To ensure future Cortes Island Chum runs

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - When the Chum salmon returned to Cortes Island four years ago, they entered every creek. Approximately 1,050 swam up Basil Creek this year, but the numbers were far lower everywhere else. Some Whaletown residents saw Chum in their creek, these did not make it to the official tally - which is zero. Despite the disappointing returns, Streamkeeper Cec Robinson describes 2020 as a year in which steps were taken to ensure future Chum runs.

Some experts within the Department of Fisheries say this is a phenomenon happening throughout the West Coast. They believe that the poor runs are made up of survivors from a new marine heatwave similar to ‘the Blob’ that “disrupted the West Coast marine ecosystem and depressed salmon returns” five years ago.

Cec talked about the streamkeeper’s new incubation boxes and plans to restock Whaletown, James and Basil creeks next year.

The interview ended on another positive note, next year the first 30,000 Chum raised in a hatchery will be returning to Basil Creek.

Photo credit: The new marine heatwave off the West Coast stands out in this map of sea surface temperature anomalies, with darker red denoting temperatures farther above average. The highest temperatures shown are more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Image from NOAA Coral Reef Watch, which corrects effectively for cloud cover.