Tagging Cultus Lake pikeminnow
Published on June 1st, 2011 by Rodney
Yesterday we followed several members of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society to tag some northern pikeminnow at Cultus lake. This is part of the preparation of the upcoming Greg Clark Memorial Family Fishing Derby on June 18th.
The goal of the derby is to remove some pikeminnow from Cultus Lake. Derby participants who are lucky enough to catch a tagged fish will win some prize money.
Due to overfishing and other human-related causes, Cultus Lake sockeye salmon population has declined over the years and is currently listed as endangered. Northern pikeminnow, a native predatory species, eats sockeye salmon fry like cutthroat trout and bull trout. The hope is that, by removing a percentage of northern pikeminnow from Cultus Lake, it will improve the juvenile sockeye salmon survival rate.