SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
SRKW Proposal Discussion – March 9, 7:00 p.m. – Bass Pro Shops
Special Meeting to discuss Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) proposed meausres to aid in the recovery of SRKW – March 9, 7:00 p.m. at Bass Pro Shops, Tsawwassen Mills. Ed George, Lower Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Advisory Committee Chair and Martin Paish, SFI, to present. More info here
There has been discussion about the health of Southern Resident Killer Whales over many years, a symposium in the fall of 2017 and associated comments by the Fisheries Minister, the Honourable Dominic Leblanc, signaled an interest and a call to action by government to make changes to the circumstances and environment that SRKW currently find themselves.
While the approach to Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery efforts will likely be multi-faceted there would seem little doubt that the recreational sector needs to be aware of the issue and prepared to modify activities so that we can be a part of the recovery of these magnificent animals. While scientific studies agree that ceasing harvest will not provide the desired increase in abundance of Chinook salmon for SRKW, there is evidence that increasing production of chinook salmon and addressing marine noise and disturbances should help. Reduction of marine noise can be affected immediately by reducing speeds and agreeing to leave a wide corridor around moving Killer Whales. Increasing numbers of Chinook salmon, Killer Whales preferred food, can take place relatively quickly and can be augmented and enhanced through use of ocean pens to temporarily hold and feed juvenile Chinook. The survival rates of juvenile salmon held even for a month in an ocean pen is as much as 10 times higher, from 3% to as high as 30%, than that of fry or smolt entering the ocean directly from estuarine or river environments. A combination of reduced interaction or interference with the whales as they try to feed and forage and a concerted effort to increase production of Chinook salmon generally and particularly using ocean net pens to briefly hold and feed juveniles would by, many accounts, go a long way to aiding in the recovery of these fantastic animals.
We will dedicate this space to provide updates and links to important and relevant information on the subject
http://sportfishing.bc.ca/southern-resident-killer-whales/
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Topic: Emergency SFAC Meetings About Proposed SRKW Fishing Closures (Read 3127 times)