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Steelhead Society of B.C. Roundtable Report June, 2016

                                                                         By Eric Carlisle

     Since the February meeting, the SSBC has been working on a variety of issues.  The following highlights some of these issues.

     Region 1 Steelhead Biologist Mike McCullough attended a recent Vancouver Island Branch meeting and gave a report on Vancouver Island steelhead.  His report was depressing but educational.  Western Forest Products has offered to attend a meeting and discuss their logging plan for tributaries of Salmon River.  Members in the Comox area looked at Tsolum River with Jack Minard and Tsolum River Enhancement Society.  Branch Chair Duncan Lewis has reported that every meeting, more and more people attend.  Lewis will represent the SSBC at the SFAB local Committee meetings.

     The SSBC was one of many groups which opposed a proposal for contaminated soil dumping in Chehalis watershed (at a gravel mine owned by Statlu Enterprises).  Fortunately, after 440 area residents opposing the project attended a meeting, this proposed contaminated soil dumping project was dropped on March 3. 

     Thompson River was one of three rivers the SSBC nominated for the Outdoor Recreation Council Endangered Rivers list.  Based on Albion Test Fishery results, the predicted 2015 Thompson steelhead run was a record low—440.  As a result, while the Thompson was open to steelhead fishing in October, it was closed to all fishing on November 1.  Thompson steelhead are threatened by water removal from the spawning tributaries, low ocean survival, and non-selective commercial and native interception fisheries targeting chum salmon.  The Thompson was one of the rivers chosen and the ORC press release included a substantial write-up on the SSBC. 

     Sue Pollard, formerly the Rivers Specialist at the Provincial Fisheries Branch but now at Fresh Water Fisheries Society of B.C., attended a recent meeting and spoke about the programs of the FFSBC.  Some of these programs involve planting trout in lakes, but other programs involve monitoring of river fisheries and preservation of wild stocks.  Last year, the Rivers Committee received $335,000 and worked on 19 projects.  This year, 17 river projects are proposed.  About 10% of the allocation across B.C. is steelhead related.  $25,000 is used to support the Steelhead Harvest Analysis questionnaire, which essentially is the only tool used to determine steelhead catches.  In 2015, the FFSBC partnered with the Conservation Office Service and spent 2,000 hours on patrol effort on Thompson River.  The FFSBC has 72 regular staff (which makes it bigger than the provincial fisheries program) and 50 seasonal staff.

     In the Skeena area, the SSBC will be participating in a steelhead catch-and-release study on Bulkley River.  This study will be run by Dr. Andy Danylchuk, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts.  Also involved are Mark Beere, Region 6 Steelhead Biologist, the Provincial Fisheries Branch and others.  While steelhead catch-and-release has been a management tool used since the early 1980s, very little research has been done on the fate of fish caught and then released.  This study will evaluate the physical impacts, physiologic stressors and post release behaviour and mortality of wild steelhead.  It will test the impacts of different handling techniques, including the effects of up to 30 second air exposure, on steelhead caught by recreational anglers on a variety of tackle.  External radio tags will be attached to the area behind the dorsal fin of each fish in the study, and these tags will provide short term tracking by radio telemetry.  The study will occur from September to November on the Bulkley watershed.

     Also in the Skeena watershed, during the April SSBC meeting Troy Peters reported that water sampling of Exstew Slough would take place the following Monday and that permits for fish sampling and rescue had been applied for.  20,000 license posters (which include both the fishing license and fish identification pictures) had been prepared.

     Earlier this year, anglers who fish Capilano River for early running coho felt that since there was a good snowpack, the river would be fishable into July.  But with the warm spring and much of the spring freshet occurring in April and early May, anglers now feel they will be lucky to have more than a short period of fishable water in June (unless rainfalls raise the river level).  In other words, the Capilano and many other B.C. rivers will flow at their summer low levels much earlier than usual.  The situation will be better than last year’s (2015 was the year of the spring freshet that didn’t occur due a low snowpack), but low flows and, most likely, warmer than usual water, will prevail throughout the hot summer weather.  Some years the North Shore spring freshet would continue throughout July and even into August.  Just a few days ago, I saw news items saying Cowichan Lake was 46% of its usual level for mid-May and level 3 drought conditions were already prevailing on Vancouver Island south of Tofino and south of Campbell River.  Looks like another tough summer on the south coast, water-wise.  I hope the two fishery management agencies will monitor the situation closely and, if water temperatures rise too much, will swiftly close the affected rivers to fishing until water temperatures drop.

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October 2012 Roundtable Report

By Eric Carlisle

Perhaps the most exciting piece of good news in 2012 has been the greatly increased returns of summer steelhead to both Capilano and Seymour Rivers. I released my first summer steelhead of the year on the lower Capilano on May 3 and my second at Cable Pool on May 5. After that time the rapidly increasing numbers of anglers targeting coho made fishing difficult, but I landed a few more summer steelhead and certainly heard that many other anglers were successful.  For the first time ever, in early July I caught and released a summer steelhead while casting a spinner into the salt water at the river mouth. As of October 30, Capilano Hatchery had recorded 99 swimups--summer steelhead that had returned to the hatchery. 37 summer steelhead have already been trucked upriver and released into the Capilano upstream from Cleveland Dam and Capilano Lake, and more should follow. Here these fish should be safe and should spawn next winter-spring. On the Seymour, record catches of summer steelhead were made during seines of the Hatchery Pool and over 200 summer steelhead were counted during floats of the river. Like at Capilano, most of these fish are of hatchery origin and, like at Capilano, a catch-and-release regulation is in effect. Therefore, most of these summer steelhead will be able to spawn next year and Seymour Salmonid Society hopes they will be allowed to move some summer steelhead into the upper Seymour upstream from Seymour Falls Dam.

  Last year 900 of these salmon returned to Chilliwack Hatchery, and eventually I will find out how this year’s run fared. I understand that the Chilliwack-Vedder has had a good return of fall Chinook, but the Capilano return of the same stock of fish (which originated from Harrison River) has been modest and Capilano Hatchery may have to obtain more eggs from Chilliwack Hatchery. Again, from what I heard last year Fraser River anglers enjoyed productive Chinook fishing once the river opened in August, but this year Chinook catches were modest. As I am sure everyone knows, sockeye returns to the Fraser were insufficient to allow any commercial or sport openings.

Another bright note this year has been the vastly improved returns of chum salmon to many south coast rivers. Reports from the Squamish system, Capilano (which is not known for having many chum), various Vancouver Island rivers and the Fraser and its tributaries, especially the Harrison and the Chilliwack-Vedder, indicate a significant rebound of chum stocks. But increased chum returns to the Fraser also result in issues of concern to people who care about Thompson (and Chilco-Chilcotin) steelhead. As of October 23, the estimated chum return to the Fraser was 2.253 million, and there was a very low probability that the escapement goal of 800,000 would not be met. Commercial gillnetters had a 24 hour opening from October 25-26, and three seiners had an opening from October 27-29. During these openings, only chum and pink could be retained; all coho, Chinook, steelhead, sockeye and sturgeon were under a mandatory non-retention and non-possession restriction. The gillnetters were allowed a maximum net length of 600 fathoms and a soak time of only 30 minutes. In theory this should help survival of steelhead and other species, but in practice it would be better if only selective fishing methods were allowed. In addition, various native bands had economic fishing opportunities with gillnet fisheries on October 28 and 29, tooth tangle net fisheries on October 20-22, and beach seine fisheries (which can be selective) at various locations on October 22 and October 25-26. What is frustrating to steelhead people is the fact that there was an increase in the numbers of steelhead caught in the Albion Test Fishery at that same time, indicating that more steelhead were migrating up the Fraser than the few scattered fish found in late September and earlier in October. The most recent fishery notice regarding Fraser chum said, In order to ensure management objectives on Interior Fraser steelhead stocks of concern are achieved, no further Area E fisheries in Area 29 are scheduled for the balance of the 2012 season. But the damage may already have been done--releasing steelhead from gillnets always results in significant casualties.  About three weeks ago, I read a report from Rob Bison, the provincial biologist who manages steelhead in Region 3. Bison commented on the few steelhead caught in the Albion Test Fishery and said that it was unlikely that the steelhead fishery would open on the Thompson. However, in late October sufficient steelhead must have appeared in the test fishery, because on November 1 the Thompson opened to the usual catch-and-release steelhead fishery.

Another issue of concern to the Steelhead Society is the proposed bitumen pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat. I have touched on this issue in a previous roundtable report, so I will simply say that the SSBC and other organizations continue to oppose this potential environmental disaster.

An issue which recently came to light was the extremely low flows found in Cowichan River. Apparently, the river level is controlled, at least partly, by a weir at the outlet of Lake Cowichan. Earlier in the year, cottage owners along Lake Cowichan had insisted that the lake be lowered so they could have beaches, but by October the lake was so low that a terribly reduced flow was going down the Cowichan, which has a significant run of winter steelhead in addition to coho, Chinook and chum salmon and resident rainbow and brown trout. Probably many of you saw the TV news item about Cowichan Hatchery capturing adult Chinook in the lower Cowichan and trucking these fish upriver so they could spawn. One of our local members is actively involved in trying to get the low flow situation rectified.

Finally, over the last two years Brian Smith and I have been involved in development of a joint water use plan for both Capilano and Seymour Rivers.  After many meetings of the Consultative Committee and the Fisheries Technical Working Group, on July 19 a recommended water use plan was endorsed by all members of the CC. This WUP is not perfect but I feel it was the best we could do under the circumstances--at the outset, the Metro Vancouver representatives on the CC said that their first concern was protection of the reliable supply of drinking water. Still, the WUP will result in increased flows in both rivers during the summer low flow periods except in drought conditions. On the Capilano, the wetted usable width should be doubled except under drought conditions, when the status quo low flow of .57 cms will continue to be the minimum flow. A variety of non-flow options will help fish stocks continue to survive and, hopefully, increase in both rivers.

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SEHAB November 2015

Steelhead Society of B.C. Roundtable Report

Eric Carlisle

     Since the May SEHAB meeting, the Steelhead Society has been working hard on behalf of wild steelhead.  As always, the focus has been on issues involving wild steelhead and salmon.  Generally, the issues are stream specific and not province wide.  The following are a few highlights.

     Concerned by DFO allowing a chum gill net opening on the Fraser on October 23 and scheduling another chum gill net opening for October 27, the SSBC wrote to Regional Director General Rebecca Reid protesting these openings and requesting that there be no openings in the last week of October.  The letter was cc’d elsewhere in DFO, including to Fishery Manager Barbara Mueller.  The last week of October is the peak migration time of Thompson steelhead through the Fraser, and SSBC directors feared the harmful effects the chum gill net fishery would have on this depleted run of steelhead.  Albion test fishery results indicated the total Thompson steelhead run would be 350, one of the lowest returns on record, and these fish needed every possible protection.  While commercial fishermen are not allowed to retain any steelhead caught in their gill nets and must release any steelhead immediately, significant mortality occurs whenever steelhead are released from gill nets.  With such a depleted return, Thompson steelhead could not afford that mortality.  The SSBC letter was sent late on October 26, and two days later Fishery Notice FN 1212 was issued in the afternoon.  This notice said that in order to meet management objectives for Interior steelhead, chum fisheries on the Fraser were closed for the balance of the season.  It appears that the SSBC letter, along with letters sent by individuals concerned about Thompson steelhead, had an effect. 

     However, this success is still an after-the-fact result.  While in a perfect world no gill nets (gill nets are a non-selective fishing method) would be used on the Fraser as Thompson steelhead migrate upstream, the commercial fishermen have yet to graduate to selective fishing methods.  Therefore, the best bet would be to design any chum gill net fisheries on the Fraser to avoid the last week of October, the peak migration time for Thompson steelhead.  Having the chum fisheries earlier in October and in November would satisfy, at least in part, the need to protect Thompson steelhead.  During the summer the SSBC also protested chum fisheries in Area 8; these non-selective fisheries for chum impacted Dean River summer steelhead.  Again, commercial fishermen had to release any steelhead caught in their nets, but significant mortality occurs during this process. 

     Eelgrass beds around Lelu Island at the mouth of Skeena River are prime habitat for salmon and steelhead smolts leaving the Skeena.  Unfortunately, Petronas has proposed a LNG terminal for this location and the company has already begun drilling test holes for pilings and, in the process, displacing eelgrass.  First Nations who oppose this facility at this location have camped out on Lelu Island, and Skeena Wild is supporting Chief Don Wesley, who has been camping on the island.  The SSBC directors voted to donate funds to Skeena Wild to protect salmonid habitat on the lower Skeena.  

     A short time ago, the SSBC investigated a possible project to increase salmonid usable habitat on Squamish River’s Shovelnose Creek.  This creek is the only steelhead spawning and rearing habitat on the upper Squamish, and its waters are also used by Chinook and coho.  During the course of their investigation, SSBC members found that rewatering the proposed area was infeasible; there was no groundwater in the expected locations.  Further investigation of Shovelnose Creek continues.

