September2012

Stream Keepers

A great Lantzville Days with lots of folk coming by our tent chatting about streams and fish. Over the past month we have been busy fry salvaging due to the continued summer weather making this year a very dry one for the later part. With over 15000 fry moved to various year round habitat we are moving along nicely with our goal of restoring the natural wild runs of Coho within the habitat available. Over the years I have discussed many issues regarding the decline of Salmon on the coast and yet all I learn just makes me realise that there is no definitive answer to the problem, we have collectively gone along with what the government of the day dictated as our environment became degraded to the point that we find ourselves at today. Declining fish returns to all our rivers and streams even the much touted hatchery program fisheries have had us believe was going to be the saviour of our Salmon is in decline. Blame the fishermen for catching too many fish though it was big business lobbying government to allow greater and greater harvest quotas turning all our collective resource in to mere commodities. [East coast Cod comes to mind] “Oh its okay the hatchery will put out more fish to compensate” NOT as the kids say, the hatchery program is a industry all of its own more concerned with jobs and budgets than what is best for the fish. I have mentioned many times the loss of functioning watersheds being a contributor to the decline through the logging industry returning our once mighty forests supporting all wildlife back to the early emerging forests of post ice age years. If the ecosystem could be left alone for a thousand years or more well out of the comprehension of most humans today then we may see the natural balance return to our watersheds. In the meantime it seems that all the biologists and managers in the world who say they are helping the environment are only prolonging the eventual collapse of those same ecosystems they purport to so call manage. Giving them their due they only can do what they do because no one will ask the awkward questions that need to be asked and usually reply to any question with the same old tired answers that see us in the predicament we find today. I am sure most are well intentioned though they still refuse to stray from the official line. The only solution I can think of is for citizens to as we as stream keepers have done and take control of the resources for the common good and think of what you can do for that good. If it is only picking up a plastic slushy cup left on the beach then that is one more step in the right direction of improving the environment for all. On a separate note I have been reading with great interest of how Britain and Holland are both in the process of returning several estuaries back into functioning habitat for fish and wildlife. Holland being driven by the collapse of the once mighty runs of Herring now only a memory in the older generations with the younger generations having no knowledge of how to cook or eat Herring. A recent call for a complete ban on all fishing in Europe tells the tale. This should be a big wake up call for the government of Canada as we continue our destructive roe fishery on our once abundant stocks of Herring. Who in Lantzville remembers the days when all you needed was a Herring rake to collect your food and bait for fishing from right out front of Lantzville. Removing such a key stone species at such alarming rates every year after year can only result of their total collapse along with what is termed a trophic cascade affect on all species. [Google it] On the bright side we all can help by doing our small part in protecting what is left and questioning so called experts who keep on prothletising the same old drivel of industry and government knows best. Keep a look out for new wild fish signs going up soon on Bloods Creek and upper Knarston. Take a walk along the trail into the woodlot at the power line on Normarel Rd and enjoy the beauty of the small pocket of forest still left along the creek before it is all logged and voice your concerns on its protection and exclusion from future logging activities to city council and the ministry of forests who dictate what is to be logged by the wood lot leasee.   

