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[Dave]

Once again, and I will not repeat for your benefit again:

You are not involved in any way shape nor form, and as such, simply are not privy to the program status nor the raw data collected to date.

Cheers,
Nog

Are you the spokesman for this group?  Why is this group so secretive?

[IronNoggin]

Are you the spokesman for this group?  Why is this group so secretive?

No I am no "spokesman". I am authorized to post what I do, and reply as warranted.

The group is far from secretive in many aspects.
You have been involved with science and scientists before.
From that you should well understand what you are asking goes beyond standard protocol for an ongoing study.
All will be revealed when the initial study has been finalized.
Until then - Patience Grasshopper.

Nog

[Dave]

All the scientists I have been involved with love to talk about their projects; absolutely, they don't publish without studying all the facts and peer review but they do talk about their science.  A lot.
This group does not do that and the sceptic in me wonders why.

[RalphH]

The Puntledge experiment initially had rather promising effects. However recruitment was reasonably swift in that other seals moved in to replace the ones removed. Had the experiment continued, the results would have most likely been quite similar to those realized south of the border.


Cheers,
Nog

there was also many complaints about the noise (riffle shots) and a perception this made the area unsafe. FWIW it took a lot more shots than 30 to kill 30 or so seals.

As far as "early promise", the only promising thing was dead seals. Subsequent returns of salmon showed no discernible difference in returns. Of the many things tried the only things that was shown to actually produce a result was turning off the bridge and street lights on the Condensory Road Bridge.

[Roderick]

Just as an aside,... Due to the water conditions at Cap this year, the hatchery decided to release all the smolts (coho, chinook, and steelhead) on the same day.  I wasn't there personally, but I spoke with someone that counted 30 seals at the mouth that day.  There are usually 4 resident seals.  It must make a big difference. 

[RalphH]

anyone remember the line up of Bull Trout and cutthroat in the Chehalis hatchery outlet channel before the big fry release?

I heard they netted all those fish and moved them miles away. Reportedly they were back within days.

No one clamors for a wild bull trout or cutthroat cull.

BTW the BCWF lead a successful campaign to triple the daily catch limit on trout and char in Kootenay Lake after the big crash of the kokanee population. The crash is now passed off as being due to 'over grazing' by the same fish, not the spawning channel virus outbreak that was first blamed for the kokanee decline.

[wildmanyeah]

was there not a study done on the chilko that showed that a good % of the sockeye smolts being eaten by bulls were diseased and unfit.

[Dave]

was there not a study done on the chilko that showed that a good % of the sockeye smolts being eaten by bulls were diseased and unfit.

Not sure if indeed the fish were in poor health, or that the fish were compromised by tagging.  If I recall it was a theory the smolts could have had IHN, a virus that tends to impact sockeye and kokanee.
Most definitely the study showed the huge mortality by instream predators.

[RalphH]

don't know about any study on the Chilko. I saw a study on another BC system with dam controlled flow indicating bull trout predation could hit 70% depending on water flow. This was part of a successful effort to increase flow over the dam during sockeye smolt migration.

The relationship of predation to fitness is an old assumption; that predator tend to harvest the weak, old and the sick.

In relation to the pinniped issue it's been described as the "Dead Fish Swimming" hypothesis; smolts taken by seals are destined to be taken by some predator down the line because they are under-fit . Fact is salmonids are subject to heavy predation throughout their lifecycle.

The PSF has gone on record that the disease issue with hatchery smolts has to be taken seriously. It needs to be investigated and not discarded. Something has to account for the dramatic decline in survival of hatchery smolts once released. Sea lice infestation in areas with a high concentration of open pen salmon farms may also play a part in high predation of young salmon in general.

[Dave]

The PSF has gone on record that the disease issue with hatchery smolts has to be taken seriously. It needs to be investigated and not discarded.

What disease issue?

[RalphH]

What disease issue?

I believe they were referring to the fact these fish are not checked for disease prior to release. You'd have to check back for further info though I believe it was Brian Riddell that made the specific comment.

[Dave]

I believe they were referring to the fact these fish are not checked for disease prior to release. You'd have to check back for further info though I believe it was Brian Riddell that made the specific comment.

Are you referring to the Chilko sockeye smolts?  If so, they are not hatchery fish, nor are they released.

[RalphH]

Are you referring to the Chilko sockeye smolts?

ah, obviously no.

[Dave]

Ok, what hatchery fish are you referring to?  I have not heard anything regarding diseased hatchery fish, that's why I'm curious.

[RalphH]

Dave I didn't say there was anything specifically. I think I will let my remarks stand as they are. Curious though, are you saying  salmon in hatcheries never get any diseases or die from any sort of pathogen?

PS : just found this via a google search: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2017-0113

don't quite know what it means...perhaps you would understand it better than me.