     I always feel that SEHAB members should observe and record what is happening to fish and other creatures in the aquatic environment.  The following are some observations I made during my summer salmon fishing at various West Vancouver beaches.  I am not drawing any conclusions here, I am just reporting some observations.  Since 1961 I have spent a lifetime fishing the West and North Vancouver beaches during the summer and, many years ago, Indian River pinks would first appear in shore angler’s catches in early August.  About 20 years ago, these pinks started to appear in the last week of July.  This year, I had a report of two pinks taken at Stearman Beach on July 6.  On July 8, Randy Yen caught a pink at Ambleside Beach (Capilano Mouth).  On July 10, Randy took the second and third pinks caught at Ambleside, then I caught the fourth—my earliest pink ever by a week and a half.  The pink fishing continued to improve through July and into August and then tapered off into early September (my last fresh pink was caught on September 10).  Many of these pinks were bound for Indian River, where a reported 3 million arrived, but some pinks migrated up rivers like Capilano and Seymour and still others spawned in small creeks like West Vancouver’s Willow Creek (in late September, I saw two pink redd sites at the top of tidewater on Willow Creek).  After several bumps of water in September, Ambleside anglers occasionally observed what they started calling ‘’Zombie pinks’’—battered looking fish which had been in the river, done their thing, then dropped back to the sea and, barely alive, slowly swam near the surface.  One other comment—this year the pinks were small.  I heard of only one 8 pounder, most were 2 1/2 to 3 ½ pounds, and some reached 4 to 5 pounds.  Years ago, pinks under 3 pounds were exceptional, many were 4 to 5 pounds, and pinks over 7 pounds were seen fairly regularly.

     While fishing Ambleside Beach in the second half of May and June, I noticed that the area was alive with crabs.  Yet in July, August and September, only a few crabs were encountered by wading anglers.  Also seen were occasional purple starfish; at least whatever has been killing starfish in local waters had not eliminated them all.  For many years, during low tides anglers could see kelp beds along the south side of the islands at the mouth of the Capilano, along Ambleside itself, and at an area about 200 meters east of Cypress Creek mouth.  But this summer only a few strands of kelp were seen; the usual large beds of kelp were gone.  On two or three occasions, I noted that while standing waist deep in the water just after low tide, the water was noticeably warm.  However, otherwise I did not notice any warming of the water, but I must admit I was not using a thermometer to actually measure ocean temperatures.   

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SEHAB Member:          Eric Carlisle

Area:                            Steelhead Society of BC

Community Advisor:   

Date:                            November, 2011

A topic of email discussion by Steelhead Society directors has been the recent announcement that the Thompson River would open to catch-and-release steelhead angling on Saturday, October 29. This opening lasts until December 31. Questions were asked about whether or not Albion Test Fishery data indicating sufficient steelhead were returning to the Thompson and, for that matter, the Chilcotin, to allow these openings was true. In other words, are there actually sufficient steelhead returning to reach the province’s minimum threshold of 850 in the Thompson and another 400 in the Chilcotin to allow these openings. Many directors felt that the openings were unwise and have not chosen not to fish the Thompson or Chilcotin. Some but not all directors felt gear restrictions were necessary in order to allow any openings. Region 3 Biologist Rob Bison has said that the mortality during the catch-and-release fishery in the Thompson (any tackle) is 3 %. Further discussion will occur at the next SSBC directors’ meeting on November 8.

As a follow-up to my last Roundtable Report, I can add that a few pink salmon were caught from shore at the Capilano mouth in September. Most likely these were Seymour fish (Chilliwack stock pinks are used), but some could be Fraser pinks passing by the area before heading over to the Fraser mouth. In any event, I only knew of 8 or 10 pinks taken from shore at the Capilano mouth--a very low number. Yet during a recent SFAB local committee meeting, one of the boat fishermen said the boats fishing off the Capilano mouth and along the West Vancouver shoreline did well on pinks. Since the pinks changed their behaviour and stayed offshore and deeper than usual, shore anglers were out of luck. Pinks appeared in the Capilano, but nobody has any idea of numbers. Strangely, last I heard not one pink had swum up the fish ladder and entered Capilano Hatchery. Two years ago, Capilano Hatchery had a modest return of pinks and was able to produce pinks from two distinct groups--early returning Indian River stock and later returning Seymour, or Chilliwack stock. Admittedly I am making a few assumptions here about the origins of the pinks which reached Capilano Hatchery, but I feel these assumptions are safe.  

From reports I have heard, coho returns in many rivers have been good and there have been good showings of jack coho (a positive sign for next year). We are still in-season for coho, so numbers are not available or are incomplete. Chinook runs have varied. DFO felt early season chinook returns to the Fraser were insufficient to allow a sport angling opening, but by the end of July the runs were sufficient to allow angling. During the summer fishery on the Fraser, anglers said there were lots of chinook in the Fraser. I understand Chilliwack Hatchery had 900 red springs return in July and August--the best return in 8 years.   This stock, which was totally man-made by combining various upper Fraser chinook stocks at Chilliwack Hatchery, was created to replace the almost extirpated native Chilliwack River chinook stock and to allow an in-river fishery. I know I enjoyed my most successful summer chinook season on the Chilliwack-Vedder, in spite of unusually high water conditions caused by the heavy snow pack and delayed runoff. We are still in-season for the fall chinook in both Chilliwack and Capilano Rivers. Some anglers said there were not all that many chinook in the Chilliwack-Vedder. I felt the return to Capilano was modest, but the same boat angler at the recent SFAB meeting said the boats enjoyed the best fishing they have ever had and attributed the improved fishing to the net pen operation at West Van Lab. Hatchery returns will be known later. While we are almost at end-of-season for fall chinook in the Capilano, I took a bright, fresh run 17 pounder last Thursday and saw two other chinook adults and a bright jackspring caught.  

Concerns have been raised about poor returns of chum salmon to many rivers. Desired return to the Fraser is 800,000, and the most recent estimate is 972,000. This has some positives but some negatives. It is nice to hear that the Fraser chum were later than expected and that recently announced chum closures in tidal waters and various Fraser tributaries have been lifted. However, the result

has been an eleven hour commercial chum opening at the Fraser mouth on November 3, and that opening was detrimental to survival of Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead, even if all steelhead caught in the gillnets had to be released. Another chum opening at the Fraser mouth is scheduled for November 7. So far, lower than hoped for returns of chum have appeared in east coast Vancouver Island rivers. However, a recent notice said that Puntledge River had reached its chum escapement goal. DFO provides information on Fraser and east coast Vancouver Island chum runs in the fisheries notices.

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STEELHEAD SOCIETY OF B.C. ROUNDTABLE REPORT

By Eric Carlisle

Of the many issues the Steelhead Society is working on, one of the most important is the proposed IPP on Vancouver Island’s Kokish River.If this run-of-river project proceeds, the Kokish would be diverted into a 9 kilometre pipeline which would return the water to the river just upstream from where the Kokish enters the sea at Telegraph Cove.This 9 kilometre stretch of the Kokish is home to both adult and juvenile summer steelhead and to salmon.While some IPPs are not harmful to anadromous fish, this one will be if it is allowed to proceed.The SSBC is working with WCWC on this issue.The SSBC would like to see this project cancelled and a ban on IPPs on river reaches containing anadromous fish.

Another important issue is DFO management of commercial fisheries targeting pinks on B.C.‘s north coast.During the course of these commercial fisheries, 1.37 million pounds of chum salmon have been discarded.Many of these chum are from depleted stocks and many of the discarded fish will not survive to spawn.For example, in one remote fishing area 150 kilometres south of Prince Rupert, over 310 metric tonnes of chum were discarded to retain 870 tonnes of pinks.No independent observers were present in this fishery to help ensure compliance with fishing regulations including safe release of chum.There is a need for selective fisheries and techniques which ensure high survival of discarded fish from depleted stocks.What is also needed is leadership from Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield on this issue.

Many of my past roundtable reports have sounded like fishing reports, but what they really are reports on how well salmon and steelhead runs are faring.The theory is if fishing is good, there are good returns, and if fishing is poor, runs are depleted.Much of the time this systems works, but not always.A case in point is this year’s return of pink salmon to Indian River.Most odd numbered years, Indian River pinks hold near various beaches along the West and North Vancouver shorelines, and anglers cast from shore for these fish.These beaches include Cates Park, Seymour estuary, Sewer Bay-Lions Gate Bridge, Capilano estuary, Ambleside and Stearman Beach-Cypress Creek mouth area.However, in 2011 virtually no pinks have been caught at any of these areas.I have not visited all of these beaches, but the reports I have heard from anglers who visited the beaches I have not been to indicated no pinks were present.Most of my fishing time has been spent at Ambleside, where I caught the first pink on July 25, another angler caught one on July 26 and still another anger lost one on July 27.And that’s it--there have been no other confirmed reports of pinks taken by shore anglers.Cates Park has been a good staging area for Indian River pinks, but this year I tried there three times (for an hour at least each time) and saw no sign of pinks or anything else.Yet, while talking to Dave and Gillian Steele at Highwater Tackle on August 20, I learned that anglers in boats had caught pinks and there were plenty of pinks in upper Indian Arm and in Indian River itself.Perhaps the good snow pack and delayed runoff made the pinks return swiftly to the Indian rather than hold near the various beaches along the way.Shore anglers, of course, need fish to come within about 130 feet from shore and to swim near the surface.But if the Indian River pinks were swimming by well offshore anywhere from 20 to 60 feet down, shore anglers would never know the pinks were present, let alone catch any.

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January, 2011 Roundtable Report

By Eric Carlisle

Metro Vancouver Regional District is commencing the planning process for a joint Capilano and Seymour Water Use Plan.In its overview of the WUP process, Metro Vancouver said, “In recent years, Metro Vancouver staff has been working with the Ministry of Environment, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Living Rivers, First Nations and others in laying the groundwork to undertake a joint Water Use Plan for the Capilano and Seymour Watersheds.The joint Water Use Plan process will help ensure the continued reliable delivery of clean, safe drinking water and consider the following issues in the Capilano and Seymour watersheds:

Water releases from the reservoirs to the downstream rivers for fish and wildlife;

A process for involving First Nations in plan development;

Reduce mortality of fish smolts migrating out of the Capilano Reservoir;

Adapting to climate change and protecting the environment;

Generation of power from water that would otherwise spill from the Capilano Reservoir;

Generation of power that would otherwise spill from the Seymour Reservoir;

and

Generation of power (energy recovery) on the pipeline between the Seymour Dam and the Seymour Filtration Plant.”

Metro Vancouver has formed a Consultative Committee of almost 20 members which will meet about 10 times over the next year.The CC will identify and explore water use alternatives and collaboratively develop recommendations for consideration by Metro Vancouver as they prepare a draft WUP for the Capilano and Seymour systems.“Fish people” on the CC include: Corino Salomi (DFO), Greg Wilson (Ministry of Natural Resources), Eric Carlisle (BC Federation of Drift Fishers), Poul Bech (Steelhead Society of British Columbia), and Brian Smith (Seymour Salmonid Society).Recently, I sent SEHAB members a short report on the January 19 initial meeting of the CC.Minutes from these meetings will be available on the Metro Vancouver website.I will forward the exact web address once it has been announced.During this WUP process, it will be interesting to see what Metro Vancouver will put on the table and whether or not they will modify their operating procedures if, say, the CC recommends increasing summer minimum flows.Nevertheless, I feel the CC provides an opportunity for development of a WUP which will provide a better balance between the needs of fish and the requirements of the water supply system.

During the past two summers, both fishery managers and people interested in Fraser system sockeye have had two major surprises--the extremely low return (a fraction of the predicted 10 million) in 2009 and the large return (34 million) in 2010.While SEHAB members usually do not work with sockeye, everyone should be concerned about the sockeye situation and what it reveals about ocean survivals, DFO management practices, stock assessment (or lack of), etc.In both 2009 and 2010, Simon Fraser University hosted think tanks and public meetings about Fraser sockeye, and background papers and information about these meetings can be found at http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/salmon/php.Due to the Cohen Commission (which is investigating the low sockeye return in 2009), DFO staff have not been allowed to participate in these think tanks or meetings.

Declining chum salmon returns to south coast rivers are a concern to both fishery managers and to people interested in salmon.While the low chum return to the Chilliwack-Vedder may, in part, be explained by a major flood in November, 2006, (this flood resulted in major changes to the riverbed throughout the watershed), the probable culprit for most rivers and for spawning channels, which are not subject to floods, is low ocean survival.To a large degree, the low eagle count earlier this month on the Squamish system can be explained by the low chum returns--many eagles have gone elsewhere looking for their winter food supply.

Generally, coho returns to local rivers have improved over the lows experienced in 2008.Seymour had an above average return of about 3,400 (average is 2,000) and Capilano had over 13,000 swim-ups to the hatchery.10,000 of the Capilano coho adults were trucked to the upper watershed above Capilano Lake for natural spawning.Significant numbers of unmarked (also called wild, but these fish are the result of natural spawning by hatchery adults) returned to Capilano Hatchery, indicating the success of the trapping and transport of downstream migrating coho smolts.Capilano Hatchery staff hold all unmarked coho adults, which have been through the natural selection process since the eggs were laid by their parents three years earlier, for use as brood stock.

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November 2009

ROUNDTABLE REPORT—NOVEMBER, 2009

By Eric Carlisle

While the November 5 announcement of a judicial inquiry into the disappearance of the 2009 Fraser sockeye run (over 10 million predicted to return, only 1.3 million actually returned) is a welcome development, many people do not realize that in the last several years, other species and stocks have suffered low returns.Also not realized is the fact that these other species and stocks have something in common with the 2009 returning Fraser sockeye.First, in 2008, most South Coast coho returns were very low.Also in 2008, age 2 fall run jack chinook returning to both Chilliwack-Vedder and Capilano Rivers (essentially the same stock, originating from Harrison River and raised at Chilliwack Hatchery before being transplanted to Capilano Hatchery) were scarce.Finally, in the winter of 2009, steelhead returns (especially two ocean steelhead) to most South Coast rivers also were low.These different species and stocks have one thing in common—all their smolts migrated to the sea in spring, 2007.That year, ocean survival of these different species and stocks was affected by some unknown factor, and the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans need to work together to investigate ocean survival and take any possible actions to improve the situation.