AUGUST2012

Stream Keepers

August has been a very dry month for our stream, which has meant we have had to do lots of fry salvage as streams dry and flows go subsurface. We even went up to upper Knarston to rescue some trout trapped in drying pools and relocated them to wetted habitat. Our main focus as in other years is Bonnel Creek at the head of the bay, this year it was slower drying up than before but once the hot weather hit it went subsurface really quick. Around 10,000 Wild Coho fry rescued so far and transported to year round habitat in Swan Lake and Kidney Lake keeping the fish within their own watersheds. We have had lots of volunteers this year with the core group of guys showing them how best to handle the fry without loss of life. The young folk are very focused when they start catching the fry with laughs and oh’s and ah’s though one adult did outshine them the two times she has joined her husband doing fry salvage with hoots and giggling, she had never caught a fish before and her first reaction to the first fish she caught was hilarious to hear and when she caught half a dozen at once she just about lost it, so as you can see we have lots of fun. More sad news on the wild fish survival these past months with all the news about how much disease has been running unchecked through the fish farming industry after years of outright denial by the corporations claiming no such thing could happen in BC waters even though every country in the world where they have persuaded governments to allow them to operate have in the past experienced what we are seeing happening on our coast this past year and especially the past few months. What is more scary for those unsuspecting consumers who believe that the corporations would not do any thing to jeopardize their health for profit comes the recent news that even so called healthy fish sent to the store have been found to be infected with all the fish viruses that were denied by the corporations along with some strange flesh dissolving virus. [Google Alexandra Morton] What has all that got to do with our wild fish you may ask, well for a start, yes our wild fish do carry some of the same viruses but are immune to their effects as adults but the scary part is that our juvenile wild salmon pick up the viruses before they reach adulthood along with unusual amounts of sea lice on their way past theses salmon farms as they out migrate from the streams. Then they carry the diseases out into the open oceans spreading them as they go. It is still unknown or at least to the general public to what extent this effect has on the rest of the wild salmons life cycle. After a few years of complete exploitation gone are our once mighty forests with only fibre farms remaining logged on a 20 to 30 year cycle never again will we see trees allowed to grow to hundreds of years of age or our watersheds return to their once self regulating systems able to support the once mighty runs of wild salmon. Over fishing also has not helped but we built hatcheries to mitigate that issue and to mitigate the loss of habitat to the over logging. Today we have very few fish returning to the coast, [even the hatcheries have low returns, read genetic defects], over half the fishing fleet is gone with the remaining few boats barley able to scrape a living from what fishing opportunities are left to them. With every fish we save we feel we are doing what we can to preserve the wild genetic stock for the future in face of what all our so-called government managers and biologists have been trying to do in the so called management of our collective resources. Hopefully we or our kids or grandkids may see a BC coast producing once again the mighty runs of the past along with a vibrant ecosystem to support them in their struggle for survival.

JULY2012

Stream keepers.

Over the past month we have been busy counting Wild Coho smolts exiting our streams heading out to the Salish Sea to begin their ocean journey for the next 2 to 4 years.

Down in the estuary we have been releasing the water from the DU pond to allow the wild Coho smolts to exit into the stream proper. This year we have observed more smolts in the pond than any other year going back as far as 1998.

The fish congregating in front of the stop log structure [culvert with removable boards] consisted of several schools each in the hundreds moving around the pond.

 All these fish are a good sign that the returning adults last fall and the year before were relatively better then previous years. Our Giant Hog Weed removal project seems to be succeeding with less new sprouts this year than previous years. By digging out the sprouts by the roots it stops them from maturing and dropping more seed.

 As a invasive species we do not want them to gain a foothold and turn our riparian zones along the streams into what has happened at French Creek which has the most Hogweed I have ever seen growing along its banks for at least 17 kilometres from the Ocean up past Coombs.

Over the coming months we will be salvaging fry from drying pools on all the streams from the Englishman River to Bloods Creek in Lantzville. Over the summer watch for some new fish signs going up at some of the stream

Crossings. We endeavour to place the modern name usually named for some of the first settlers and if possible the Coast Salish name when we can. At Nanoose Creek we show the stream as Nanoose and Snaw Naw As creek, this shows respect for the Coast Salish who have lived along the shores of the Salish Sea for thousands of years.

On a side note I feel I must mention two events that I personally am proud to see happen in Lantzville.

First was how the community has come together to raise funds for the memorial playgrounds, the dinner and what turned into a dance at Costin hall was one of the most memorable functions I have seen for a long time bringing the community out to socialise and donate to such a worthy cause. Following a blessing by Anne Bob of Snaw Naw As village everyone enjoyed some fantastic food [Greek or East Indian] then socialised for the rest of the evening and danced the night away to the sounds of some really good music. Then a few weeks ago we had the opening of our very own farmers market opened by our new mayor who gave an opening speech, which made me proud once again to be a Lantzvillager. So please continue to support the fund raising and do go out to the farmers market on Sunday afternoons and support our local urban gardeners and craft folk. As the summer progresses I expect to see more veggies and more folk out enjoying this great shopping and social event.

