This one’s for the little fishes that could – the salmon.
Burnaby’s waterways experienced low salmon returns for decades.
It wasn’t until 2016 when local streamkeepers started reporting an uptick in spawning chum and coho.
In late October, close to 1,500 fish swam up the Brunette River, some 700 more than last year’s count.
“To see so many streams in our city filled with fish was just exciting,” said Mark Angelo, who has been a strong advocate for Still Creek and Guichon Creek, and used to head the Fish, Wildlife and Recreation program at BCIT. “I think to see all of this unfold in the midst of our city, especially on local waterways that not long ago were in really rough shape, impacted by pollution, urbanization and industry development, it is literally a salmon miracle in the city.”
Stoney Creek saw more than 2,400 chum return, compared to 700 in 2015. Meanwhile, coho were on par with last year at 120.
“We’ve had a very good year,” said John Templeton, chair of the Stoney Creek environment committee.
One of the contributing factors to the “major turnaround” was when Metro Vancouver created a new passageway at the Cariboo Dam in 2011, allowing fish to swim in and out of Burnaby Lake with more ease.
Streamkeepers and conservation groups also played a role, restoring the waterways as best they could each season.
“All of this highlights the fact that if we do the right thing, we can in fact turn things around,” said Angelo.