Although the 2008 coho returns to South Coast rivers were very low, jack coho returns were better than those of 2007 and indicated that adult returns in 2009 should improve.While we are still in season for coho, many coho rivers have seen improved returns.There have been good reports from the Squamish system—Squamish, Cheakamus and Mamquam.Funnily enough, I have heard that anglers on the Chilliwack-Vedder have complained about generally poor coho fishing, but Chilliwack Hatchery staff have said it’s the best return in the last five years.Seymour River has seen an improved coho return, as has the Capilano.However, while Capilano’s early and mid coho returns were in excess of 3,000 and 4,000 (I cannot remember which was which), the late return only exceeded 700.Seymour Hatchery Manager Brian Smith told me that DFO biologist Matt Foy told him that a similar pattern has been seen elsewhere—the late run coho tapered off very quickly.Capilano’s jack coho return is over 2,300, much better than the average 1,400.This should indicate improved adult coho returns for Capilano in 2010.

Every odd numbered year I look forward to pink salmon fishing.In 2009, however, the North Shore beaches I fish generally did not live up to expectations.I have heard that Indian River had a good pink return, but these fish did not stop at Cates Park.Hardly any pinks were caught at this often popular and productive beach area.At the other end of the North Shore, Cypress Creek mouth-Stearman Beach produced a few pinks on occasion, but the pink fishing was inconsistent and the coho fishing was almost non-existent—the fish rarely appeared there.Near the mouth of the Capilano, only Sewer Bay and the area near Lions Gate Bridge yielded fair catches of pinks—Indian River fish in August, then Seymour enhanced pinks (later run Chilliwack stock was used) in September.On the positive side, an estimated 1,500 pinks spawned in the upper reaches of the Seymour, indicating success at getting pinks to migrate upstream through the canyon and, hopefully, starting a self-sustaining run.I received reports of productive pink fishing at Furry Creek as pinks heading for the Squamish system migrated up Howe Sound.

Earlier I mentioned the low returns of fall run jack chinook to both Chilliwack-Vedder and Capilano Rivers in 2008.There were good returns of jack chinook in 2007, and 2009 saw good returns of jack chinook to both rivers.Hopefully, this will mean improved returns of age three and age four adults in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

From what I have heard, chum returns to many rivers have matched the forecast returns—somewhat low numbers resulting in spotty fishing, at best.However, unlike other rivers, Capilano has experienced a good return of chums, and while they cannot be retained, these feisty salmon offer enjoyable catch-and-release fishing.Capilano Hatchery spawns any chums which migrate up the fish ladder, and other chums spawn in the limited gravel areas in the river or in Brothers Creek.Capilano Hatchery also spawns any pinks which migrate up the fish ladder, and, this year, hatchery staff were able to spawn two groups of pinks—strays from Indian River and strays from Seymour River’s later running Chilliwack pink transplants.

October 2008

STEELHEAD ROUNDTABLE -  By Eric Carlisle

Rod Clapton, BCFDF President and Chair of the South Coast Steelhead Coalition, is organizing a Steelhead Workshop.  This workshop will be held on November 29 at BCIT and will be an invitation only event.  Steelhead biologists from each of the provincial regions are being invited to the workshop as are representatives from various organizations concerned about steelhead.  Also invited are members of the Steelhead Caucus, a group of MLAs chaired by Ralph Sultan.  The main goal of the workshop is to obtain meaningful support for steelhead issues from the Steelhead Caucus. 

I have been invited to attend this workshop and I suggested to Rod Clapton that SEHAB be invited.  I pointed out to Clapton that I could wear the SEHAB hat as can Zo Ann Morten.

COHO ROUNDTABLE - by Eric Carlisle

A year ago, I learned that Dr. Dick Beamish from Pacific Biological Station had found “the worst results he had seen” while sampling Georgia Strait for coho juveniles.  Jack returns to South Coast hatcheries were down in 2007, and the prediction was for low coho returns to South Coast coho streams in 2008.

As of October 21, Capilano Hatchery had 2,915 coho swimups to the hatchery.  The season is not over and more fresh run cohoes should appear.  However, 2,915 coho swimups at the end of the third week of October is a very low return.  While a few coho were reported in the river in May, I did not find any until early June.  Water flows were sufficient for angling and for fish migration until about mid-July.  Rain raised the river briefly in late July, substantially in late August-early September, and again in early October.  Some years (e.g., 2002), the Capilano has been very low from early July on and the native Indian fishery has taken a heavy toll, but this year the Squamish Indian Band has been struggling to catch the cohoes. 

Throughout this season the Capilano cohoes have been “off”.  While there have been times I have found some cohoes, the salmon have been far more finicky than usual (at best, Capilano cohoes are well known for being hard to catch) and the expected catches have not occurred.  Still, I did manage to catch a few cohoes on baits or lures (June and early July) or lures only (late August and October).  Many anglers I normally expected to see on the river gave up after a few tries—poor return and non-biting fish.  At the local beach fisheries (rivermouth and Cypress Creek mouth area), the last two weeks of July produced about two dozen cohoes for the rivermouth anglers, but the months of August and September combined yielded a mere 6 cohoes caught.  At the usually popular and productive Cypress Creek mouth area, I understand that the total catch for the season was a mere two cohoes.  Few cohoes held at this location, yet when rains came some modest schools of cohoes appeared at the rivermouth.  Where the Capilano cohoes were shore anglers do not know; there were few reports of coho catches by boat anglers. 

On the positive side, however, I have been informed that Capilano Hatchery has already obtained its brood target and that several hundred surplus coho adults have been trucked to the upper river above Cleveland Dam for natural spawning.  In order to cover the entire run (in terms of arrival time at the hatchery), later returning cohoes will be held for brood and surplus fish will continue to be transported to the upper watershed.  Also on the positive side were the substantial numbers of coho juveniles I observed while fishing the West Vancouver beaches in the second half of July and August.  As of October 21, 1,173 jack cohoes had returned to Capilano Hatchery (only 94 jack cohoes returned in 2007), so next year should see an improved run. 

At the nearby Seymour River, staff at Seymour Hatchery feel this year’s coho run is about 30-40% of normal and may be similar to the estimated 2006 run of about 1,500 fish.  More jack cohoes have been seen in the Seymour. 

The only other river I have visited was the Chilliwack-Vedder.  Four visits in September yielded a nice chinook each trip but I never hooked a coho nor saw and clearly identified a coho in the river.  Yet, I heard of other anglers who caught cohoes.  On my last visit (September 30), I found one of the holding ponds at Chilliwack Hatchery (where the early part of the run is held) was full of cohoes.  This run is still “in season”, so it is hard to draw any conclusions.  Yet, while the jack coho return to Chilliwack Hatchery was down in 2007, the adult return in 2008 may be better than expected.  At this time coho runs are underway in many other south coast rivers, so it remains to be seen how other streams will fare.  I have yet to hear what Dr. Beamish’s juvenile coho sampling results were in 2008.

February 2008

COHO ROUNDTABLE REPORT
By Eric Carlisle
As predicted, coho returns to south coast rivers and streams improved in 2007.  However, the outlook for 2008 is not good.                                                                       
At Capilano Hatchery, 876 earlies, 7,853 mids and 7,051 lates swam up the fish ladder.  The total adult coho return was 15,780.  Unfortunately, the jack coho return was a mere 94; the previous record low return of jacks was in excess of 300.   In 2007, the in-river fishery and the beach fisheries were noticeably improved over those of 2006.  But, while jack cohoes appeared in both fisheries in 2006, hardly any jacks were caught in 2007
While Seymour Hatchery staff have not made their final population estimate calculations, they have told me that the Seymour’s coho run was 4,000 to 5,000.  An average return is around 2,000 (like in 2005), and the 2006 return was only 1,450.  Like at Capilano, however, the numbers of jack cohoes found during seines at the Hatchery Pool were lower than usual.  I never saw any jacks while fishing the river last year or while participating in carcass recovery in late October, November or early December.
At Chilliwack Hatchery, the coho return was 14,696.  This compares with the 2006 return of 6,866 and the 2005 return of about 6,000.  However, the 2007 jack coho return was 611; in 2006, 1,445 jack cohoes returned to Chilliwack Hatchery.  Manager Bob Stanton said, “General synopsis for 2007 was fishing was relatively good for adult Coho and Chinook jacks, with what appeared to be an increase in trap returns and wild/tributary creek Coho.  There is a belief that Coho returns for Chilliwack and other Georgia Strait Coho stocks will be down.  How much I don’t know, but if you can go by Coho jack returns it could be significant.” 
Tenderfoot Hatchery’s Brian Klassen commented on the 2007 coho returns to the Squamish area.  Klassen said, “Coho returns in Squamish are still ongoing.  We saw an increase in coho this year over last year’s return although it was still not a stellar year.  I would have to say it was an ‘average’ return which is not bad but it was not as good as it was a few years ago.  The Cheakamus main river return was very poor but that was not unexpected as these were the returning fish from the Cheakamus CN Rail spill (2004 brood fish).  Jack returns are low.” 
A pattern is present here—improved adult coho returns in 2007, but low jack coho returns.  While low jack coho returns do not always mean low adult returns the following year (and good jack coho returns do not always mean good adult returns the following year), a correlation between jack coho returns and adult returns the following year is fairly common.  In the late summer of 2006, the Pacific Biological Station’s Dr. Dick Beamish performed his usual sampling in Georgia Strait, found improved numbers of coho juveniles, and predicted the improved return in 2007.  However, I have heard that Dr. Beamish’s juvenile coho sampling results in the late summer of 2007 were the worst he has seen.  Therefore, it would appear that the 2008 coho returns will be poor.

While obtaining the 2007 coho return information for this report, I also noticed that both Capilano and Chilliwack Hatcheries experienced very low returns of chinook “Jimmies”.  The stock in question is the so-called “Chilliwack Whites”, which originated at Harrison River, was transplanted to Chilliwack and then to Capilano.  Most years, this late returning stock has performed well at the two hatcheries.   The “Jimmies” are precociously maturing chinook males which left the river as smolts in the spring and returned in the fall at age one.  Each “Jimmy” is about the size of a modest jack coho.  I do not know if returns of four “Jimmies” to Capilano Hatchery and six “Jimmies” to Chilliwack Hatchery are significant, but they do seem to be much lower than usual.  In 2007, both hatcheries experienced adequate returns of chinook adults and good returns of chinook jacks.  In both rivers, significant numbers of chinook spawn in the river (especially in Chilliwack River) rather than returning to the hatchery.  In fact, I have been told that DFO has found that 20% of the fall returning chinook in the Chilliwack-Vedder is the result of chinook adults spawning in the river.

Steelhead Committee Report
In the late 1970s (Chair Eric Carlisle was not sure of the year), the provincial and federal governments signed an agreement re steelhead production at DFO hatcheries.  Under this agreement, steelhead smolts would be raised at DFO hatcheries under provincial direction, and DFO would pay for this program.  This steelhead production would be compensation for steelhead intercepted and harvested in commercial salmon fisheries.  At this time and for many years afterward, the commercial fishermen were able to retain steelhead caught in their nets. 
However, for several years commercial fishermen have been required to release any steelhead they catch and have also been required to carry live boxes to assist in the release of steelhead.  Therefore, a case could be made for DFO not paying for hatchery steelhead production—harvest is not allowed.  But Carlisle stressed that there is a significant mortality when commercial fishermen release steelhead from gillnets or from purse seines, so a case can be made for the agreement signed about 30 years ago to continue. 
At the October SEHAB meeting (which Carlisle was unable to attend), members decided to investigate steelhead production costs at DFO facilities.  When he was informed of this project by Jack Minard, Carlisle contacted Reid Schrul, Manager of Capilano Hatchery.  Schrul told Carlisle that DFO had assembled all the hatchery steelhead production numbers several years ago.   DFO staff in Ottawa had been making noises about cutting costs by ceasing production of steelhead, but DFO personnel on the west coast had said that they were in the business of getting fish back to the rivers and that the steelhead production should continue.  On Carlisle’s behalf, Schrul asked his superiors if Carlisle could be given the steelhead production numbers document, but they did not respond to this request.  Therefore, Carlisle had to do it the hard way--contact the various hatchery managers and ask for the information. 
Capilano Hatchery:  Manager Reid Schrul said the target is 20,000 steelhead smolts a year and the cost is $25,000, or about $1.25 a smolt.  With the 2003 brood year, Capilano Hatchery changed from a two year program to a one year program. 
Seymour Hatchery (a CEDP facility):  Manager Brian Smith (a former SEHAB member) reported that a one-year program for the average 30,000 steelhead produced a year costs $31,453.34.  With in-kind contributions (volunteer time, donations of DFO truck time, etc.) added, however, the cost would be $61,053.34.  A two year program (which Seymour Hatchery recently discontinued) used to cost $47,348.05 or, with in-kind contributions, $78,948.06.  Smith had worked out his costs for the DFO steelhead cost report to the penny.  The DFO bean counters look upon in-kind work as a cost, not a benefit, hence the higher cost figures if in-kind contributions are included.
Chehalis Hatchery:  Manager Larry Kahl said his targets are 40,000 WSH smolts, 25,000 SSH smolts and 25,000 searun cutthroat trout smolts, and the total cost at full production would be about $35,000.
Inch Creek Hatchery:  Manager Stu Barnetson reported that his facility produces 20,000 WSH smolts for release into Stave River and the cost is $20,000, or $1.00 a smolt.
Chilliwack Hatchery:  Manager Bob Stanton said his steelhead program is the most expensive program at the hatchery on a per-smolt basis and the steelhead program accounts for 25% of the total hatchery biomass produced.  The steelhead are raised in river water for the first 6 months, then in 11 degrees Celsius well water for three months, then in a mixture of river and well water for the final three months prior to release.  The largest production well costs $4,000 a month in electricity to operate.  Fuel for a backup diesel generator (used in case of power failure) adds to the cost.  Fish food for steelhead accounts for about 25% of the hatchery’s total fish food budget or 10% of the annual operating budget.  Once overhead cost, staff salaries, etc. are included, the cost per smolt is one dollar plus.  Over the last 7 years, Chilliwack Hatchery has released in excess of 110,000 steelhead smolts except for 2005 (109,123) and 2006 (95,259).  The highest release occurred in 2003—134,701.  Stanton pointed out that the variability in steelhead releases results from the different numbers of wild adult steelhead captured for use as brood stock each year, adult steelhead holding survival, and incubation and rearing survivals. 
Jack Minard said he has available similar information from Vancouver Island Hatcheries and, if all the steelhead production costs are added together, the total is about $500,000.  Ev Person mentioned the steelhead costs at Kitimat Hatchery.  Several SEHAB members commented on the value of the steelhead programs at the various hatcheries and expressed the hope that the federal and provincial governments would continue to live up to the agreement signed in the early days of the Salmonid Enhancement Program.

