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The Adams River Salmon Society |
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2002 Celebrations Thank you to all that participated in the 2002 "Salute to the Sockeye" held in Roderick Haig Brown Provincial Park along the Adams River in Squilax BC Dates for this year's celebrations: October 5-25th, 2002 RAFFLE WINNERS ***** The Adams River Salmon Society Raffle draw was made at 2:00 pm on November 2nd at the North Shuswap Community Policing Office at Scotch Creek. Thank you to all that supported the raffle. The winners : First Prize: Two wall mounted hand carved sockeye salmon by renowned carver John Durning. Won by Mr. E. Paish of Salmon Arm BC Second Prize: A framed Opie Print "Tribute to Adams Run" Won by Mr. L. Engbrecht of Salmon Arm BC Third Prize: A framed Adams River Sockeye underwater photograph by Won by Mrs. L. Douglas of Chase Thank you for all that purchased a ticket and supported the Adams River Salmon Society. When is the best time to see spawning sockeye in the Adams River? The "Salute to the Sockeye" will be held from October 5 - 25, 2002 at Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park. Knowledgeable Fisheries and Oceans staff will be conducting free guided tours of the site and pointing out the best viewing areas. There will be many interpretive signs, interactive displays and games, special events and a local artisans tent on-site. Parking is available in the park. Parking fees:
Adams River Salmon Society membership $10.00 yearly (then $5.00 for seasons parking pass - cars only) All parking money goes towards the Legacy fund which is used by the Adams River Salmon Society for educational purposes only. When is the "peak" of the run? The peak of the run should occur somewhere around the 12-14 of October. How many people attend the event? The "Salute" welcomes visitors from all over the world. During previous "Salutes", over 100,000 people visited Roderick Haig-Brown Park. What are the best days to visit? Any day of the week is a good day to visit, although there are more visitors on the weekend. What kinds of fish can I see? Besides the big attraction, the sockeye, you can see chinook, coho and pink salmon, as well as Rainbow and Bull trout, Rocky Mountain whitefish and large-scale suckers. Are there bears? There may be bears in the vicinity. BC Parks always posts signs in the park to warn people if there have been bear sightings. Does it smell? After a large number of the fish have spawned and died, there is a strong smell of decaying fish in the air. Can you fish? You cannot fish for any species of salmon in the Adams River. However, there is a catch and release trout fishery that takes place during that time - primarily at the mouth of the river. Please check with the Provincial office of fisheries (give your local #) for this year's regulations. How many sockeye salmon will be there? This year's escapement was expected to be far below the normal dominant return. The first appearance of Late run Fraser River sockeye in the Fraser River was looking extremely early. In recent years there had been a high number of en-route and pre-spawn mortality, associated with a radical change in migration behaviour and a parasite that causes kidney failure. In the pre-season, the return of all Late run sockeye runs were forecast to range between 2.3 and 3.6 million. Conservation measures were taken based on this range of likely return. Through monitoring programs in place, recent evidence suggests that escapements in 2002 are seeing an encouraging improvement compared to recent years. The return of the Adams late run sockeye is estimated at this time to be up to 5 million. Firmer estimates will become available throughout their return. A final precise figure will not be available until early 2003. Why are the expectations for returns so low? There are serious concerns for the health of the Adams River sockeye. Since 1996, the Late run sockeye, the stock aggregate which includes the Adams River sockeye, have been entering the Fraser River early, and proceeding to their spawning grounds without delay. Associated with this early entry is a very high pre-spawning mortality rate. In 2000 and 2001, nearly 90% of returning sockeye to the Shuswap area died before spawning. What is causing the deaths/mortalities? Scientists are uncertain about the exact cause of the deaths/mortalities. The Fraser River Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are closely monitoring the situation. In both Canada and the United States several studies and projects are underway to solve this mystery. We hope to be able to analyze results from these studies in 2003 and isolate a cause. What about that parasite I read about in the newspaper? A parasite affecting the kidney leading to renal failure (known as parvicapsula) has been identified as one of the possible sources of mortality. The fish acquire the parasite as they migrate through the lower Fraser River or estuary. While the parasite is probably not new to the Fraser system, early arriving Late-run sockeye spend much more time in freshwater before spawning, compared to years when much of the delay period is spent in seawater in the Strait of Georgia. This longer time period spent in freshwater provides the parasite a greater opportunity to cause tissue damage, leading to an increased mortality.
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