Ozone
12-28-2013, 09:02 AM
Results from one-of-a-kind coho program in Campbell River to come in 2014
http://www.courierislander.com/results-from-one-of-a-kind-coho-program-in-campbell-river-to-come-in-2014-1.771491 (http://www.courierislander.com/results-from-one-of-a-kind-coho-program-in-campbell-river-to-come-in-2014-1.771491)
Fisheries managers all along the west coast will be keeping a close eye on Campbell River in 2014. The first returns of specially marked and inoculated coho salmon from the Fisheries and Oceans Quinsam River Hatchery will be analyzed as part of the only such program of its kind.
While similar inoculation programs take place with chinook salmon, none have been done with coho. And the chinook inoculation is delivered via a 'bath'. In this process the coho receive a direct injection.
In 2012, the first batch of marked and inoculated coho were released into the Salish Sea. There were 40,000 fin-clipped, inoculated and coded wire tagged coho released. A similar number went through the exact same preparation, except that the inoculation was a saline solution - a control in the experiment.
With some of those coho having returned as jacks in 2013- males that mature early and return one year earlier than normal to spawn - analytics are soon to be done as to the inoculation success.
So, if more jacks returned that were inoculated with the real vaccine than those with the placebo, fisheries managers will have the first indication that the program works.
The coho are being inoculated against vibriosis, a pathogen that researchers believe is especially prevalent in the spring when the young coho are released into the wild.
One of the difficulties with fisheries management is figuring out what happens to hatchery fish once they are released. This inoculation program will give fisheries managers some indication of the prevalence of vibriosis during the salmon's early ocean survival.
It could have huge cost savings as well. If the inoculation process proves successful, then the coho may not have to be kept, fed and cared for as long in the hatchery facility.
"When those adults and jacks come back into the hatchery, we will look for the tagged fish and sample them for their tags. If we find that the vaccinated group has significantly more numbers, than the placebo (control) group, then we will have some initial indication that vaccinating coho is worthwhile," said hatchery manager Dave Ewart. "Injection vaccinating of coho for vibriosis is something that our DFO salmon enhancement program has not tried at a hatchery. This is a first that Iım aware of."
One of the major sponsors of the program is the Campbell River Salmon Foundation and others include Mercury Marina and Trailer Park, a $1,000 donation from Marine Harvest Canada, and the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences who donated fish health checks of the juveniles before inoculation, at release in the spring, and when the adults return. Also, Novartus donated the vaccine ($700 per year), Northwest Marine Technology donated coded wire tags ($4,000 per year), Syndel labs donated anaesthetic ($200 per year), and Fisheries & Oceans Canada, (Quinsam Hatchery), is providing in-kind services valued at approximately $8,000.
http://www.courierislander.com/results-from-one-of-a-kind-coho-program-in-campbell-river-to-come-in-2014-1.771491 (http://www.courierislander.com/results-from-one-of-a-kind-coho-program-in-campbell-river-to-come-in-2014-1.771491)
Fisheries managers all along the west coast will be keeping a close eye on Campbell River in 2014. The first returns of specially marked and inoculated coho salmon from the Fisheries and Oceans Quinsam River Hatchery will be analyzed as part of the only such program of its kind.
While similar inoculation programs take place with chinook salmon, none have been done with coho. And the chinook inoculation is delivered via a 'bath'. In this process the coho receive a direct injection.
In 2012, the first batch of marked and inoculated coho were released into the Salish Sea. There were 40,000 fin-clipped, inoculated and coded wire tagged coho released. A similar number went through the exact same preparation, except that the inoculation was a saline solution - a control in the experiment.
With some of those coho having returned as jacks in 2013- males that mature early and return one year earlier than normal to spawn - analytics are soon to be done as to the inoculation success.
So, if more jacks returned that were inoculated with the real vaccine than those with the placebo, fisheries managers will have the first indication that the program works.
The coho are being inoculated against vibriosis, a pathogen that researchers believe is especially prevalent in the spring when the young coho are released into the wild.
One of the difficulties with fisheries management is figuring out what happens to hatchery fish once they are released. This inoculation program will give fisheries managers some indication of the prevalence of vibriosis during the salmon's early ocean survival.
It could have huge cost savings as well. If the inoculation process proves successful, then the coho may not have to be kept, fed and cared for as long in the hatchery facility.
"When those adults and jacks come back into the hatchery, we will look for the tagged fish and sample them for their tags. If we find that the vaccinated group has significantly more numbers, than the placebo (control) group, then we will have some initial indication that vaccinating coho is worthwhile," said hatchery manager Dave Ewart. "Injection vaccinating of coho for vibriosis is something that our DFO salmon enhancement program has not tried at a hatchery. This is a first that Iım aware of."
One of the major sponsors of the program is the Campbell River Salmon Foundation and others include Mercury Marina and Trailer Park, a $1,000 donation from Marine Harvest Canada, and the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences who donated fish health checks of the juveniles before inoculation, at release in the spring, and when the adults return. Also, Novartus donated the vaccine ($700 per year), Northwest Marine Technology donated coded wire tags ($4,000 per year), Syndel labs donated anaesthetic ($200 per year), and Fisheries & Oceans Canada, (Quinsam Hatchery), is providing in-kind services valued at approximately $8,000.