October 2007

Eric Carlisle

For SEHAB members, coho has been a species of concern for many years and, especially, for the last two years.  I can report only on rivers I have fished.  This year, the Capilano coho run showed improvement over the returns of the past two years.  With about 10,000 swimups to Capilano Salmon Hatchery in 2005 and about 7,000 swimups in 2006, the hope was that the 2007 return would be better.  As of October 21, 13,269 coho had returned to the hatchery.  The run is not over—both bright (recent arrivals) and coloured (in the river for a while) coho enter the hatchery each day, and fresh coho are still entering the river.  In fact, this morning (October 24), I caught a bright, fresh in 4 1/2  pound hatchery coho with sea lice attached and lost another bright coho.  Hopefully, the coho run, which began in the second week of May, will continue into November.  Although only 88 jack coho had reached Capilano Salmon Hatchery as of October 21, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from this low return of jacks.  Hatchery Manager Reid Schrul pointed out that there have been other years with small returns of jack coho but good returns of adult coho the following year.  Only if a consistent pattern of low jack coho returns is evident at other rivers should we expect low adult returns in 2008.  Given that we are still in-season and some rivers have yet to see their main returns of coho, patience will be required before any predictions can be made about next year’s coho returns.

I have fished Seymour River only a little in the last few weeks, but a mixture of fresh run and in-a-while coho has been present.   Reports I have heard from other anglers and from Seymour Hatchery staff indicate that the Seymour’s 2007 coho return has improved over last year’s sub average return.  I have heard of several sizeable (10 pounds plus) coho encountered by anglers.

Anglers who fished the Cypress Creek mouth area in August and September enjoyed productive coho fishing.  A mixture of wild and hatchery coho was present; many of the hatchery coho were Capilano fish, but some were Seymour fish and others may have been from the Fraser system.  As usual, on some days many coho were present, but on other days only a few coho showed at the various locations east and west of the creek mouth.  I spoke to one angler who has fished the area recently; he said that it has been quiet.  Local rivers have been up since September 30, so coho have not had any reason to linger at the Stearman Beach-Cypress Creek mouth area.

I visited the Chilliwack-Vedder River on four days in September (all during the low flow period).  While I enjoyed productive fishing for jacksprings and, on the last day (September 26), adult chinook, I managed to catch just one hatchery coho adult and release one hatchery jack coho.  Still, I have had reports of productive coho fishing since the river rose almost four weeks ago.  In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, the coho would migrate up the Chilliwack-Vedder system during the low water periods of September and into October.  In recent years, however, some early (end of August-early September) coho move in, but many coho wait until rainfall occurs.

Pink salmon provided the anticipated enjoyable angling at various North and West Vancouver beaches.  This year, Indian River pinks held off Cates Park for several weeks (starting on August 4).  No pinks appeared to be present in late July (some years they have appeared in late July), so the 2007 pink return exhibited normal run timing.  However, in the second week of August I switched to fishing at Cypress Creek mouth.  Here, I had a better chance of encountering coho, and pinks (some perhaps Indian stock, but many probably Fraser system fish) were present until almost the middle of September.  Since the fisheries occurred, I have heard that the Indian experienced a so-so return of pinks.  The prediction for the Fraser system was originally 19 million adults.  In-season this prediction was downgraded to 10 million then upgraded to 11 million.  In some odd numbered years the pink fishing at Cypress Creek mouth lasted into early October, but in 2007 the runs appeared to be over by mid-September.  I observed fair numbers of pinks in the Chilliwack-Vedder.

During my October Roundtable Report five years ago (we were staying at a hotel just south of Courtney), I commented on how the lack of rainfall and low rivers and creeks meant that salmon were unable to migrate upstream.  In fact, we could see coho jumping close to shore behind the hotel.  This year the fall rains began at the end of September, so low flows and delayed salmon migrations have not been a concern.  Hopefully, the rivers and creeks will not experience any major floods which scour the stream bottoms and destroy salmon eggs.

June 2007

Eric Carlisle

Over the last several months, the plight of Capilano steelhead has received some favourable publicity.  Mark Angelo, with media in tow, showed up at Capilano Salmon Hatchery on April 10, the Tuesday following the Easter weekend.  On this day, the otter fence had just been pulled from the fish ladder and 14 WSH swam up the ladder (although plenty of WSH had been in the river for over two months, only one had been seen in the fish ladder prior to April 10); some of these fish were visible in the viewing areas and appeared in the TV coverage.  During his TV interview, Angelo discussed some of the problems facing Capilano steelhead.  Of particular note is the high (60-70% at best, 90% or higher at worst) casualty rate of steelhead smolts dropping over the spillway.  Although not mentioned, coho smolts face a similar situation. 
While adult steelhead are not transported to the upper watershed, Capilano Hatchery staff plant fry surplus to their production requirements.  Generally, the steelhead which migrate up the fish ladder are hatchery fish, and these adults provide the eggs for the fry program.  Wild WSH adults are captured by angling (by me) and transported to the hatchery; their eggs are used for the smolt program.   Only the rare wild WSH swims up the fish ladder.  Adult coho (up to 5,000 a year) are trucked to the upper river and released; these fish spawn naturally in the creeks.  But, like the steelhead smolts, the coho smolts must pass over the spillway on their way downstream to the sea.  The total drop is in the order of 300 feet.  At first glance, one might think that smolts can drop over anywhere across the width of the spillway.  Actually, at the top end of the lake the river enters flowing toward the west side, so smolts tend to follow the west shoreline as they migrate downstream and drop over the west side (in all probability, the west foot or two) of the spillway.  In recent years, a rock pile has built up at the base of the west side of the spillway, and at certain flows the water comes off the ski jump and plunges directly into these rocks rather than into a plunge pool.  Hence the high casualty rates for downstream migrating smolts.
Last week, I forwarded to SEHAB members the news release from Ralph Sultan, MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano and Chair of the provincial government’s Steelhead Caucus.  Recently, members of the Steelhead Caucus visited Cleveland Dam with Mark Angelo and had a first hand look at the problem.  The news release also mentioned some of the other problems facing Capilano steelhead—lack of gravel recruitment, cold water releases downstream from the dam, low flows, etc.  Last Saturday morning, Sultan appeared on the local community channel and discussed the problems facing Capilano steelhead.  This program also showed Sultan speaking in the Legislature about Capilano steelhead.  Quoting an article in the Globe and Mail, he may have given incorrect figures (fry plants may reach 40,000 plus; there is no way that 65,000 steelhead smolts move down the Capilano and over the spillway); however, the concept he was discussing is absolutely correct—the high casualty rate for smolts dropping over the spillway.  Anyway, I hope that all this publicity will have some effect on the GVRD and that the required money will be spent to alleviate the problems facing Capilano steelhead and salmon.
From what I heard, south coast WSH returns generally were up.  An exception appeared to be the Squamish system and especially the Cheakamus.  In these rivers the major floods of October, 2003, impacted the survival of steelhead juveniles.  Last I heard this year’s steelhead smolt program on the Cheakamus still had several adults to go to reach the desired 10 males and 10 females.  In the North Shore rivers (where I did almost all of my WSH fishing), there definitely were increases in the returns, but the majority of the fish were of hatchery origin.  While wild WSH were present, they were a minority.
Interestingly, at Capilano the hatchery component of the WSH run exhibited something unusual—approximately two males returned for every female.  Usually, the population is about 50/50 males and females (this is what happened with the wild population) or there is an edge of females over males.  In a hatchery population, some smolts residualize after release and most of these residuals are males; hence the greater number of females.  Who knows, next year it may be two females to every male.   
I think most of you are aware that last month, 20,000 steelhead smolts were released into the Cheakamus.  While most of these smolts were released into the Cheekye up past the Outdoor School reaches of the river, some were released into the upper section of the anadromous fish section of the Cheakamus.  Hopefully, returning adults will help seed the Cheakamus and rebuild the steelhead year classes depleted by CN’s caustic soda spill on August 5, 2005.      
While occasional coho were reported being caught in the Capilano in late April-early May, I didn’t see any until May 12.  For several weeks this very early component of the run was disappointing—only the odd coho here and there—but some numbers have been showing for the last week and a half.  It is too early in the run to draw any conclusions about how coho are surviving this year.  However, various indications—research in Georgia Strait last summer-fall by Dick Beamish, and increased jack coho returns to the hatcheries in 2006—indicate that this year’s returns should be better.  The prediction for 2006 was .5% survival for hatchery coho and 1.5% for wild coho, and that prediction appeared to come true.  I have heard that Dick Beamish is saying that survival for this year should be 4%.  This is not great but it is an improvement.  
There has been one other development at Capilano, and this time it’s a welcome one.  For many years SSH have been few and far between, but this year noticeable numbers of SSH have appeared in anglers’ catches.  I’ve released three myself and lost one, and I have witnessed two others released and one lost.  I’ve also heard of about a dozen more summer runs released.  At times, too, I have seen SSH swimming in certain pools or rolling.  In fact, yesterday morning I visited the Cable Pool and observed four SSH for sure and maybe a fifth.  All the fish I have seen closely have been hatchery steelhead of about 6-6 ½ pounds in weight (in other words, two ocean fish).  Yet as far as I know, the last time SSH smolts were released (not counting the 2006 brood smolts released a little over a month ago) were the 2003 brood SSH smolts released in 2004.  Hardly any SSH appeared last year, but these fish are present this year.   Perhaps this year’s returnees are SSH that stayed in the river for an extra year following their release in 2004.  In any event, while I feel that this stock has very limited long term prospects of survival, it is a pleasant change to find a few SSH present during the early coho fishery.

