers don’t take more than they’re allowed, said Larry Paike, director of DFO’s Pacific conservation and protection branch. Read more here 08:14
Feds Quintuple Allowed Catch on Endangered Salmon Species
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is allowing commercial fishermen to catch five times as many endangered coho salmon in anticipation of this year’s massive sockeye run on the Fraser River. Read more here 13:18
Super sockeye run could whack weak stocks
Conservationists are worried a predicted bonanza of sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River this summer will also bring a frenzy of fishing that could harm weaker stocks. Read more here richmondreview.com 13:03
B.C. groups seek federal auditor’s help on salmon inquiry
Two British Columbia conservation groups are asking the federal auditor general to examine Ottawa’s response to a $26-million public inquiry into the collapse of West Coast salmon stocks. Read more here 10:29
Feds accused of ignoring Cohen’s steps to save sockeye
“What was hailed by many as a blueprint to sustain sockeye into the future is starting to look a lot more like a government retreat.” Cohen focused in large part on the potential risk to wild salmon from net pen fish farms and urged transparent sharing of disease data by the farms. more@surryleader 23:15
Gang Green Canada Starts Fire – Say Federal Investigation is Scapegoating Fishermen
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has announced they are investigating the fishermen shown in a controversial video released last week that documents serious violations of fishing regulations and no enforcement in this year’s largest Canadian salmon fishery. DFO has asked SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, and Raincoast Conservation Foundation to hand over their raw footage, taken in the Area 6 seine fishery west of Kitimat, BC. more@digitaljournal 09:57
Gang Green Canada misleads the public claiming DFO Response Misleads Public – Bows to Corporations
The video is very misleading, but, hey. When you want to mold public opinion, what the Hell! Show a few dead fish floating, and that’s all they showed was a few, and describe fishermen in a manner that tells the story the way you see it! Words like slamming, kicking, back breaking, mishandling, all seem to work in the video for causing public outrage by people that don’t have a clue about industrial food production. These nut’s want the salmon handled like Uncle Fred handles them on the stream. Watch the video. What do you think? DFO Response Misleads Public: Bows to Corporations
‘Few bad actors’ should not tarnish entire fleet: Rob Morley, vice-president of fishing company Canfisco – ENGO video footage is “very selective
A video released by environmentalists to highlight wastage in the pink salmon fishery is not representative of the commercial seine fleet and contains inaccuracies and exaggeration, a senior official with the B.C. commercial fishery industry said Thursday. [email protected]