JUNE 2012

Stream Keepers

The past month we have been active clearing the logging road of overhanging branches on the way to our smolts box and Swan Lake. The water temperature has been around 7c with no fish moving downstream until last Tuesday the 8^th when the temperature came up to 10c. We had 3 Wild Coho around 85 to 95 mm on the Tuesday then by the following Saturday the temperature rose to 12c but only one fish in the box.

No fish at that temperature could only mean one thing, we had a hole somewhere on the fence and the fish were getting through bypassing our two pipes. Sure enough the wire mesh separated at the bottom of one panel with the water pushing open a large hole. We placed a piece of plywood over the hole until we could return on the following Tuesday. We repaired the hole then counted the fish in the box, 45 wild Coho and one water beetle. The size of the smolts at 85 to 95 is a result of the cold spring last year, the fry were late in emerging and did not get enough thermal units to grow larger over the past year.. Among the 72 we had last week the 18^th of May we had some around 112 to 125mm, these would be 2 year olds that remained in the lake a extra year and will go to the ocean for two more years before returning as 5 to 6 pound adults, a amazing journey while putting on all that weight in just two short years. We expect the numbers to be steady until the end of June when they all will be heading out to the Salish Sea. Last month we had a meeting with Environment Canada, Ducks Unlimited and DFO regarding the estuary at the head of the bay. We met at the hall in Nanoose in the morning then went for a walk in the estuary then up Bonnel creek in the afternoon to view the small woody debris log jam, which formed over the past year. DU had concerns about the stream jumping the bank and eroding a new channel into their pond. Their was talk of bringing in a machine to clear it out which I was not too happy with as the machine would have had to take out some live trees on the bank to access the site. The other alternative was to walk the machine up the creek, which also would have resulted in tree removal and damage to the existing habitat. Thankfully the lady from DFO concurred with me and the decision was made to leave it alone and allow nature to take it course. On the left bank there is a small channel, which allows for fish access both up and down stream around the logjam. Over the summer months we will be salvaging stranded fry from drying pools This is a great time for the kids to see real Wild Salmon in their natural habitat and do some thing to preserve our wild Salmon for the future.

The stream keepers have been very busy this past month fry salvaging from the local streams as they dry up in our summer heat. Water levels have been relatively good up to the last few weeks due to all the rain and cold with most streams maintaining a subsurface flow. This small amount of water flowing is able to keep what pools remain viable, as the fish will move to the flow. This makes the catching of fry a lot easier. Using a small seine net to block any escape back downstream most fish then are dip netted into 5-gallon pails equipped with small air pumps to keep the water oxygenated. On an average day we can catch up to 2,000 fry from several pools before we have to make the run up into the hills. We purchased a new air pump for the truck tank this year replacing our modified 12volt tire pump. This new pump makes riding in the truck 75% quieter than the old one, which rattled and banged the whole ride up into the hills. When releasing the fish into the Beaver pond they all tend swim around slowly moving into the cover of the vegetation growing along the shore then as you watch them they tend to separate off into smaller groups as they search for their social group. When the fry are in their pool in the stream they have a definite social order and by combining them all into one tank they get mixed up with other groups which places stress on them as they try to adapt to the new social order [chaos]. So far this year we have moved over 10,000 fry to year round wetted habitat ensuring their survival for another year. As these are wild salmon any amount we can help survive will ensure their overall survival into the foreseeable future.

A story posted on the stream keepers message board hosted by the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation [ Remembering Wild Coho by Terry Slack] tells of the once abundant 12 pound Wild Coho which used to spawn in the Salmon River then along came urban and rural development which reduced the spawning habitat for these once big fish. In an attempt to stop the decline the solution of the day was to take the remaining stock and build a hatchery to try to help rebuild the stocks. The result was that the large 12 pound fish disappeared and were replaced by smaller fish. This is another case of humans thinking they know what is best for nature, good intentions aside we have made some drastic mistakes on the coast with respect to our once mighty runs of Wild Salmon. A biologist told me one year that the reason they were taking brood stock for the hatchery was they had to have something for the volunteers to do during the winter months. Luckily this was not one of our streams as years ago we knew to avoid any advice, which would have put us in the same predicament. As this goes to press Alexandra Morton champion of wild salmon will be giving testimony at the Cohen Inquiry into the Fraser River Sockeye collapse, along with the testimony of Dr Kristi Miller [multi million dollar study then had a gag order placed on her by our federal government to prevent her talking about her findings] we hope to have some progress into the relationship between the decline of the Sockeye and the Atlantic Salmon farms and disease vectors spreading out into the wild fish from these farms. As the ocean is a open environment if those farm fish get sick then it is only common sense that the virus will be out in the environment for all fish species to become exposed with who knows what consequences.