February 2007

By Eric Carlisle

For the second year in a row, greatly diminished coho returns to many South Coast streams continue to be a concern to anglers and conservationists alike.  Due to the wild weather which was experienced in November and December, 2006, the obtaining of meaningful observations from creek walks was extremely difficult.  Therefore, in order to obtain a reliable picture of what was happening, we have to look mainly at returns to major hatcheries.
Capilano Hatchery’s returns are very interesting.  I have ballpark figures, not the actual returns down to the last fish, but they will suffice.  The total return was 6,700, which is low for Capilano. However, those of us who attended last May’s Coho forum will remember that Manager Reid Schrul pointed out the various complicating factors for Capilano—low summer and early autumn flows, native Indian fishery, sport fishery, etc.  The breakdown of the returns is puzzling.  The early return (until early July) was well over 2,000 and was the best early return since 2002.  The mid return was well over 3,000.  However, the late return (early September on) was only 750.  This situation was seen by those of us who fished the West Vancouver beaches (rivermouth, Cypress Creek mouth area) last summer.  There were good numbers of coho showing through August, and then the numbers dropped a bit.  But after the weekend following the Labour Day weekend, the coho, essentially, disappeared.  For the remainder of September and into October a few coho were present at the rivermouth and Cypress Creek mouth, but only a few.  At times, jacks were noticeable, and hatchery staff appeared encouraged by the jack returns.  Still, Capilano Hatchery easily reached its brood target and was able to transport 2,500 adults (earlies and mids) to the upper river for natural spawning.
Most years, fresh coho stop entering the Capilano sometime in late October-early November.  There have been years in which the coho run has continued well into November and, rarely, into December.  Usually there is a lag time from the date the run ceases entering the river until the time the last coho swim up the fish ladder into the hatchery.  In 2005, for example, I found the run ended after November 3, but some coloured coho entered the hatchery in December and one group of about 200 reached the hatchery in early January.  In 2006, however, no coho entered the hatchery after the middle of November (I can’t remember the exact date but it may have been November 9).  There has been no explanation for the steep decline of the late run coho at Capilano and other rivers, and I can’t think of any reason for the late run to suffer such a drastic drop but the early and mid runs didn’t do all that badly.  In the ocean Capilano coho go to many different locations, so I don’t think it’s likely that most of the late run came through Johnstone Strait at the wrong time—during a commercial opening for sockeye or chum.
Concerning the neighboring Seymour River, I have been advised by Seymour Hatchery staff that the preliminary population estimate for the 2006 return of Seymour coho is 1,450.  This number is below average, but given the gloomy reports I was hearing throughout the season, it is better than I expected.
Bob Stanton, Manager of Chilliwack Hatchery, told me that the 2006 swimup return to the hatchery was ~6,800, which is slightly better than the 2005 return of ~6,500.  Bob also said stream walks saw few coho. However, he said, “the number of jacks increased proportionally” and “I hope this bodes well for this fall.”  I fished the Chilliwack-Vedder extensively (nine angling days) from September 6 to October 25 and actually caught just one wild coho male (released, of course).  On a few occasions I saw coho (small numbers only), but they refused to bite.  I also caught five hatchery jack coho of which I kept four.  I saw just one other angler carrying a coho, and another angler told me that he was carrying a coho in his fishing vest.  When the coho fishery was productive, I commonly observed anglers catching coho, with coho they had landed, or carrying coho to their vehicles.  Yet, the creel census estimate was 2,289 harvested and 5,234 released.  Like many other anglers who fished the Chilliwack-Vedder in 2006, I feel this creel census estimate is wildly optimistic.  I was creel censused once and was able to report my one coho released and a 6 pound chinook harvested that morning.  There were plenty of chinook in the river, but very few coho.
I queried Brian Klassen, who works at Tenderfoot Hatchery, about the 2006 coho returns to the Squamish system.  Brian said, “Tenderfoot coho returned at about the 30-35% rate vs. the 25 year average (we had about 670 coho vs. 2,000 in an average year).  The other Squamish system streams were similar without any ‘hard’ data to back that up.  A MoE friend of mine who walks streams lots in the fall and keeps diary notes on what he sees said that based on what he has seen this year, it’s about 10-20% of what he would see in a ‘normal’ year.  An example would be the Mamquam where, in a peak one day count he would count 400+ coho while this year he saw 45 fish.  Shovelnose was a big time bust!  I was there three times this year at a time when there should have been a reasonable amount of fish spawning and I saw none.  Nor did I see any redds to suggest that I had just not seen the fish.  There were fish later but I don’t think the total exceeded 200 fish.  A far, far cry from what we have seen the last few years and what I would have expected to see.  Since all of the Shovelnose work has now matured and it is now seeing returns from all of the Forest Renewal work, there have been coho escapements as high as 8,000…Most years, there are easily 2,000 fish in that creek…On a plus side, we saw increased jack returns as did most other sites.  The fish were also larger with some very large animals in the population.  I spawned a couple of Cheakamus coho and one of them had an egg fecundity of 5,700 while another fish contained 6,500 eggs. That is what you see in chinook so it was nice to get that in the coho as well.  These females were easily over 20 pounds and the bigger was most likely about 22 pounds.”
The following is excerpts from the minutes of the recent meeting of the North Coast Sub-committee, SFAB.  DFO’s David Peacock reported on north coast coho:
Prior to this year abundance was consistent in the North.
Areas 8, 9 and 10 had very poor returns based on Docee fence counts and sport catches.  Had about 20% of what have had the last few years.
Areas 1 to 7 had relatively good abundance.
South coast was dismal and if the effects are creeping north is a grave concern.
Are trying to get a target harvest of 40-60% for Skeena and Nass stocks.  Are currently there for Nass stocks but at a lower level for Skeena so have some room to move.
Have developed a tag group for Bella Coola this year and are trying to get a tag group for Rivers Inlet and after that lower Skeena.”
Elsewhere in the minutes, there were comments about the lack of a coho indicator stream on the lower Skeena and one report that the Skeena coho fishing was good early but poor later.
What will happen in 2007 remains to be seen.  You will have noticed several references to improved jack returns in 2006, and that could mean increased adult returns in 2007.  Reid Schrul told me that the Ricker (DFO research vessel), sampling in Georgia Strait last fall, had found increased numbers of coho grilse.  However, I have heard that at an OHEB meeting in late November, DFO’s Carol Cross said that 2007 may be worse than last year.

October 2006

by Eric Carlisle

The main concern for all people involved with anadromous salmonids is the lack of rainfall going back to last spring.  With the exception of the rainfall on September 20 (which allowed Seymour River, Lynn Creek and assorted small creeks to rise a little but did not increase flows in Capilano River or Chilliwack River), there has been no significant rainfall since June.  While we are not in a panic situation yet, forecasts of rain coming this weekend and continuing into next week are welcome.  Of course, there have been long range forecasts of rain coming but the forecasts changed and sunny weather continued instead, so we can only hope that, this time, the forecast of rain is accurate.  Then, salmon which have been waiting will be able to migrate up their rivers and salmon which have been holding in their rivers will be able to migrate up the tributaries and spawn.  Juvenile salmonids living in the streams will have increased living space.
Yet in spite of record low flows for the time of year, in some streams salmon have been able to migrate upstream.  In Chilliwack-Vedder River, coho, chum and adult and jack chinook are spread throughout the river.  In some riffles the water is barely knee deep, yet the salmon appear to be moving upriver during the night and holding in deeper pools and runs during the day.  Still, angling conditions are difficult and anglers are hoping rain will raise the river.
In most streams coho migrations have barely started or the coho are waiting for rain, so it is difficult to comment on the state of the runs.  However, I have fished for coho in three streams, so I can comment on these runs.  Capilano has seen an improvement over last year—by September 27, 5,770 coho had entered Capilano Hatchery.  The early season in-river fishery—mid-May into early July (when the runoff ended)—showed improved numbers of fish present over the same time period in 2005.  The changed behavior of the early run coho, which I have mentioned before, continued.  Instead of holding on the lower river, the coho moved in during the night and were well up in the canyon or near the hatchery early the next morning.  While some coho held at the river mouth in July and August, many clipped coho were present at the Cypress Creek mouth area from early July into early September.  Then, most of these coho vanished and, at present, there are hardly any coho showing at the river mouth and only a few showing at Cypress Creek mouth.  So far, Seymour River has experienced a very poor return of coho.  I fished the river only a little following the September 20 rainfall (which briefly raised the river a bit), observed a few coho, lost several, released a few wild jacks, and kept one hatchery adult and one hatchery jack.  In late August and September, numerous wild coho were reported holding off the Maplewood Mud Flats, and we can only hope that many of these fish are wild Seymour coho waiting for rainfall.  Still, in spite of low summer flows in other years Seymour coho, both wild and hatchery, moved up the river, so the lack of coho is cause for concern.  At Chilliwack River, by September 19 only 40 coho had returned to Chilliwack Hatchery.  Just two years earlier, 1,600 coho were present on September 21, and 200 were kept for brood stock and the remainder sold off as surplus.  The staff member I spoke with expressed much concern about the state of this year’s coho run.  Yet following the September 20 rainfall (which did not raise the river), 1,000 coho were present at the hatchery just a few days later.  This number represents an improvement over last year’s run at the same time.
Anglers fishing the Chilliwack-Vedder are observing coho in many pools and runs, but these fish are proving to be very difficult to catch. Part of the problem is the presence of adult chinook—the coho do not like to hold in the same water as the chinook and may be spooked by the chinook—but part of the problem is the reluctance of the hatchery coho to bite on anglers’ offerings.  Anglers used to feel that Chilliwack coho were much easier to catch than coho in many other rivers, but this is no longer the case.
Similarly, at the 2006 North Shore beach fisheries both hardware and fly anglers found that coho have become much more difficult to catch.  At times we cover lots of fish, but bites are few.  Talking about this situation with Highwater Tackle’s Dave Steele, I learned that the hard to catch coho are not just present at North Shore fisheries; in 2006, coho in many other areas have been much more difficult to catch than usual.  Again, this appears to be changing behavior by the coho, but why is anyone’s guess.  It is not as if the fish are full of feed; a few I took in mid-July-early August had stomach contents (in each case a few small herring), but all other coho had empty stomachs.  Commonly, fecal matter was present at the other end of the gut so the fish had been feeding recently, but they were not feeding at the time at which I caught them (generally first light to sunup, with a few later in the morning).  Most of the anglers I know have long lists of lures or flies which used to catch the coho but which now rarely attract any bites.
Climate change may be influencing the ocean survival of coho, but it does not explain why catching coho, especially hatchery coho, is becoming more difficult.

May 2006

By Eric Carlisle

It is now end of season for winter steelhead in most south coast rivers and very late season for winter steelhead in the Squamish system (but peak time for Mamquam River steelhead).  From what I have heard, runs in most rivers have improved this year.  Although the river I fish the most, the Capilano, was very spotty and inconsistent, the BCCF guys swam the river several weeks ago and had their best count yet—27.  Fish were observed scattered throughout the canyon and not concentrated in just one area.  The swim went from the fish barrier at Capilano Hatchery to the 401 Highway Bridge. I feel that the fishing would have been better and the swim count would have been better if a seal had not been present in the river.   I have seen the seal five times for certain and a probable sixth time, and on two of the five occasions I saw the seal, it took a steelhead.   While I have recommended the Puntledge solution (remove the problem animal), employees of both governments are reluctant to do anything.  Apparently, they have to go through Environment Canada and fill out reams of paperwork, and Environment Canada people seem more interested in critters with cute, big eyes than they do in cold, slimy fish. 

This morning (May 9), I was present at Capilano Hatchery during the steelhead spawning check.  This season, the hatchery has held 40 WSH, and only two hatchery males have died before spawning.  Today, three hatchery females and three wild females were found to be ripe and were spawned.  One wild female which had wounds on the top of her head and fungus problems was killed and spawned, while the other five females were air spawned and released.  Eggs from the wild steelhead females were fertilized with milt from wild males, and eggs from the hatchery steelhead were fertilized with milt from either wild or hatchery males.  Offspring from the wild steelhead will be used for the smolt program (which is now a one year program), and offspring from the hatchery steelhead females will be used for the fry planting program in the upper river.  There is talk of increasing WSH production at Capilano Hatchery from the current goal of 10,000 but, so far, Capilano Hatchery staff have not heard from the Fresh Water Fisheries Society about this matter.  Details such as funding for increased production would have to be worked out.            

MoE Steelhead Biologist Greg Wilson told me that at the end of April, float counts indicated the Cheakamus held about 400 steelhead.  Yet, from reports I had heard, the fishing rivaled that found in years of much better returns.  I must admit that the two times I visited the Cheakamus I found nothing, but that’s steelheading.  While I was picking up my brood stock collection permit at Tenderfoot Hatchery on May 5, two steelhead were brought in.  That gave the hatchery 7 females and 5 males; the goal is 10 and 10.  Tenderfoot Hatchery staff told me that they have 14 brood stock anglers and, from what I saw, they should experience little difficulty in reaching their goal.  I understand the adult steelhead are to be transferred to Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery and the eggs are to be incubated there.  Part of the rearing will be done at Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, and the rearing will be finished somewhere in the Cheakamus system—either in a new channel at Tenderfoot Hatchery or in net pens in Daisy Lake.  I have heard various unofficial reports that MoE steelhead biologists were “choked” that Environment Minister Barry Penner decided to approve a temporary hatchery program on the Cheakamus. 

While fishing the Cheakamus eight days ago, I passed the Cheekye and walked upstream along the railway tracks to a run I know as 10 Mile.  At one time, the river ran along the railway tracks at this run, but a flood in the 1980s changed the course of the river and it now runs along the far side of the river channel.  At the base of a large, triangular boulder which used to be at the head of the old run, there is a two feet or so deep pool of water, and in this pool, I saw 20 or more salmonid juveniles which were about 2 ½ inches long. What species they are I couldn’t tell—probably, they are coho, but some could have been Chinook and some could even have been steelhead.  However, whatever species they are, they are survivors from August 5, 2005.  Perhaps this pool was not connected to the main flow on August 5, or maybe these survivors, which may have come from a groundwater channel, were caught in the pool during a flood last fall or winter and are waiting for the spring freshet to set them free.  

Of course, there is that other species of concern—coho.  While I had heard a few reports of coho in the Capilano for just over a week, until Monday I hadn’t seen any.  Last Monday I caught my first coho of the season and saw another angler take a coho.  The season has started right on time.

February 2006

By Eric Carlisle

A major issue is the decline in coho returns to many south coast rivers in 2005.  SEHAB members will remember the e-mails which were being sent back and forth in early January.  From friends at DFO, in early December (during that long period of sunny weather and low flows), I heard that Chilliwack Hatchery had only 6,000 cohoes as “swim-ups” but the hatchery met its brood target.  After the river rose in the latter part of December, I heard some more cohoes entered Chilliwack Hatchery.  However, I also heard that both Big Qualicum and Quinsam Hatcheries did not meet their brood targets.  Later, I heard that the Tenderfoot Hatchery (Cheakamus River) return was about half the 20 year average.  Capilano Hatchery had 9,774, and others stayed in the river.  In fact, if the ladder had not been blocked in December, I have no doubt that several hundred more would have come in and the return would have broken 10,000.  Capilano met its brood target and was within a hundred of its target for transporting adult coho to the upper watershed for natural spawning.  Of course, you have to remember that there are several complicating factors on Capilano River.  During medium to high flows, the native Indian fishery at the river’s mouth takes only small numbers of cohoes, but during the summer low flows, the native Indian fishery is very effective.  Still, hatchery staff find that in spite of low flows and the native Indian fishery, they always manage to obtain sufficient coho brood.  From what I saw of the fishery in the river, at the rivermouth and at other beach areas, the run was lower than normal.  The Seymour coho return was estimated to be 2,500-2,800—down but not too bad.  DFO’s Linda Stevens, who handles the SFAB local committees, told me that she had heard that many runs were about a quarter of normal.  Yet I did hear one good report—Norrish or Suicide Creek was supposed to have had a good return.

