Saving the Salmon

We chose the environmental problem of how we can improve fish hatcheries because the salmon habitat because they are a keystone species that affects our ecosystem greatly. Not only are the fish a main source of sustenance for a variety of predators (more than 137 species), but their decomposing carcasses are a significant source of nutrients and fertilizer for trees. When the salmon go, the surrounding ecosystem will not be able to survive.

Why are Salmon Important to our Ecosystem? They are an indicator of the quality of environment, water, good barometer cultural heritage for first nations communities (valued resource) Salmon are a good indicator of the health of the forest Large numbers of black bear feed on salmon from the streams and bring salmon carcasses into the forest to rot Nitrogen from the decaying salmon soaks down into the soil and then is drawn into the trees via the roots This is important because studies show that up to 55% of all the nitrogen comes from the ocean; via the salmon The salmon play a key element in the nitrogen cycle of the forest

Causes for Population Decline Habitat Loss: Construction of dams, flooding, flow control, dams obstruct the salmon, a reason for low salmon habitat in NA. pH acidity and acid neutralising capacity, since the industrial rev., o2 emission and wet sulphate, acid precipitation kills salmon acid rain sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, released from burning fossil fuels increase in temperature, because fish are poikilotherms, almost all of their vital activities or rates are controlled by temperature. The maximum incipient lethal temperature for salmon (the temperature at which all salmon would exit a habitat if the opportunity were available), temp too high polar ice cap melting means salmon are on a different course, increased predation from seals

Land use: Forestry, cutting shade near trees, increase in temp., spraying of pesticides industrial development- pollution clear cutting-soil erosion, affects nutrient flow in streams Aquaculture: Since 1980 the salmon farming industry around the North Atlantic Ocean has increased nearly exponentially. Crowded together in cages, farmed salmon are subject to epidemic outbreaks of diseases and parasites that can impact wild Atlantic salmon. In freshwater, salmon escaping from hatcheries can displace young wild salmon, jeopardizing the future of the species in those watersheds. Invasive species: Rainbow trout, small and large moth bass, pike, Leads to competition, predation

Problem? Overfishing has been an ongoing problem with the decline of Salmon population. In Canada, when around 8 million salmon returned from the ocean to spawn in 1917, the government still allowed a catch of more than 7.3 million fish. Fish hatcheries artificially raise salmon until they are self-supporting. Once the salmon are self-supporting, they are released into the ocean. However, fish hatcheries are now endangering the wild salmon population. Hatcheries and farms may introduce weaker genes into the wild population's gene pool through interbreeding, thus lowering salmons' chances for survival. Artificial structures are more conducive to parasites and disease, which then infect wild populations. Competition is also a factor. Fish harvest and hatcheries can be improved. With proper management and controls, the population of wild salmon can improve. With better quality fish cages, it can prevent physical contact between the fish, and if there are stricter controls on harvest quotas, it can help deter overfishing. Studies show that while commercial fishing ­is the major player in depleted fish populations, the recreational fish harvest may nevertheless make up 12 percent of the global take. For some at-risk populations in the Gulf of Mexico, sport catches can comprise more than half of the total harvest.

Fish Hatcheries Many people think that fish hatcheries can solve the lack of Salmon in our current ecosystem, but according to research, this is not true. Of the many thousands of fry that are released each year, only less than one percent of those fish return. The purpose of hatcheries is to supplement the numbers of wild fish in their area in order to maintain the sport fishing and commercial fishery as well as providing sustenance for orcas and other natural predators. By contrast the purpose of fish farms is to carry out an intensive aquaculture that will deliver a consistent commercial product for the restaurant and home market.

How Do Hatcheries Work? A fish fence guides salmon that head upriver into a concrete pen adjacent to the river. The fish are netted and killed with a blow to the head from a rubber club and then hung head-down on a metal rack to bleed. The milt (sperm) from males is out and the females are opened up. Once all the eggs and milt are collected, they are taken back to the hatchery. The eggs are put in an incubator and when the eggs hatch, a rearing process then takes place. In small hatcheries, 27 fish are used to produce around 10,000 eggs. Big hatcheries use 10 million to 40 million eggs.

David Welch’s Theory Dr. David Welch had a theory that the cause of wild salmon populations collapsing was the spreading of sea lice and disease among the salmon. He started to track the fish with acoustic transmitters. Dr.Welch discovered that in their first year at sea, the salmon smolts were vanishing in the Queen Charlotte Strait, just past the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Since the fish farms were clustered in the Discovery Passage on the north of Vancouver Island, Dr. Welch had been right; as the salmon migrated past the farms, they picked up a parasite or a disease and then died some weeks later in Queen Charlotte sound. He filed a report with the Cohen Commission, stating that this can explain the Fraser River’s catastrophic sockeye collapse in 2009, where only one million of fish returned to spawn instead of 10 million.

How Can We Help? In 1977 the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans launched the Salmon Enhancement Program (SEP). Its goal was to reverse the decline of the salmon. The B.C. Ministry of Environment and the government program had set a new goal to help preserve the salmon in B.C. Many B.C. citizens had volunteered to participate in the cleaning up of the environment to help fish thrive. While the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were building major hatcheries and spawning channels, the individuals and groups that volunteered went to work cleaning up damaged streams and building small incubation boxes.

Since most salmon are genetically programmed to thrive in the freshwaters where they need to spend their early life in, like their ancestors, we propose to put small salmon incubators in the river where wild salmon usually lay their eggs in. When the eggs hatch, they will be let out of the incubators and then we hope that their animal instincts will kick in and then they will adapt to their habitats as quickly as possible.

How Will We Volunteer? Like in 1977, we will gather B.C. citizens to volunteer to place incubators in rivers where salmon were raised in throughout the year. We will also get volunteers to help clean the rivers of any garbage or chemicals

Cost To buy the incubators and the supplies to clean the rivers, we will rely on some donations or we will have a few fundraisers The total cost will be around $40,000