Fishing in British Columbia > Fishing-related Issues & News
The Latest On Salmon Confidential
shuswapsteve:
--- Quote from: chris gadsden on May 23, 2013, 04:36:38 PM ---This will keep the PAP boys busy for a few hours of research and typing. ;D ;D
http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2013/05/in-answer-to-the-controversy-around-salmon-confidential.html
--- End quote ---
Not a lot of researching require for this, but definitely more typing, Chris. Maybe if your leadership would have read the Cohen Report, understood (and avoided editing) what Dr. Miller was saying during the inquiry or talked to people like Scott Hinch this would have been much shorter.
If Ms Morton agrees with the Tucker et al 2009 paper that Harrison Sockeye were reported to be overwintering off the coast of the West Coast of Vancouver Island then she should also be interested to know that there are salmon farms there also. However, I am interested how she is certain that Harrison Sockeye are 60 km away from the salmon farms along the southern route around Vancouver Island. I would be interested to know of what recent trawl or telemetry studies have determined this. Interestingly, her map conveniently shows Harrison Sockeye migrating out into the open ocean after leaving the Strait of Juan de Fuca, apparently missing fish farms on WCVI, but how does she know that they do not travel close to the coastline or spend part of their life history in the inlets of the WCVI - amongst fish farms? Other Fraser Sockeye smolts travel close to the BC coastline, but her map has Harrison smolts going straight out into the open ocean – with the line ending abruptly well off-shore from the Alberni Inlet. Secondly, if she trusts Dr. Garver’s testimony then how can those 65 billion viral particles produced by salmon farms on the WCVI somehow avoid passing salmon smolts that may migrate close to the coastline? Is she saying that viral particles are somehow “contained” on WCVI fish farms and do not spread to migrated salmon smolts? If so, what is her evidence of this? Her dilution theory is a weak argument because it ignores the possibility that Harrison Sockeye could be residing for part of their life history in WCVI inlets that have salmon farms. Ocean currents, tidal currents and upwelling are not exclusive to the Campbell River area. Lastly, although not many, some Harrison Sockeye have been caught at the northern end of the Strait of Georgia (Beamish et al 2010).
The truth of the matter is that we know very little about the migration juvenile Pacific salmonids, especially Harrison Sockeye. Fisheries biologists that work with Sockeye understand these gaps, but apparently Ms Morton does not. We are starting to know more with recent work by Dr Welch, but the chapter is far from complete. The gaps in our knowledge about Harrison Sockeye were highlighted by Justice Cohen in Volume 3, Chapter 2 of the Final Report. I will highlight this for Ms Morton and her followers once again:
There is also uncertainty about the migratory route the Harrison River population takes after it leaves the Strait of Georgia. It is hypothesized that some or all migrate through Juan de Fuca Strait to the west coast of Vancouver Island, but the evidence is incomplete. Neither is it known how far north the fish migrate and where they reside during their marine life history. Improving our understanding of these migratory patterns may provide additional insight into Fraser River sockeye production processes. – Justice Bruce Cohen, Volume 3, Chapter 2, page 62.
Did anyone get that? As painful as it sounds to fish farm critics, we need to improve our knowledge about their marine life history of Harrison Sockeye. However, Ms Morton fails once again to acknowledge this from Cohen’s Final Report, but I understand why because the Harrison Sockeye’s success and the image (i.e. avoid fish farms) that she built around them are key to her opposition to BC fish farms. My main issue with her theories about Harrison Sockeye is that she only looks at one aspect of their life history – migration route. When you look at Harrison Sockeye more in depth you will find out that they have a rather unique life history compared to other Fraser River Sockeye. Age structure (3 and 4 year olds), protracted river entry of adults, lake residency of spawning adults prior to spawning, immediate migration of juveniles from freshwater to saltwater, juvenile residency and duration in the Strait of Georgia are just some of those unique features. Harrison Sockeye share some similarities to Pink Salmon when you really think about it. When you look at the success of Pink Salmon in the North Pacific it would be interesting to see if there is something about the life history strategies of those salmon that has contributed to their success. As to this Juan de Fuca route being the reason for the success of the Harrison, that is not entirely certain either as Washington State Sockeye (that take the same assumed route) have shown similar decreased productivity to other Fraser Sockeye CUs (Read Cohen Technical Report #10). Unfortunately Ms Morton and her followers do not like to look beyond the narrow scope they have limited themselves to.
Ms Morton would also be interested to know that Harrison Sockeye can experience high enroute mortality in some years (Hinch et al 2012). In addition, the film’s website makes false claims stating that Harrison Sockeye do not die prior to spawning. The fact is that adult Harrison Sockeye can experience very high prespawn mortality from early August to early October. For instance, if Ms Morton was at Harrison Mills in those months in 2011 she would have seen this. The naturalists, anglers and the field workers that frequent the river have seen this prespawn mortality, so what the film states is absolutely false. I am surprised that Ms Morton has not taken the time to get her facts straight on this.
As for Mr. Erikkson’s examination of salmon carcasses? What else can be said other than very, very sad. I initially laughed, but then I became concerned that others could be taking what he is saying seriously. An experienced angler (who does not have to be a fisheries biologist) could have done a better job describing those carcasses.
The film does an injustice to our broader understanding of salmon by focusing only on salmon farming. If the film took a broader approach by incorporating other factors instead of just lip service then it would not have been as big a joke as it is now. It carefully edits most of Dr. Miller’s testimony to display what Ms Morton wants to show. Again, if muzzling is such a big deal then let all of Miller’s testimony given equal time. Really, Ms Roscovich and Ms Morton are no better than government when it comes to allowing scientists to explain their findings to the public. Lastly, the film should have at least brought in very relevant and current research by others like Scott Hinch. How can we begin discussing enroute and prespawn mortality without even mentioning and discussing research from Scott Hinch and his team? Well, the film conveniently does not mention this research. Must be that awarding winning film editing that maintains the integrity of the testimony that is responsible. The “Rock Bottom” skit from The Simpson’s was very fitting for Twyla’s film.
http://www3.carleton.ca/fecpl/pdfs/JFB%20-%20Hinch%20et%20al%202012.pdf
http://www.richardbeamish.com/uploads/1/6/0/0/16007202/1283canada.pdf
http://www.sfu.ca/grow/science/resources/1273768297.pdf
alwaysfishn:
--- Quote from: chris gadsden on May 23, 2013, 04:36:38 PM ---This will keep the PAP boys busy for a few hours of research and typing. ;D ;D
http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2013/05/in-answer-to-the-controversy-around-salmon-confidential.html
--- End quote ---
Good call Chris!
Who would have known that one of the feedlot boys would spend hours typing out what the anonymous website has already published. :o ........probably not a lot of research involved though. ???
Dave:
Will you be attending the "Gala Event" af? So far it's just Fast Eddie and AlMo as far as I can tell.
Fisherbob:
Thank you Steve. You put more thought and leg work into your post than Morton put into her tweet. I do not know why she would bother trying to explain her already debunked circus side show. Must be just so the fish farm hate club have something to parrot.
shuswapsteve:
--- Quote from: alwaysfishn on May 26, 2013, 05:36:25 AM ---Good call Chris!
Who would have known that one of the feedlot boys would spend hours typing out what the anonymous website has already published. :o ........probably not a lot of research involved though. ???
--- End quote ---
While the anonymous website did post something on Harrison Sockeye their post is not like what I posted. In fact I never referred to the anonymous website when I posted my last response. Some of the information was from peer reviewed material that I didn't not get from the anonymous website. The rest of it was from my own experience. Hmmm....I wonder what I do for a living, banker boy...lol?
How is your foot tasting?
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