If SEHAB members think about the e-mails which were being sent around about the coho returns, each of us has a handle on what happened in our own areas and we may have some idea what happened in other areas.  However, we do not have DFO’s views on how widespread the low returns were in 2005 and why the returns were down.   Therefore, we need to hear from DFO about how the coho runs were throughout the south coast, why many of the runs were lower than normal, and what DFO plans to do about the situation.  In other words, before we can make any recommendations about the south coast coho situation, we need to know the overall picture.

Concerning steelhead, I have heard a variety of reports about improved winter steelhead returns to at least some of the south coast rivers.  Hopefully, this trend will continue and we are not getting a one year blip in the current low ocean survivals.  At the February 8 Open House re the Cheakamus steelhead situation, many of us who attended obtained copies of a steelhead fish culture recovery option draft discussion paper prepared for the Cheakamus River Ecosystem Recovery Technical Committee.  The MoE plan, which this paper puts forth for discussion and public comment, calls for taking 22 pairs of winter steelhead in each of 2006 and 2007 and releasing a target of 33,000 smolts each succeeding year.  The goal is to increase the spawning escapements in 2008 to 2011.  Personally, I think the increased returns will occur in 2009-2011; the predicted 87 one ocean steelhead return in 2008 is excessive.  The predicted wild returns are 109 in 2008, 22 in 2009, 31 in 2010 (the Olympics year!), and 118 in 2011.  In recent years, the Cheakamus has seen returns of 300-400, and the historic run was probably in excess of 1,000.  Comments can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by February 22.  Various organizations are sending letters to Environment Minister Barry Penner or to CRERTC, and I am one of I hope many individuals who has sent in comments about the steelhead fish culture plan.

Read more: Roundtable-Steelhead Society-Nov 2009

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ROUNDTABLE REPORT—FEBRUARY, 2009

by Eric Carlisle

Since November, 2008, there have been several positive developments for steelhead.  First, the Steelhead Summit on November 29 saw nine Liberal MLAs receive an education on the plight of steelhead.  At this meeting, which was held at BCIT, the MLAs heard reports from the steelhead biologist in each provincial region which is home to steelhead and from a stakeholder from each region.  This event was chaired by Steelhead Caucus Chair Ralph Sultan and was organized by Sultan and South Coast Steelhead Coalition Chair (and BC Federation of Drift Fishers President) Rod Clapton.  Perhaps the most telling fact about the steelhead situation was the fact that the five MoE staff who look after steelhead—the steelhead biologists, one from each region which has steelhead—were present.  At one time, individual regions had at least five biologists and technicians whose work involved steelhead.  The most disappointing moment came when Environment Minister Barry Penner said there was no more money available for steelhead work.  But at least, the nine MLAs who attended were educated about the biological, economic and social aspects of the steelhead situation.

Premier Gordon Campbell has been made aware of the steelhead situation, and he instructed Environment Minister Penner to reply on his behalf to a letter written to Campbell by SCSC Chair Rod Clapton.  Clapton has learned that several lodge owners have been pressuring Premier Campbell to help steelhead.

Most encouraging is the news that Clapton and Al Lill from BCCF will be making a presentation to the entire government caucus on March 11.  During this presentation, Clapton and Lill will further educate the MLAs about steelhead and will propose two steelhead restoration projects for each region.  Again, the problem will be to convince the government MLAs to find some money for steelhead restoration work.  The recent budget made further cuts to the Ministry of Environment, so finding money will be difficult.  No doubt a report on this meeting will be prepared and distributed, and I will forward this report to SEHAB members.  Clapton will call a meeting of the SCSC later in March.

A further development re steelhead was the February 1 letter writing campaign undertaken by the Steelhead Society of B.C.  A form letter was circulated to SSBC members and on various angling and conservation websites.  People were asked to write all the MLAs on February 1 and express their concerns about declining steelhead runs.  In a preamble, the Society asked people to write their own letters rather than simply send the form letter.  An estimated 80-100 letters were sent.  My letter received 11 automatic replies and one personal reply, all of which thanked me for sending the letter.  This past week, I received a personal reply from MLA Linda Reid, and I circulated this reply to SEHAB members.  Jack Minard then circulated an almost identical reply which he received from an assistant to MLA Ron Cantelon.  Hopefully, each MLA or assistant who sent this canned reply at least took the time to discuss steelhead issues and became aware of the severely reduced returns of steelhead to many rivers.  If nothing else, the Society’s letter writing campaign should have made the politicians more aware of steelhead and the fact that people who care about steelhead are voters.

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SEHAB Meeting – June 14-15

JUNE, 2008 SEHAB ROUNDTABLE REPORT

By Eric Carlisle

My report will begin with a summary of 2007’s and early 2008’s activities on North Shore rivers.On the Seymour, for the second year in a row 60 hatchery summer and winter steelhead smolts were surgically implanted with POST sonic tags and released.For the first time, 60 hatchery coho smolts were also given POST sonic tags and released.Extra receivers were placed in Seymour River, Indian Arm, Seymour Estuary, Burrard Inlet and English Bay.A listening line was established from Point Atkinson to Spanish Banks.Health index studies were performed on Seymour coho and steelhead.75% of the steelhead smolts reached the rivermouth (release was on the lower river rather than from Seymour Hatchery).Eleven were detected in Burrard Inlet, 6 at the northern end of Georgia Strait listening line and one at the Queen Charlotte line.Four were heard in Indian Arm, and two of these fish went out from there.Fish died at a constant and fairly rapid rate.Results were comparable to what was seen in 2006.About half of the coho smolts reached the rivermouth following their release from the hatchery.Two were detected in Indian Arm, only two or three in Burrard Inlet, and one in Georgia Strait.In May, 2008, a further 60 steelhead smolts were POST tagged and released.Thirty of these POST tagged steelhead were transported in a container on a DFO boat and released off Point Atkinson.The adult steelhead radio tagging program completed its second year.Sixteen tagged SSH were in the river, and slightly more WSH had been tagged.At present, the third year of adult steelhead radio tagging is underway, and four SSH adults have been caught and tagged on the lower Seymour.In June, 2007, the Seymour received another fertilizer application.This time, solid fertilizer was applied near the hatchery and in the vicinity of the Spur 4 Bridge.Like everywhere else, the WSH fishery in the Seymour had been hampered by long periods of low flows.Many of the fish appeared to be the larger, 3 ocean steelhead, but some 2 ocean steelhead appeared in April.A pleasant change occurred in the Capilano in 2007—for the first time in many years, a fishable return of summer steelhead appeared.All of these fish were 2 ocean hatchery fish.While the winter steelhead run did not reach the numbers seen in the mid-1980s, the return was good.Many were 3 ocean steelhead but a fair number of 2 ocean steelhead arrived, too.This pattern—many 3 ocean steelhead but fewer 2 ocean steelhead--indicates that the smolts which went to sea in 2005 fared fairly well (unlike salmon smolts), but smolts which went to sea in 2006 did not fare as well.Again, low flows hampered the steelhead migration and fishery, and many steelhead bore seal marks.One new development on the Capilano is the resumption of the capture and transport of coho and steelhead smolts from the upper river and Capilano Lake to the river downstream from Cleveland Dam.This program is using rotary screw traps in the river and set nets in the lake.Captured smolts will not have to drop over the spillway and fall onto rocks which have built up at the base of the spillway on the west side.A third rotary screw trap was set in the river outside Capilano Hatchery in order to see how smolts which dropped over the spillway fared.On one occasion, 280 smolts were found in this trap, but 240 were dead.The other new development on the Capilano involves the transport of adult hatchery WSH to the upper river upstream from Capilano Lake.For the first time since 1970, adult steelhead have spawned in the upper Capilano.

On several occasions, I have reported that the DFO prediction for 2008 is for poor coho returns to South Coast rivers.So far, that prediction appears to be coming true on the Capilano.Coho have been scarce and anglers have found very difficult and generally unproductive fishing.As of Tuesday, June 17, only 36 coho were being held at the hatchery.In the past five years, the average number of coho held at the hatchery by mid-June was 200.However, previous to the past five years, fewer than 200 coho had reached the hatchery by mid-June (in 1989, for example, only 22 coho were present).If the poor returns continue, the hatchery may ask that the coho fishery be changed to a non-retention fishery.This morning (June 22), I looked in the holding pond and estimated that about 50 coho were present.The hatchery wants to hold 500 coho as its early brood.Anglers will have to wait and see if the current retention fishery will continue or if DFO will commence a non-retention coho fishery and will ask the Squamish Indian Band to allow coho to move upstream without impediment.

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FEBRUARY, 2008 ROUNDTABLE REPORT
By Eric Carlisle
As predicted, coho returns to south coast rivers and streams improved in 2007.  However, the outlook for 2008 is not good.                                                                       
At Capilano Hatchery, 876 earlies, 7,853 mids and 7,051 lates swam up the fish ladder.  The total adult coho return was 15,780.  Unfortunately, the jack coho return was a mere 94; the previous record low return of jacks was in excess of 300.   In 2007, the in-river fishery and the beach fisheries were noticeably improved over those of 2006.  But, while jack cohoes appeared in both fisheries in 2006, hardly any jacks were caught in 2007
While Seymour Hatchery staff have not made their final population estimate calculations, they have told me that the Seymour’s coho run was 4,000 to 5,000.  An average return is around 2,000 (like in 2005), and the 2006 return was only 1,450.  Like at Capilano, however, the numbers of jack cohoes found during seines at the Hatchery Pool were lower than usual.  I never saw any jacks while fishing the river last year or while participating in carcass recovery in late October, November or early December.
At Chilliwack Hatchery, the coho return was 14,696.  This compares with the 2006 return of 6,866 and the 2005 return of about 6,000.  However, the 2007 jack coho return was 611; in 2006, 1,445 jack cohoes returned to Chilliwack Hatchery.  Manager Bob Stanton said, “General synopsis for 2007 was fishing was relatively good for adult Coho and Chinook jacks, with what appeared to be an increase in trap returns and wild/tributary creek Coho.  There is a belief that Coho returns for Chilliwack and other Georgia Strait Coho stocks will be down.  How much I don’t know, but if you can go by Coho jack returns it could be significant.” 
Tenderfoot Hatchery’s Brian Klassen commented on the 2007 coho returns to the Squamish area.  Klassen said, “Coho returns in Squamish are still ongoing.  We saw an increase in coho this year over last year’s return although it was still not a stellar year.  I would have to say it was an ‘average’ return which is not bad but it was not as good as it was a few years ago.  The Cheakamus main river return was very poor but that was not unexpected as these were the returning fish from the Cheakamus CN Rail spill (2004 brood fish).  Jack returns are low.” 
A pattern is present here—improved adult coho returns in 2007, but low jack coho returns.  While low jack coho returns do not always mean low adult returns the following year (and good jack coho returns do not always mean good adult returns the following year), a correlation between jack coho returns and adult returns the following year is fairly common.  In the late summer of 2006, the Pacific Biological Station’s Dr. Dick Beamish performed his usual sampling in Georgia Strait, found improved numbers of coho juveniles, and predicted the improved return in 2007.  However, I have heard that Dr. Beamish’s juvenile coho sampling results in the late summer of 2007 were the worst he has seen.  Therefore, it would appear that the 2008 coho returns will be poor.

While obtaining the 2007 coho return information for this report, I also noticed that both Capilano and Chilliwack Hatcheries experienced very low returns of chinook “Jimmies”.  The stock in question is the so-called “Chilliwack Whites”, which originated at Harrison River, was transplanted to Chilliwack and then to Capilano.  Most years, this late returning stock has performed well at the two hatcheries.   The “Jimmies” are precociously maturing chinook males which left the river as smolts in the spring and returned in the fall at age one.  Each “Jimmy” is about the size of a modest jack coho.  I do not know if returns of four “Jimmies” to Capilano Hatchery and six “Jimmies” to Chilliwack Hatchery are significant, but they do seem to be much lower than usual.  In 2007, both hatcheries experienced adequate returns of chinook adults and good returns of chinook jacks.  In both rivers, significant numbers of chinook spawn in the river (especially in Chilliwack River) rather than returning to the hatchery.  In fact, I have been told that DFO has found that 20% of the fall returning chinook in the Chilliwack-Vedder is the result of chinook adults spawning in the river.

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OCTOBER, 2007 ROUNDTABLE REPORT
By Eric Carlisle
For SEHAB members, coho has been a species of concern for many years and, especially, for the last two years.  I can report only on rivers I have fished.  This year, the Capilano coho run showed improvement over the returns of the past two years.  With about 10,000 swimups to Capilano Salmon Hatchery in 2005 and about 7,000 swimups in 2006, the hope was that the 2007 return would be better. As of October 21, 13,269 coho had returned to the hatchery.  The run is not over—both bright (recent arrivals) and coloured (in the river for a while) coho enter the hatchery each day, and fresh coho are still entering the river.  In fact, this morning (October 24), I caught a bright, fresh in 4 1/2  pound hatchery coho with sea lice attached and lost another bright coho.  Hopefully, the coho run, which began in the second week of May, will continue into November.  Although only 88 jack coho had reached Capilano Salmon Hatchery as of October 21, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from this low return of jacks. Hatchery Manager Reid Schrul pointed out that there have been other years with small returns of jack coho but good returns of adult coho the following year.  Only if a consistent pattern of low jack coho returns is evident at other rivers should we expect low adult returns in 2008.  Given that we are still inseason and some rivers have yet to see their main returns of coho, patience will be required before any predictions can be made about next year’s coho returns.

