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[Morty]

This is a special 'kind' of fishing report.  One where You're requested to keep your eyes open and report back.

In correspondence with Alexandra Morton today she asked me to keep my eyes open for any yellow Pinks.  Yes, coloured yellow.  It's apparent;y cause by a suspected jaundice type disease now being detected in some of Pink salmon.  See Alex's latest blog at:

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2011/10/open-letter-to-fisheries-and-oceans-canada.html

Let's do what we can to help not only maintain, but build-up our native fish stocks.

[BwiBwi]

Hmm, okay so what should be done if one is located?

[jobber604]

That letter needs to be given to the opposition party to the Conservative government. Take it all the way to the top. Give it to the local Member of Parliament and then you'll get an answer from the DFO minister. Ridiculous. What other types of mutant salmon are in the rivers now. This bothers me a lot.

[steelie-slayer]

thought i saw two a couple weeks ago while camped at thurston meadows in the little pool out front the camp, they were prety yellow looking was weird.

[Damien]

I ate one.

Tasted like lemon.

[JPW]

Looks ok for the smoker  .

Joking aside, that's definitely a concern.  As BwiBwi posted, what should be the course of action if one is found?

[jobber604]

Someone who caught one of those this season should post it up on fish porno thread.

[KP]

For some context here.  I have been handling pinks on the Fraser since 1975 and even then a few pinks were observed with a yellow look.  Link this to some of A. Morton's queries and don't be duped into a unfounded witch hunt. 

[silver ghost]

Looks ok for the smoker  .

Joking aside, that's definitely a concern.  As BwiBwi posted, what should be the course of action if one is found?

hahaha the smoker comments get me everytime, lol

the spawned out fish in the totes at weaver creek are destined for the smoker too right? hahaha

[Morty]

Hmm, okay so what should be done if one is located?

Here's Alexandra's request:
Optimally I could get them fresh on ice.  Second best take pictures, let me know where, when, species, how many, condition of the fish whether they spawned or not if they are dead,  open them up and photo the liver, and other organs...

[Dave]

For some context here.  I have been handling pinks on the Fraser since 1975 and even then a few pinks were observed with a yellow look.  Link this to some of A. Morton's queries and don't be duped into a unfounded witch hunt. 

If AM actually wrote that letter she should be ashamed.  She got so many facts wrong I wonder about her biological degree.  C’mon AM, these fish are dying; their livers are failing and their bile ducts (that green/yellow organ near the liver, that turns the inside of your fish yellow when you accidently cut it) are enlarging, hence the yellowing.  Very common and shows especially well on pale coloured moribund salmon, like pinks and white chinooks.
Pre spawning mortality of Harrison sockeye was happening back when I started in 1970, and according to FN people I believe, forever.

[Morty]

If AM actually wrote that letter she should be ashamed.  She got so many facts wrong I wonder about her biological degree.  C’mon AM, these fish are dying; their livers are failing and their bile ducts (that green/yellow organ near the liver, that turns the inside of your fish yellow when you accidently cut it) are enlarging, hence the yellowing.  Very common and shows especially well on pale coloured moribund salmon, like pinks and white chinooks.
Pre spawning mortality of Harrison sockeye was happening back when I started in 1970, and according to FN people I believe, forever.

Hi Dave, Maybe you can help me, and other readers, understand your comments a bit better.

What does "back when I started" mean?  Started what?
How many pre-spawning corpses did you actually see in the 70's?
Did the First Nations people used to see a few pre-spawn corpses or 100's?
Do you have a biological degree?
How can a dying liver change the colour of skull cartilage if the liver has not been cut?
How long does it take a dying liver to discolour skull cartilage?
Are you employed in the salmon farming industry?


Maybe Rodney can add his educated opinions ad well please.

[Gooey]

Ya, I have to agree with Dave..."brain tumors", "viral related jaundice", "increased mortality", "similar virus found in Chile", "fish farms studying viruses killing farmed chinook",....ya, certainly sounds like a witch hunt to me    Please pull your head out of the sand!

Dave, do happen to hold stock in some major BC based fish farming op, employed by a fish farm, etc, etc,? 

Just curious because any ONE of those things is enough for me to be concerned as to the actual cause of these issues, the source of the disease, and the over all impact on BC, wild salmon.  I would think that anyone with a vested interest in BCs wild fish would care and demand hard answers from the the body that governs how these fish farms do business ...the same body that is also responsible for wild salmon.

Maybe do don't care as much as the rest of us or maybe you have an "invested" interest lying somewhere other than with wild fish?

[Dave]

Hi Dave, Maybe you can help me, and other readers, understand your comments a bit better.

What does "back when I started" mean?  Started what?
How many pre-spawning corpses did you actually see in the 70's?
Did the First Nations people used to see a few pre-spawn corpses or 100's?
Do you have a biological degree?
How can a dying liver change the colour of skull cartilage if the liver has not been cut?
How long does it take a dying liver to discolour skull cartilage?
Are you employed in the salmon farming industry?


Maybe Rodney can add his educated opinions ad well please.

Morty, I retired after 37 years with the IPSFC and DFO nearly 4 years ago. Among other duties I provided technical support to DFO, UBC and SFU scientists for research into pre spawning mortality issues relating to Fraser River sockeye.   Much of this work involved immune defiencies, stress cortisol measurements, parasite loading and, basic biological cell death.
 I do not have a degree; instead, much scientific sampling experience. 
I have captured, killed, sampled and histologically examined thousands of adult salmonids over my career.
Salmonid livers and kidneys, along with all other organs, change function in fresh water; with no nutrients (returning adult salmonids cannot digest or metabolize food) to work on the liver retains glycogen and begins to atrophy, become more dense, shrink somewhat and change from the deep blood red color typical of a healthy new -run fish to a green-grey hue, often turning almost yellow.  All anglers who have taken early run fish and then, later run fish will have noticed this difference, along with the much larger gall bladder on more sexually mature fish.
Ms. Morton has probably named the condition, “jaundice” correctly.  How the liver colors skull tissue I can’t answer; maybe much the way a human with a failing liver would have a yellowish skin color.
This liver breakdown resulting in a yellowish hue is a natural occurrence and is entirely normal.  Some fish, especially male pinks, seem to exhibit this.

My statements regarding FN having observed PSM on the Harrison is based on conservations I have had with Chehalis elders.  They have long held that Weaver, Big Silver, etc sockeye stocks enter Harrison Lake early and hold below the thermocline, much like Cultus and Chilliwack Lake sockeye.  Whenever stocks enter freshwater earlier than normal  PSM is common.   Death is most often caused by kidney failure due to a parasite named Parvicapsula

No, I do not have any financial interest in BC fish farms but I do support them as I believe they are and will be an important part of BC’s future economy.  Wish I could say the same of wild salmonids.

[Morty]

Thanks Dave - your additional information does help with understanding of your earlier comments :-)