Harvesting salmon eggs on Cortes and the Greater Campbell River area

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Fisheries and Oceans Canada (or DFO) is working with local groups to harvest salmon eggs and throughout the Greater Campbell River area.

Stacey Larsen, the DFO Community advisor for our area, recently came to Cortes Island.

“The Klahoose First Nation hatchery has been working with DFO for several years. I know at least over ten,” she explained. “Prior to Chum enhancement, Coho enhancement was being done. At that time we had Coho eye-digs that were moved from the Quinsam hatchery (in Campbell River) to the Klahoose hatchery.”

They were raised to fry and then released into Cortes Island streams.

Four years ago, they switched over to Chum salmon from the Tla-amin hatchery, north of Powell River in Qathet Regional District.

“This was the first year when we were able to have the numbers of returning Chum to harvest them from Basil Creek, which is the preferred choice,” said Larsen.

Chum runs have been declining along the south coast for the past five years and the DFO expects average to below average numbers this Fall.

“Salmon, including Chum salmon, face a number of challenges including: habitat loss; barriers to migration; changing ocean conditions that reduce food availability; and changes to watersheds resulting from climate change.”

The Chum returns were very low on Basil Creek in 2016. This year’s run consists of salmon that were transferred from the Tla’amin hatchery four years ago.

“In 2017, the Klahoose First Nation, Cortes streamkeepers, Friends of Cortes Island, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and DFO worked together to replace an aging culvert on Basil Creek that was proving to be a barrier to upstream fish migration. The new culvert has a natural stream bottom and allows for Chum salmon to move upstream,” explained Larsen.

Two weeks ago, 8,000 Chum salmon eggs were harvested in Basil Creek.

Larsen added that the returns in Qathet were better than expected this year and there will probably be more eggs coming from the Tla’amin hatchery.

“The Klahoose First Nation and Cortes streamkeepers will monitor and care for the eggs,” she said. “Once the eggs reach the eyed stage, which means the eye spot is visible, we will transfer them to in-stream incubation boxes where they will develop into alevin, which are newly hatched salmon that still have their yolk sac. In the Spring they will released back into the creek as fry.”

This is not the only creek that Larsen works in.

She has been working with the Sayward Fish and Wildlife Club to harvest Chinook eggs from the Salmon River. The eggs will be raised in the Salmon River hatchery until they are eyed, then transferred to the Quinsam hatchery until they are released next Spring.

The October rains were challenging in Zeballos, where DFO works with the Ehattesaht First Nation.

“We were able to get Chum into that hatchery as well.”

Larsen also participated in the release of one year old Coho fry into four creeks in the Campbell River: Sims, Nunns, Menzies and Mohun.

Photo credit: Screenshot of Tracey Larsen taken during the interview