I have fished Seymour River only a little in the last few weeks, but a mixture of fresh run and in-a-while coho has been present.   Reports I have heard from other anglers and from Seymour Hatchery staff indicate that the Seymour’s 2007 coho return has improved over last year’s sub average return.  I have heard of several sizeable (10 pounds plus) coho encountered by anglers.

Anglers who fished the Cypress Creek mouth area in August and September enjoyed productive coho fishing.  A mixture of wild and hatchery coho was present; many of the hatchery coho were Capilano fish, but some were Seymour fish and others may have been from the Fraser system.  As usual, on some days many coho were present, but on other days only a few coho showed at the various locations east and west of the creek mouth.  I spoke to one angler who has fished the area recently; he said that it has been quiet.  Local rivers have been up since September 30, so coho have not had any reason to linger at the Stearman Beach-Cypress Creek mouth area.

I visited the Chilliwack-Vedder River on four days in September (all during the low flow period).  While I enjoyed productive fishing for jacksprings and, on the last day (September 26), adult chinook, I managed to catch just one hatchery coho adult and release one hatchery jack coho.  Still, I have had reports of productive coho fishing since the river rose almost four weeks ago.  In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, the coho would migrate up the Chilliwack-Vedder system during the low water periods of September and into October.  In recent years, however, some early (end of August-early September) coho move in, but many coho wait until rainfall occurs.

Pink salmon provided the anticipated enjoyable angling at various North and West Vancouver beaches.  This year, Indian River pinks held off Cates Park for several weeks (starting on August 4).  No pinks appeared to be present in late July (some years they have appeared in late July), so the 2007 pink return exhibited normal run timing.  However, in the second week of August I switched to fishing at Cypress Creek mouth.  Here, I had a better chance of encountering coho, and pinks (some perhaps Indian stock, but many probably Fraser system fish) were present until almost the middle of September. Since the fisheries occurred, I have heard that the Indian experienced a so-so return of pinks.  The
prediction for the Fraser system was originally 19 million adults.  In-season this prediction was downgraded to 10 million then upgraded to 11 million.  In some odd numbered years the pink fishing at Cypress Creek mouth lasted into early October, but in 2007 the runs appeared to be over by midSeptember.

I observed fair numbers of pinks in the Chilliwack-Vedder.

During my October Roundtable Report five years ago (we were staying at a hotel just south of Courtney), I commented on how the lack of rainfall and low rivers and creeks meant that salmon were unable to migrate upstream.  In fact, we could see coho jumping close to shore behind the hotel.  This year the fall rains began at the end of September, so low flows and delayed salmon migrations have not been a concern.  Hopefully, the rivers and creeks will not experience any major floods which scour the stream bottoms and destroy salmon eggs.

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Roundtable Report Salmon Enhancement and Habitat Advisory Board
June 9th and 10th, 2007                                         
Steelhead Society of BC
SEHAB Member - Eric Carlisle
Over the last several months, the plight of Capilano steelhead has received some favourable publicity.  Mark Angelo, with media in tow, showed up at Capilano Salmon Hatchery on April 10, the Tuesday following the Easter weekend.  On this day, the otter fence had just been pulled from the fish ladder and 14 WSH swam up the ladder (although plenty of WSH had been in the river for over two months, only one had been seen in the fish ladder prior to April 10); some of these fish were visible in the viewing areas and appeared in the TV coverage.  During his TV interview, Angelo discussed some of the problems facing Capilano steelhead.  Of particular note is the high (60-70% at best, 90% or higher at worst) casualty rate of steelhead smolts dropping over the spillway.  Although not mentioned, coho smolts face a similar situation. 
While adult steelhead are not transported to the upper watershed, Capilano Hatchery staff plant fry surplus to their production requirements.  Generally, the steelhead which migrate up the fish ladder are hatchery fish, and these adults provide the eggs for the fry program.  Wild WSH adults are captured by angling (by me) and transported to the hatchery; their eggs are used for the smolt program.   Only the rare wild WSH swims up the fish ladder.  Adult coho (up to 5,000 a year) are trucked to the upper river and released; these fish spawn naturally in the creeks.  But, like the steelhead smolts, the coho smolts must pass over the spillway on their way downstream to the sea.  The total drop is in the order of 300 feet.  At first glance, one might think that smolts can drop over anywhere across the width of the spillway.  Actually, at the top end of the lake the river enters flowing toward the west side, so smolts tend to follow the west shoreline as they migrate downstream and drop over the west side (in all probability, the west foot or two) of the spillway.  In recent years, a rock pile has built up at the base of the west side of the spillway, and at certain flows the water comes off the ski jump and plunges directly into these rocks rather than into a plunge pool.  Hence the high casualty rates for downstream migrating smolts.
Last week, I forwarded to SEHAB members the news release from Ralph Sultan, MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano and Chair of the provincial government’s Steelhead Caucus.  Recently, members of the Steelhead Caucus visited Cleveland Dam with Mark Angelo and had a first hand look at the problem.  The news release also mentioned some of the other problems facing Capilano steelhead—lack of gravel recruitment, cold water releases downstream from the dam, low flows, etc.  Last Saturday morning, Sultan appeared on the local community channel and discussed the problems facing Capilano steelhead.  This program also showed Sultan speaking in the Legislature about Capilano steelhead.  Quoting an article in the Globe and Mail, he may have given incorrect figures (fry plants may reach 40,000 plus; there is no way that 65,000 steelhead smolts move down the Capilano and over the spillway); however, the concept he was discussing is absolutely correct—the high casualty rate for smolts dropping over the spillway.  Anyway, I hope that all this publicity will have some effect on the GVRD and that the required money will be spent to alleviate the problems facing Capilano steelhead and salmon.
From what I heard, south coast WSH returns generally were up.  An exception appeared to be the Squamish system and especially the Cheakamus.  In these rivers the major floods of October, 2003, impacted the survival of steelhead juveniles.  Last I heard this year’s steelhead smolt program on the Cheakamus still had several adults to go to reach the desired 10 males and 10 females.  In the North Shore rivers (where I did almost all of my WSH fishing), there definitely were increases in the returns, but the majority of the fish were of hatchery origin.  While wild WSH were present, they were a minority.
Interestingly, at Capilano the hatchery component of the WSH run exhibited something unusual—approximately two males returned for every female.  Usually, the population is about 50/50 males and females (this is what happened with the wild population) or there is an edge of females over males.  In a hatchery population, some smolts residualize after release and most of these residuals are males; hence the greater number of females.  Who knows, next year it may be two females to every male.   
I think most of you are aware that last month, 20,000 steelhead smolts were released into the Cheakamus.  While most of these smolts were released into the Cheekye up past the Outdoor School reaches of the river, some were released into the upper section of the anadromous fish section of the Cheakamus.  Hopefully, returning adults will help seed the Cheakamus and rebuild the steelhead year classes depleted by CN’s caustic soda spill on August 5, 2005.      
While occasional coho were reported being caught in the Capilano in late April early May, I didn’t see any until May 12.

For several weeks this very early component of the run was disappointing—only the odd coho here and there—but some numbers have been showing for the last week and a half.
It is too early in the run to draw any conclusions about how coho are surviving this year.
However, various indications—research in Georgia Strait last summer-fall by Dick Beamish, and increased jack coho returns to the hatcheries in 2006— indicate that this year’s returns should be better.

The prediction for 2006 was  .5% survival for hatchery coho and 1.5% for wild coho, and that prediction appeared to come true.

I have heard that Dick Beamish is saying that survival  for this year should be 4%.
This is not great but it is an  improvement.

There has been one other development at Capilano, and this time it’s a welcome one.  For many years SSH have been few and far between, but this year noticeable numbers of SSH have appeared in anglers’ catches.  I’ve released three myself and lost one, and I have witnessed two others released and one lost.  I’ve also heard of about a dozen more summer runs released.  At times, too, I have seen SSH swimming in certain pools or rolling.  In fact, yesterday morning I visited the Cable Pool and observed four SSH for sure and maybe a fifth.  All the fish I have seen closely have been hatchery steelhead of about 6-6 ½ pounds in weight (in other words, two ocean fish).  Yet as far as I know, the last time SSH smolts were released (not counting the 2006 brood smolts released a little over a month ago) were the 2003 brood SSH smolts released in 2004.  Hardly any SSH appeared last year, but these fish are present this year.   Perhaps this year’s returnees are SSH that stayed in the river for an extra year following their release in 2004.  In any event, while I feel that this stock has very limited long term prospects of survival, it is a pleasant change to find a few SSH present during the early coho fishery.

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February, 2007 Roundtable Report
By Eric Carlisle
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For the second year in a row, greatly diminished coho returns to many South Coast streams continue to be a concern to anglers and conservationists alike.  Due to the wild weather which was experienced in November and December, 2006, the obtaining of meaningful observations from creek walks was extremely difficult.  Therefore, in order to obtain a reliable picture of what was happening, we have to look mainly at returns to major hatcheries.
Capilano Hatchery’s returns are very interesting.  I have ballpark figures, not the actual returns down to the last fish, but they will suffice.  The total return was 6,700, which is low for Capilano. However, those of us who attended last May’s Coho forum will remember that Manager Reid Schrul pointed out the various complicating factors for Capilano—low summer and early autumn flows, native Indian fishery, sport fishery, etc.  The breakdown of the returns is puzzling.  The early return (until early July) was well over 2,000 and was the best early return since 2002.  The mid return was well over 3,000.  However, the late return (early September on) was only 750.  This situation was seen by those of us who fished the West Vancouver beaches (rivermouth, Cypress Creek mouth area) last summer.  There were good numbers of coho showing through August, and then the numbers dropped a bit. But after the weekend following the Labour Day weekend, the coho, essentially, disappeared.  For the remainder of September and into October a few coho were present at the rivermouth and Cypress Creek mouth, but only a few.  At times, jacks were noticeable, and hatchery staff appeared encouraged by the jack returns.  Still, Capilano Hatchery easily reached its brood target and was able to transport 2,500 adults (earlies and mids) to the upper river for natural spawning.
Most years, fresh coho stop entering the Capilano sometime in late October-early November.  There have been years in which the coho run has continued well into November and, rarely, into December.  Usually there is a lag time from the date the run ceases entering the river until the time the last coho swim up the fish ladder into the hatchery.  In 2005, for example, I found the run ended after November 3, but some coloured coho entered the hatchery in December and one group of about 200 reached the hatchery in early January.  In 2006, however, no coho entered the hatchery after the middle of November (I can’t remember the exact date but it may have been November 9).  There has been no explanation for the steep decline of the late run coho at Capilano and other rivers, and I can’t think of any reason for the late run to suffer such a drastic drop but the early and mid runs didn’t do all that badly.  In the ocean Capilano coho go to many different locations, so I don’t think it’s likely that most of the late run came through Johnstone Strait at the wrong time—during a commercial opening for sockeye or chum.
Concerning the neighboring Seymour River, I have been advised by Seymour Hatchery staff that the preliminary population estimate for the 2006 return of Seymour coho is 1,450. This number is below average, but given the gloomy reports I was hearing throughout the season, it is better than I expected.
Bob Stanton, Manager of Chilliwack Hatchery, told me that the 2006 swimup return to the hatchery was ~6,800, which is slightly better than the 2005 return of ~6,500.  Bob also said stream walks saw few coho. However, he said, “the number of jacks increased
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proportionally” and “I hope this bodes well for this fall.”  I fished the Chilliwack-Vedder extensively (nine angling days) from September 6 to October 25 and actually caught just one wild coho male (released, of course).  On a few occasions I saw coho (small numbers only), but they refused to bite.  I also caught five hatchery jack coho of which I kept four.  I saw just one other angler carrying a coho, and another angler told me that he was carrying a coho in his fishing vest.  When the coho fishery was productive, I commonly observed anglers catching coho, with coho they had landed, or carrying coho to their vehicles.  Yet, the creel census estimate was 2,289 harvested and 5,234 released.  Like many other anglers who fished the Chilliwack-Vedder in 2006, I feel this creel census estimate is wildly optimistic.  I was creel censused once and was able to report my one coho released and a 6 pound chinook harvested that morning.  There were plenty of chinook in the river, but very few coho.
I queried Brian Klassen, who works at Tenderfoot Hatchery, about the 2006 coho returns to the Squamish system.  Brian said, “Tenderfoot coho returned at about the 30-35% rate vs. the 25 year average (we had about 670 coho vs. 2,000 in an average year).  The other Squamish system streams were similar without any ‘hard’ data to back that up.  A MoE friend of mine who walks streams lots in the fall and keeps diary notes on what he sees said that based on what he has seen this year, it’s about 10-20% of what he would see in a ‘normal’ year.  An example would be the Mamquam where, in a peak one day count he would count 400+ coho while this year he saw 45 fish.  Shovelnose was a big time bust!  I was there three times this year at a time when there should have been a reasonable amount of fish spawning and I saw none.  Nor did I see any redds to suggest that I had just not seen the fish.  There were fish later but I don’t think the total exceeded 200 fish.  A far, far cry from what we have seen the last few years and what I would have expected to see. Since all of the Shovelnose work has now matured and it is now seeing returns from all of the Forest Renewal work, there have been coho escapements as high as 8,000…Most years, there are easily 2,000 fish in that creek…On a plus side, we saw increased jack returns as did most other sites.  The fish were also larger with some very large animals in the population.  I spawned a couple of Cheakamus coho and one of them had an egg fecundity of 5,700 while another fish contained 6,500 eggs. That is what you see in chinook so it was nice to get that in the coho as well.  These females were easily over 20 pounds and the bigger was most likely about 22 pounds.”
The following is excerpts from the minutes of the recent meeting of the North Coast Subcommittee,
SFAB.

