With fall having arrived, Powell River Salmon Society is preparing for its busiest time of the year, with the salmon spawn underway, and the annual salmon expo on the horizon.
Salmon society hatchery manager Shane Dobler said fish returns for coho have been really good this year but chinook are still a “little slow.”
“We may be having a little better year than last year, but still, we’d like to see more,” said Dobler. “It’s a little early to know the status of the chum run and it’s not a pink salmon year for us. It’s never perfect and we always want more. If I was handing out letter grades, the coho would get an A, Chinook would get a C, but we are hoping to get up into the C-plus category. Chum have been down in that C category for a period of probably five years, so early signs for us are showing we might expect better than that.”
Dobler said overall, things are going pretty well, with water levels in Lang Creek an inch or two higher than last year, so he anticipates that the water is okay for them this year.
“Of course, we’re spoiled with Haslam Lake, with our relationship with the Powell River Community Forest, and the City of Powell River in managing the water,” said Dobler. “Everybody is doing a good job of making sure fish can pass.”
Dobler said the salmon society is getting ready for its annual fish expo, which will run at the Lang Creek facility from October 15 to 19. While there was a grizzly bear in the vicinity of the creek in late September, feasting on salmon, it appears to have moved along, so it has been deemed safe to have the expo.
Dobler said the salmon society is taking all necessary precautions and will continue to monitor the site to see what is happening in terms of all wildlife. With the high level of activity at the salmon centre during expo time, they don’t anticipate seeing a lot of wildlife.
“We’re hoping for a great turnout,” said Dobler. “We have 600 kids coming out, so we know the school portion during the week is going to be a busy time for us.
“We also extend an invitation for everyone to come up and visit on Saturday, October 19, where we’ll have some food trucks, coffee, and of course, fish.”
The Saturday expo will be taking place between 11 am and two pm. There will be a number of displays set up, with representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada in attendance and other agencies having been invited. Those in attendance at the expo will be able to see live salmon up close inside the salmon society’s Alex Dobler Salmon Centre building as they are being collected from the creek. There will also be an opportunity to see salmon up close and personal at the dissection table, where the inner workings of salmon are displayed.
“It’s an energetic atmosphere,” said Dobler. “The fisheries department will be here with their giant rubber fish and our community advisor from the department insisted on becoming involved. He’s very energetic about getting to the cutting table. He’s also going to be training volunteers.
“We want people to come out and get their hands on a net and net a fish, and try cutting a fish in our egg-take area. We always try to give people the opportunity. We are very good at integrating the community and providing the opportunity to ask questions.”
Dobler said the expo is also an opportunity for people interested in salmon to become involved in the salmon society’s activities.
“This is a spawning ground for salmon, but it’s also a spawning ground for our organization,” said Dobler. “We want to show people what we are doing, hoping to bring them into our group.
“Participation is a big part of our program. It can be hard to comprehend what is going on here and what’s involved in keeping it going. By becoming an insider, you might only volunteer a few days in a year, but over the course of time, it adds up.”
People wanting to become involved can go to the society’s website at salmonpreservation.org, where they can contact the society.
Dobler said the first egg take of the year will be happening on October 7, so it will be an exciting time for the society and volunteers. The society releases close to two million salmon fry each year back into the Salish Sea.
The society is also involved in extensive fundraising and has received extensive support from individuals and the business community. The financial contribution toward the society from the federal government has been static for years, so projects such as the annual tide guide are important. Up to 10,000 of the guides are distributed annually, supported by advertising.
The society also raises funds through its brick program, where decorative bricks can be purchased and installed in the salmon preservation pathway outside the salmon centre.
The Alex Dobler Salmon Centre is going to be enlarged, with new office space being funded by the community forest. Dobler said the plan is to build the additional space next spring, which will provide much-needed room for salmon society functionality, and improved meeting space for the society’s board.
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