IronNoggin
05-21-2012, 12:14 PM
On average two million young Chinook salmon are released each spring from the federally funded hatchery on the Cowichan River. Within six months, nearly all of them are dead.
Year after year, the mortality rate is staggering, with less than 1 per cent of the fish living to return as adults. The dismal results are thought to be similar at other B.C. hatcheries, which pump out about 20 million Chinook annually, hoping for a miracle."
...
"At the Omega Pacific Hatchery, near Port Alberni, Ms. Schmitt held her fish in net pens when she moved them to salt water. Because of that, she got to observe how they fared over the first few months in salt water. She saw the mortality rate on a daily basis, and realized that if she didn’t figure out why so many were dying, her hatchery would go out of business.
Over the years, she began to grow her Chinook more slowly, using colder water and less food, mimicking the conditions in nature. Her fish were smaller, and tougher. And she saw the survival rates shoot up to 5, 10, even 20 per cent or more."
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mark-hume/cowichan-hatchery-needs-a-new-approach/article2438652/?service=mobile
Damn GOOD Work Carol! http://fishbcforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/bowdown[1].gif
Let's hope The Dino can lose the blinders just long enough to test these amazing results in the real world!!
Cheers,
Nog
Year after year, the mortality rate is staggering, with less than 1 per cent of the fish living to return as adults. The dismal results are thought to be similar at other B.C. hatcheries, which pump out about 20 million Chinook annually, hoping for a miracle."
...
"At the Omega Pacific Hatchery, near Port Alberni, Ms. Schmitt held her fish in net pens when she moved them to salt water. Because of that, she got to observe how they fared over the first few months in salt water. She saw the mortality rate on a daily basis, and realized that if she didn’t figure out why so many were dying, her hatchery would go out of business.
Over the years, she began to grow her Chinook more slowly, using colder water and less food, mimicking the conditions in nature. Her fish were smaller, and tougher. And she saw the survival rates shoot up to 5, 10, even 20 per cent or more."
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mark-hume/cowichan-hatchery-needs-a-new-approach/article2438652/?service=mobile
Damn GOOD Work Carol! http://fishbcforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/bowdown[1].gif
Let's hope The Dino can lose the blinders just long enough to test these amazing results in the real world!!
Cheers,
Nog