DFO’s David Peacock reported
on north coast coho:
 Prior to this year abundance was consistent in the North.
 Areas 8, 9 and 10 had very poor returns based on Docee fence counts and sport
catches.  Had about 20% of what have had the last few years.
 Areas 1 to 7 had relatively good abundance.
 South coast was dismal and if the effects are creeping north is a grave concern.
 Are trying to get a target harvest of 40-60% for Skeena and Nass stocks.  Are
currently there for Nass stocks but at a lower level for Skeena so have some room to move.
 Have developed a tag group for Bella Coola this year and are trying to get a tag group for Rivers Inlet and after that lower Skeena.”
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Elsewhere in the minutes, there were comments about the lack of a coho indicator stream on the lower Skeena and one report that the Skeena coho fishing was good early but poor later.
What will happen in 2007 remains to be seen.  You will have noticed several references to improved jack returns in 2006, and that could mean increased adult returns in 2007.  Reid Schrul told me that the Ricker (DFO research vessel), sampling in Georgia Strait last fall, had found increased numbers of coho grilse.  However, I have heard that at an OHEB meeting in late November, DFO’s Carol Cross said that 2007 may be worse than last year.

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SEHAB October, 2006 Roundtable Report
by Eric Carlisle
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The main concern for all people involved with anadromous salmonids is the lack of rainfall going back to last spring.  With the exception of the rainfall on September 20 (which allowed Seymour River, Lynn Creek and assorted small creeks to rise a little but did not increase flows in Capilano River or Chilliwack River), there has been no significant rainfall since June.  While we are not in a panic situation yet, forecasts of rain coming this weekend and continuing into next week are welcome.  Of course, there have been long range forecasts of rain coming but the forecasts changed and sunny weather continued instead, so we can only hope that, this time, the forecast of rain is accurate.  Then, salmon which have been waiting will be able to migrate up their rivers and salmon which have been holding in their rivers will be able to migrate up the tributaries and spawn.  Juvenile salmonids living in the streams will have increased living space.
Yet in spite of record low flows for the time of year, in some streams salmon have been able to migrate upstream.  In Chilliwack-Vedder River, coho, chum and adult and jack chinook are spread throughout the river.  In some riffles the water is barely knee deep, yet the salmon appear to be moving upriver during the night and holding in deeper pools and runs during the day.  Still, angling conditions are difficult and anglers are hoping rain will raise the river.
In most streams coho migrations have barely started or the coho are waiting for rain, so it is difficult to comment on the state of the runs.  However, I have fished for coho in three streams, so I can comment on these runs.  Capilano has seen an improvement over last year—by September 27, 5,770 coho had entered Capilano Hatchery.  The early season in-river fishery—mid-May into early July (when the runoff ended)—showed improved numbers of fish present over the same time period in 2005.  The changed behavior of the early run coho, which I have mentioned before, continued.  Instead of holding on the lower river, the coho moved in during the night and were well up in the canyon or near the hatchery early the next morning.  While some coho held at the river mouth in July and August, many clipped coho were present at the Cypress Creek mouth area from early July into early September.  Then, most of these coho vanished and, at present, there are hardly any coho showing at the river mouth and only a few showing at Cypress Creek mouth.  So far, Seymour River has experienced a very poor return of coho.  I fished the river only a little following the September 20 rainfall (which briefly raised the river a bit), observed a few coho, lost several, released a few wild jacks, and kept one hatchery adult and one hatchery jack.  In late August and September, numerous wild coho were reported holding off the Maplewood Mud Flats, and we can only hope that many of these fish are wild Seymour coho waiting for rainfall.  Still, in spite of low summer flows in other years Seymour coho, both wild and hatchery, moved up the river, so the lack of coho is cause for concern.  At Chilliwack River, by September 19 only 40 coho had returned to Chilliwack Hatchery.  Just two years earlier, 1,600 coho were
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present on September 21, and 200 were kept for brood stock and the remainder sold off as surplus.  The staff member I spoke with expressed much concern about the state of this year’s coho run.  Yet following the September 20 rainfall (which did not raise the river), 1,000 coho were present at the hatchery just a few days later.  This number represents an improvement over last year’s run at the same time.
Anglers fishing the Chilliwack-Vedder are observing coho in many pools and runs, but these fish are proving to be very difficult to catch. Part of the problem is the presence of adult chinook—the coho do not like to hold in the same water as the chinook and may be spooked by the chinook—but part of the problem is the reluctance of the hatchery coho to bite on anglers’ offerings.  Anglers used to feel that Chilliwack coho were much easier to catch than coho in many other rivers, but this is no longer the case.
Similarly, at the 2006 North Shore beach fisheries both hardware and fly anglers found that coho have become much more difficult to catch.  At times we cover lots of fish, but bites are few.  Talking about this situation with Highwater Tackle’s Dave Steele, I learned that the hard to catch coho are not just present at North Shore fisheries; in 2006, coho in many other areas have been much more difficult to catch than usual.  Again, this appears to be changing behavior by the coho, but why is anyone’s guess.  It is not as if the fish are full of feed; a few I took in mid-July-early August had stomach contents (in each case a few small herring), but all other coho had empty stomachs.  Commonly, fecal matter was present at the other end of the gut so the fish had been feeding recently, but they were not feeding at the time at which I caught them (generally first light to sunup, with a few later in the morning).  Most of the anglers I know have long lists of lures or flies which used to catch the coho but which now rarely attract any bites.
Climate change may be influencing the ocean survival of coho, but it does not explain why catching coho, especially hatchery coho, is becoming more difficult.

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ROUNDTABLE REPORT—MAY, 2006
By Eric Carlisle
It is now end of season for winter steelhead in most south coast rivers and very late season for winter steelhead in the Squamish system (but peak time for Mamquam River steelhead).  From what I have heard, runs in most rivers have improved this year. Although the river I fish the most, the Capilano, was very spotty and inconsistent, the BCCF guys swam the river several weeks ago and had their best count yet—27.  Fish were observed scattered throughout the canyon and not concentrated in just one area. The swim went from the fish barrier at Capilano Hatchery to the 401 Highway Bridge. I feel that the fishing would have been better and the swim count would have been better if a seal had not been present in the river.   I have seen the seal five times for certain and a probable sixth time, and on two of the five occasions I saw the seal, it took a steelhead. While I have recommended the Puntledge solution (remove the problem animal), employees of both governments are reluctant to do anything.  Apparently, they have to go through Environment Canada and fill out reams of paperwork, and Environment Canada people seem more interested in critters with cute, big eyes than they do in cold, slimy fish.       This morning (May 9), I was present at Capilano Hatchery during the steelhead spawning check.  This season, the hatchery has held 40 WSH, and only two hatchery males have died before spawning.  Today, three hatchery females and three wild females were found to be ripe and were spawned.  One wild female which had wounds on the top of her head and fungus problems was killed and spawned, while the other five females were air spawned and released.  Eggs from the wild steelhead females were fertilized with milt from wild males, and eggs from the hatchery steelhead were fertilized with milt from either wild or hatchery males.  Offspring from the wild steelhead will be used for the smolt program (which is now a one year program), and offspring from the hatchery steelhead females will be used for the fry planting program in the upper river.  There is talk of increasing WSH production at Capilano Hatchery from the current goal of 10,000 but, so far, Capilano Hatchery staff have not heard from the Fresh Water Fisheries Society about this matter.  Details such as funding for increased production would have to be worked out.                   MoE Steelhead Biologist Greg Wilson told me that at the end of April, float counts indicated the Cheakamus held about 400 steelhead.  Yet, from reports I had heard, the fishing rivaled that found in years of much better returns.  I must admit that the two times I visited the Cheakamus I found nothing, but that’s steelheading.  While I was picking up my brood stock collection permit at Tenderfoot Hatchery on May 5, two steelhead were brought in.  That gave the hatchery 7 females and 5 males; the goal is 10 and 10. Tenderfoot Hatchery staff told me that they have 14 brood stock anglers and, from what I saw, they should experience little difficulty in reaching their goal.  I understand the adult steelhead are to be transferred to Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery and the eggs are to be incubated there.  Part of the rearing will be done at Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, and the rearing will be finished somewhere in the Cheakamus system—either in a new channel at
Tenderfoot Hatchery or in net pens in Daisy Lake.  I have heard various unofficial reports that MoE steelhead biologists were “choked” that Environment Minister Barry Penner decided to approve a temporary hatchery program on the Cheakamus.        While fishing the Cheakamus eight days ago, I passed the Cheekye and walked upstream along the railway tracks to a run I know as 10 Mile.  At one time, the river ran along the railway tracks at this run, but a flood in the 1980s changed the course of the river and it now runs along the far side of the river channel.  At the base of a large, triangular boulder which used to be at the head of the old run, there is a two feet or so deep pool of water, and in this pool, I saw 20 or more salmonid juveniles which were about 2 ½ inches long. What species they are I couldn’t tell—probably, they are coho, but some could have been Chinook and some could even have been steelhead.  However, whatever species they are, they are survivors from August 5, 2005.  Perhaps this pool was not connected to the main flow on August 5, or maybe these survivors, which may have come from a groundwater channel, were caught in the pool during a flood last fall or winter and are waiting for the spring freshet to set them free.         Of course, there is that other species of concern—coho.  While I had heard a few reports of coho in the Capilano for just over a week, until Monday I hadn’t seen any. Last Monday I caught my first coho of the season and saw another angler take a coho. The season has started right on time.

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February, 2006 SEHAB Roundtable Report
By Eric Carlisle
A major issue is the decline in coho returns to many south coast rivers in 2005. SEHAB members will remember the e=mails which were being sent back and forth in early January.  From friends at DFO, in early December (during that long period of sunny weather and low flows), I heard that Chilliwack Hatchery had only 6,000 cohoes as “swim-ups” but the hatchery met its brood target.  After the river rose in the latter part of December, I heard some more cohoes entered Chilliwack Hatchery.  However, I also heard that both Big Qualicum and Quinsam Hatcheries did not meet their brood targets. Later, I heard that the Tenderfoot Hatchery (Cheakamus River) return was about half the 20 year average.  Capilano Hatchery had 9,774, and others stayed in the river.  In fact, if the ladder had not been blocked in December, I have no doubt that several hundred more would have come in and the return would have broken 10,000.  Capilano met its brood target and was within a hundred of its target for transporting adult coho to the upper watershed for natural spawning.  Of course, you have to remember that there are several complicating factors on Capilano River.  During medium to high flows, the native Indian fishery at the river’s mouth takes only small numbers of cohoes, but during the summer low flows, the native Indian fishery is very effective.  Still, hatchery staff find that in spite of low flows and the native Indian fishery, they always manage to obtain sufficient coho brood.  From what I saw of the fishery in the river, at the rivermouth and at other beach areas, the run was lower than normal.  The Seymour coho return was estimated to be 2,500-2,800—down but not too bad.  DFO’s Linda Stevens, who handles the SFAB local committees, told me that she had heard that many runs were about a quarter of normal.  Yet I did hear one good report—Norrish or Suicide Creek was supposed to have had a good return.
If SEHAB members think about the e-mails which were being sent around about the coho returns, each of us has a handle on what happened in our own areas and we may have some idea what happened in other areas.  However, we do not have DFO’s views on how widespread the low returns were in 2005 and why the returns were down. Therefore, we need to hear from DFO about how the coho runs were throughout the south coast, why many of the runs were lower than normal, and what DFO plans to do about the situation.  In other words, before we can make any recommendations about the south coast coho situation, we need to know the overall picture.        Concerning steelhead, I have heard a variety of reports about improved winter steelhead returns to at least some of the south coast rivers.  Hopefully, this trend will continue and we are not getting a one year blip in the current low ocean survivals.  At the February 8 Open House re the Cheakamus steelhead situation, many of us who attended obtained copies of a steelhead fish culture recovery option draft discussion paper prepared for the Cheakamus River Ecosystem Recovery Technical Committee.  The MoE plan, which this paper puts forth for discussion and public comment, calls for taking 22 pairs of winter steelhead in each of 2006 and 2007 and releasing a target of 33,000 smolts each succeeding year.  The goal is to increase the spawning escapements in 2008 to 2011. Personally, I think the increased returns will occur in 2009-2011; the predicted 87 one
ocean steelhead return in 2008 is excessive.  The predicted wild returns are 109 in 2008, 22 in 2009, 31 in 2010 (the Olympics year!), and 118 in 2011.  In recent years, the Cheakamus has seen returns of 300-400, and the historic run was probably in excess of 1,000.  Comments can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by February 22.  Various organizations are sending letters to Environment Minister Barry Penner or to CRERTC, and I am one of I hope many individuals who has sent in comments about the steelhead fish culture plan.