Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage

[Whitebuck]

Why would you report species at risk on a year with minimal openings?

So are you believing that stocks at risk aren't being caught in gillnets?


How many sockeye were killed with those drift nets? Are you going by what is reported? Do you believe these numbers?

Here is an updated catch report for the last week. Very limited catch, almost 10000 springs in a few day opening...lol
https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/HTMLs/ChinookKeptCatch.html

 

[wildmanyeah]

https://www.theprogress.com/news/he...er-river-fish-from-big-bar-now-at-44000-fish/

Helicopter transfer of Fraser River fish from Big Bar now at 44,000 fish

• So far 12,000 fish have made it past the slide obstruction on their own, mostly chinook salmon.
• 44,000 fish have been flown past the slide
• In all it means 56,000 fish have made it past the slide
• The total cost of the operation to date has been about $6 million.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Official catch data shows these openings harvest very limited numbers of Salmon for FSC.

I wouldn't call 13 thousand chinook a small number considering the were all basically harvested from the same stock. Also judging by the dip these openings caused i would say that figure is probably on the low side. I am not against these openings beacuse if they fish we ocean guys get too but its not a small figure. that 13k figure probably represents about 15% of the Summer 4-1 if not more.

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/HTMLs/ChinookKeptCatch.html



These dips, were caused by those openings.

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fraserriver/firstnations/HTMLs/CommunalOpeningTimes_Previous.html

 

[GLG]

Aug 28, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update

Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2,212 Chinook: 224
Total to Date Sockeye: 36,262 Chinook: 7,855


https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_28.pdf

 

[SerengetiGuide]

So 4 years from now if still liberals rec fishing could be in same or worse situation than this year due to this slide...and other reasons obviously.

 

[wildmanyeah]

There will be issue for years to come and this is far from over. Some First Nations on the Fraser have not even harvest 1 salmon this year.

 

[littlechucky]

There will be issue for years to come and this is far from over. Some First Nations on the Fraser have not even harvest 1 salmon this year.

Hopefully this is the impetus to get some real action on the Fraser in terms of hatcheries to supplement struggling runs, habitat, etc.

Doubt it though.

 

[Rockfish]

There will be issue for years to come and this is far from over. Some First Nations on the Fraser have not even harvest 1 salmon this year.

Very true and I suspect most of those will be Upper Fraser River First Nations who have been screwed over by their brothers on the river to the south for decades and now by the slide and DFO apparently not detecting it and starting mitigation far earlier than they did. I am waiting to find out if the early upper Fraser Chinook runs like the 4-2's are now extinct.

 

[GLG]

Aug 29, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update

• Road construction has been completed. First Nations archaeological monitors as well as an archaeologist have participated throughout the entire process. Ground transport feasibility testing is expected to be underway today.

• An additional seine net crew is now in operation, catching fish for transport upstream of the blockage. This brings the total number of seine net crews to four, two of which are First Nations-operated. A second fish wheel, to catch more salmon for transport, is anticipated to be in operation in the coming days.

• On Monday, August 26, more than 3,000 salmon were transported in a single day for the first time. On Wednesday, August 28, 3,066 fish were moved.

• Crews have established a staging area at the base of the landslide, allowing for materials and equipment to be brought to site.

• Due to changing conditions, a new plan has been established for the fish ladder. Crews are now focused on installing short sections at “pinch points,” rather than a long, continuous stretch. This approach is tailored to the altered rock and ever-changing water conditions.


Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2891 Chinook: 166
Total to Date Sockeye: 39,153 Chinook: 8,011

 

[GLG]

Aug 30, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update

• The fish transportation road received the required engineering approvals yesterday. A test run will be conducted today to assess logistics and equipment. This additional method of transport, to complement the ongoing helicopter transport of salmon, is vital for the large-scale arrival of pink salmon expected in coming days.

• Assessment and feasibility of using the traditional method of dip-netting to catch more fish is ongoing. It continues to be challenging to find a means to safely access the best areas to conduct dip-netting.

• An estimated 17,900 salmon have swam past the slide on their own via the restored natural passage channel that we have build on the west side of the river, near the base of the slide.

• Assembly of the second fish wheel continues and it is expected to be floated into position soon.

• A drone flight will be conducted today to further examine the base of the slide and support ongoing passage restoration.

Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2194 Chinook: 109
Total to Date Sockeye: 41347 Chinook: 8120

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_30.pdf

 

[GLG]

Pacific Salmon Commission
Weekly Report for August 30, 2019

The Fraser River Panel (Panel) met today to review assessment data on Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon. The current in-season Panel-adopted total Fraser River sockeye run size of 557,000 is lower than the lowest run size on record of 858,000 observed in 2016.

