Salmon farmers back habitat recovery
One of the biggest threats to wild salmon in BC is habitat destruction associated with logging. Decades of logging damage have resulted in severe habitat and water quality degradation in many tributaries and streams across Vancouver Island, including Coho Creek – located on the West coast of Vancouver Island – which historically supported healthy populations of wild salmon.
Over two days, nine volunteers including employees from Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS) and Creative Salmon, a local salmon farming company, helped to add around 20,000 lbs of gravel into the creek – 4,500 lbs of which were carried in backpacks by the volunteers. This gravel is imperative for salmon to spawn and also improves water quality by reducing sedimentation in the water.
Creative Salmon has been partnering with CWFS since 2004. Dave Bailey, Quality Control for Creative Salmon, said this particular project was of interest to Creative Salmon given the creek’s proximity to their offices, which they happen pass every morning on their way to the boat launch.
“Everybody out here is passionate about salmon, and this is one of our small bits to help out and restore what once was.”
Creative Salmon isn’t alone in this effort.
Cermaq Canada has also been working closely with CWFS and the Ahousaht First Nations to restore damaged habitat in the Atleo River. As a product of sedimentation and log jams, suitable spawning grounds have been drastically reduced, and only a fraction of the once abundant returns of coho, chum and pink salmon now spawn there.
Restoration work of the Atleo River is funded by the protocol agreement from 2002, with plans and development coming from CWFS and members from the Ahousaht First Nations hired to do the work.
These are just two examples of many that highlight how salmon farmers throughout Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and North Central Coast partner with local organizations, First Nations and community members to restore watershed and spawning ground restorations, and will continue to do so for years to come.