Our beach sampling for forage fish continues throughout the year trying to identify which beaches and at what time of year spawning occurs. These fish are the link between the phytoplankton and our salmon, as they become the feed for the young salmon as they enter the ocean environment. All along the shore as you swim during the summer month or months if we are lucky are thousands of young fish both salmon and forage fish feeding and being fed on all the way up to whales.

A quick plug here for the new edition of Whelks to Whales by local author Rick M Harbo.

This week there have been two seals cavorting along Sebastion beach slapping the water with their tales as they corral the feed fish between them.

Last night I went to the social event of the year at the legion, Bruce and Brenda Chicks combined birthdays, a big happy birthday to you both and thanks for such a wonderful evening of friends and awesome music. Donna & Bill Konsarado provided the music with Bruce’s son Miles playing some tunes then Mike Vira showed up to lend his guitar playing to this awesome evening.

September brings another Mine town days where we will have our tent set up to answer questions about our activities on the local streams.

Best Fishes. John Dunn

Summer 2011 at least I hope it is summer as at this writing in June we are not sure whether it is summer or more spring like weather but I hope we are well into summer as you read this. In fact yesterday on the solstice it was the warmest day yet with a nice warm South Easterly wind blowing. All the Wild Coho smolts have gone to sea over the past two months from all our streams. The pond in the estuary, which holds smolts leaving Bonnel Creek, has been drained with all the fish leaving under their own steam. We can only hope that enough Wild Chum fry were able to incubate and leave over the spring, as Chum leave almost immediately after emerging we have no way to tell how many there are in the streams. Last fall it seemed that the adults returning were very low for the Chum and with all the big washouts over the winter we hope that not all the eggs were buried too deep for them to emerge or worse still washed out of the gravel and lost before they could hatch, only time will tell. Many years ago the Chum were so plentiful residents made trips to the streams to watch the Chum return in large numbers. Something went wrong, of which we can only speculate, over fishing, possible due to the gillnet fishery which used to be right up to the mouth of the bay and was based on the escapement into the Nanaimo River. When they decided the Nanaimo River had enough Chums returning they allowed an opening to so call clean up the remainder, which also cleaned up all the other smaller, streams returning Chum.

July and August is a busy time for stream keepers as we continue with our rescue of trapped fry in drying pools as the streams dry up for the summer. Walking the streams now in June we see lots of fry so things look good for at least the Wild Coho.

On June the 9^th we took a grade one class from Aspengrove School for a nature walk into the estuary. During the walk the kids picked up garbage along the foreshore and the estuary. This day was organized with the help of the Royal Banks Blue Water project, which promotes the stewardship, and protection of our most valuable resource Water. The children learned about how important the whole watershed is to the continued quality of water and how it affects all life within. We had a kindergarten of around 80 to 100 goslings wandering around while their adult chaperones kept a close eye on our whereabouts at all times. The children observed the few smolts remaining in the pond and help pull an extra board out of the outlet to encourage the remainder to leave as the flows increased. Redwing blackbirds singing away all under the watchful eye of a big Bald Eagle who was probably scorning us out over disturbing his gosling hunt. On the way back they helped me pick some Sea Asparagus and by the time we left the estuary some of them were snacking on the Asparagus, which was a good introduction to wild food along with a quick talk on mushrooms when observing some Puffballs growing along the way. After a lunch on the beach they all had some time to play along the foreshore and all left exhausted. This was a great day with all the children enjoying their day out. We would like to thank the manager and staff of the Woodgrove branch of the Royal Bank for their involvement in this event and a special thanks to the children from Aspengrove School and their teacher Miss Moss. [See attached picture]

Oh and of course the parents who also came along making this great event for all concerned. A thank you to the RDN for waiving the dumping fees for the garbage that was collected.