Ocean Research & Conservation Society

1. OceanResearch & Conservation Society presents Save the Streams: Southern Vancouver Island Salmon

2. Salmon • There are five species of Pacific salmon that die • after spawning; • Chinook, Chum, Coho, Sockeye, and Pink. • Salmon return to their natal streams and rivers each year. • Salmon travel thousands of miles and spend one to five years feeding in the ocean before returning to their birth streams. • Spawning females dig out a gravel nests, called a redd. • The males then fertilizes the eggs and the female protects the redd for one to two weeks. • Alveins hatch and mature into fry, developing vertical bars for camouflage, called parr marks. • After a period of feeding fry migrate downstream towards the ocean and grow into smolts adapting to their marine environment.

3. Chinook • Oncorhynchus tshawytscha • Spring, Salmon, King, Blackmouth, Quinnat, Chub, Tyee (14+kg) • Chinooks have a greenish-blue dark back with long black spots • red hue develops around the fins and belly • male teeth are enlarged and they have a hooked snout • Tyee reach 1.5 m and 58 kg, • average 90 cm and 14 kg. • Spawning peak, May to June and August to September.

4. Chum • Oncorhynchus keta • Dog Salmon • Females are a metallic blue • males have a checkerboard colouration, a dark horizontal stripe, and canine-like teeth. • Average from 4.5 to 12 kg • Spawning peak month, October

5. Coho • Oncorhynchus kisutch • Silver Salmon • Spawning males are red on their sides, and a bright green on the back and head areas, with a darker colouration on the belly, and spots on upper tail fin lobe. They also develop a hooked jaw with sharp teeth. • Females develop a lesser-hooked snout. • reach 1 m and weigh up to 14 kg • average between 3 to 5 kg. • Spawning peak, July to August.

6. Sockeye • Oncorhynchus nerka • Kokanee, Red Salmon, Blueback Salmon • Varying shades of red resulting in a brilliant scarlet fish with a green head. • Grow to 83 cm • weigh up to 7 kg • Spawning peak month, August

7. Pink • Oncorhynchus gorbuscha • Humpies • Pale grey • males develop a hump • up to 76 cm and to 5.5 kg • average 1.5 to 2.5 kg • Spawning peak month, October

8. Southern Vancouver Island: Salmon Spawning Streams and Rivers

9. Threats • On top of natural dangers from predators dangers to salmon from human activities include: • poor farming and forest practices • pollution • destruction of coastal wetlands and estuaries • The territory of British Columbia salmon has been decimated for decades by industrial clearcut logging. • Roots of trees anchor steep slopes. • Logging increases the chances of landslides filling vital spawning grounds with mud, debris, and boulders. • Shade from trees is lost increasing water temperatures. • Other threats include: • Overfishing, urbanization, hydroelectric dams, fish farms, and global warming

10. Actions • Salmon play an important role sustaining forest ecology. • Spawners bring vital nutrients from the ocean into the forest. • Carcasses are dispersed by bears and eagles providing the trees with fertilizer; nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. • Salmon feed the rivers helping the survival of young salmon. • Farmed salmon does not replicate this vital role and is detrimental to wild stocks. • Dangers from fish farms include: • disease • pollution (including contaminating shellfish) • predation on young wild salmon • escapement (Atlantic salmon compete for food and habitat with wild stocks) • Conservation actions include: • cleaning up salmon streams (ensuring clean and safe flowing environments) • recycling • using biodegradable and organic products • choosing wild salmon over farmed

11. Summary • Salmon – 5 species • Chinook • 48+kg, dorsal spots • Chum • 12+kg, male checkerboard • Coho • 5+kg, red sides, green back • Sockeye • 7+kg, red body, green head and tail • Pink • 3+kg, male hump • Threats – farming, forestry, pollution, urbanization, global warming. • Actions – stream cleaning, recycling, using biodegradable, organic, and choosing wild salmon. oceansociety.blogspot.com