The landslide at Big Bar continues to be a major source of concern for the Panel as migrating sockeye salmon will need to pass this area to reach their spawning grounds. It is estimated that about 180,000 sockeye will have reached the Big Bar site as of August 29 based on abundances observed at Mission. Limited numbers of Chinook have been able to migrate past the slide since August 13 and since August 22 sockeye have also been observed passing the slide area using the natural fish way created through rock manipulations. A total of 17,947 salmon are now estimated to have made it past the rock slide area naturally. In addition 49,500 salmon (41,347 sockeye, 8,120 Chinook, 30 pink and 3 coho salmon) have been transported upstream from the slide via helicopter but only 56% of those transported appear to have successfully resumed migration. As a result of the restricted natural passage of Chinook and the helicopter transport, a total of 39,116 salmon have now been estimated at the hydroacoustic site, 40 km upstream of the Big Bar site. Efforts continue to improve natural fish passage through further rock manipulations and the installation of prefabricated fish ladder. With road construction to the area above the rock slide now completed, salmon relocation efforts are planned to be increased through additional truck transport using aerated holding tanks.

https://www.psc.org/download/598/2019/11882/august-30-2019.pdf

 

[big rock]

Thx GLG

Aug 30, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update

• The fish transportation road received the required engineering approvals yesterday. A test run will be conducted today to assess logistics and equipment. This additional method of transport, to complement the ongoing helicopter transport of salmon, is vital for the large-scale arrival of pink salmon expected in coming days.

• Assessment and feasibility of using the traditional method of dip-netting to catch more fish is ongoing. It continues to be challenging to find a means to safely access the best areas to conduct dip-netting.

• An estimated 17,900 salmon have swam past the slide on their own via the restored natural passage channel that we have build on the west side of the river, near the base of the slide.

• Assembly of the second fish wheel continues and it is expected to be floated into position soon.

• A drone flight will be conducted today to further examine the base of the slide and support ongoing passage restoration.

Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2194 Chinook: 109
Total to Date Sockeye: 41347 Chinook: 8120

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_30.pdf

 

[GDW]

Is it even worth transport via helicopter when almost 50% of the fish transported die?

Sure hope transport by truck has a lower mortality rate.

 

[browningmirage]

Is it even worth transport via helicopter when almost 50% of the fish transported die?

Sure hope transport by truck has a lower mortality rate.

Not necessarily mortality...could be stalled migrations.

Salmon dont respond all that well to trapping, transporting and release under ideal conditions...and these aren't ideal.

 

[GLG]

Aug 31, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update

• For the first time, sockeye salmon are confirmed to have been able to swim past the landslide using restored passageways. A section of fish ladder was successfully installed as a portion of restored channel. Ongoing rock manipulation contributed to improving the passage.

• Rock scalers will begin working to install an anchor point on the east wall of the canyon. This will facilitate further work to restore the natural passageway. BC Wildfire Service crews will work to construct helipads on the east bank of the river to assist with the anchors.

• Crews conducted successful test runs of the new road using a five-tonne truck carrying two tanks. Processes such as turnarounds, loading and unloading were assessed and honed. Ground transport of salmon could be incorporated into operations as early as today.

• A feasibility assessment is underway looking at the possibility of a second road to the base of the slide that would further increase access to the area.

• The possibility of moving specialized heavy machinery—a spider excavator—to the base of the slide appears promising. Having this equipment available would be highly beneficial to efforts to restore the natural passage.

Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2,289 Chinook: 143
Total to Date Sockeye: 43,636 Chinook: 8,263

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_31.pdf

 

[ChilliSpoons]

Time to call on the Air Force to launch some firepower into that hillside. I applaud those workers involved in the salmon capture and relocation but surely opening things up would be more effective than the methods currently being used.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Time to call on the Air Force to launch some firepower into that hillside. I applaud those workers involved in the salmon capture and relocation but surely opening things up would be more effective than the methods currently being used.

That was one of many options considered and dismissed a long time ago. The crews working there are doing a great job.

 

[Whitebuck]

Crews are doing a great job. However no matter how great of a job they do it is too little to late for a lot of the early stocks. Once again complete manage to zero by DFO!

 

[ChilliSpoons]

That was one of many options considered and dismissed a long time ago. The crews working there are doing a great job.

I’m just curious as to why this was dismissed?

 

[Big Green Machine]

I’m just curious as to why this was dismissed?

Hard to find a straight answer. They have detonated a few blasts to move boulders around but not on the scale you mention. The geotechnical engineers would need some way of predicting the outcome of using massive firepower, could it cause other issues? Blockages, damage more fish etc?