For the last 13 years, Reynolds Lab researchers have been counting salmon in 25 salmon streams in Heiltsuk Territory. Get a glimpse into their process and learn about the importance of salmon monitoring in B.C.'s smaller streams which are often overlooked by the government.
Pacific Wild recently completed an in-depth analysis of salmon enumeration data, compiled from the Pacific Salmon Foundation Salmon Explorer and DFO New Escapement Salmon Database. This research determined how many salmon spawning streams are monitored and counted on a yearly basis and identified voids in data collection.
Salmon monitoring programs are truly our only window into the status of salmon on the central and north coast of BC. Without proper annual stock assessments the status of wild salmon is at best a guess.
The very foundation of salmon stewardship requires the annual monitoring of thousands of watersheds in coastal B.C. in order to assess the health and abundance of spawning salmon, yet in the last 15 years, DFO funding for salmon escapement programs has been cut by over 60%.
Email: info@pacificwild.org
Phone: 250-380-0547
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1529 Amelia Street, Victoria, BC
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Haíɫzaqv Territory
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🦦 There`s a new neighbor in Sooke, British Columbia causing quite a stir—a sea otter! These incredible animals, once hunted to extinction in B.C., Canada during the fur trade, are making a remarkable comeback. Thanks to reintroductions from Alaska, sea otters are returning to our coastal waters where they are an important keystone species. While their population has grown, sightings this far east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca are still rare. Especially rare, in this case, as sea otters are infrequently seen hauled out on land.
Sharing our waters with them once again is exciting, but being a good neighbour means keeping a few things in mind:
✅ Respect Their Space: Sea otters are protected under Canada’s Fisheries Act, making it illegal to disturb them. Stay at least 100 metres away to ensure their safety and minimize stress.
✅ Enjoy From Afar: A good zoom lens or binoculars can give you an amazing view without getting too close.
✅ Think Conservation: Reducing human disturbance and habituation is key to their long-term survival.
✅ Keep dogs on leash: Although adorable, sea otters can be aggressive and carry diseases transmittable to pets and people alike.
💙 Let’s celebrate their return responsibly and ensure these adorable marine mammals thrive for generations to come!
#SeaOtter #WildlifeConservation #Coexistance #MarineConservation #SookeBC
🐺 It has been 30 years since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, and their impact has been nothing short of transformative. As ecosystem engineers, wolves play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity by regulating prey populations, which supports healthier forests and riparian zones. Their presence has restored balance to Yellowstone’s ecosystem, highlighting the critical importance of these apex predators.
Meanwhile, in British Columbia, we face a troubling reality. Over $11 million in taxpayer funds have been spent on a controversial wolf cull that has removed nearly 2,200 wolves from the landscape.
Yellowstone’s success story offers a valuable lesson. We must avoid a future where wolves need to be reintroduced at great expense. Instead, we call on the province to end the wolf cull and embrace sustainable, science-based solutions that prioritize conservation and the well-being of all B.C. wildlife.
To learn more about wolves` keystone role in the ecosystem, follow the link in our bio to read the blog "Wolves and the Food Web"
📸 @iantmcallister
#SaveBCWolves #Wolf #Wolves #YellowStoneNationalPark #WildlifeConservation
Unlikely allies? No matter how far this wolf leapt and pounced while fishing for salmon, it never managed to fully escape the watchful raven`s gaze. Wolves and ravens are often spotted traveling together, or eating side-by-side. Although wolves hunt birds for food and many different bird species have been found in their scat, ravens seem to be the exception.
Ravens use their close association with wolves to forage. These clever birds don`t just stumble upon food randomly—they may actively team up with wolves to secure meals. Researchers (Stahler et al., 2002) have found that ravens are frequently seen traveling, resting, and even hunting alongside wolves, while showing little to no interest in coyotes, elk, or areas without wolves. When wolves make a kill, ravens quickly discover the carcass and stay to feed alongside them. In contrast, when researchers placed fresh carcasses in the same region, ravens rarely approached or fed, despite the easy availability of meat.
This behavior shows that ravens don’t just follow wolves by chance. They may have evolved to associate with these predators to improve their chances of finding food in some areas, whether or not a kill has already occurred. By sticking with wolves, ravens overcome their natural fear of new food sources and ensure a steady supply of meals in an unpredictable landscape. This remarkable partnership highlights how animals adapt and thrive through unique strategies in the wild.
📸 by @iantmcallister
#UnlikelyAnimalFriends #AnimalFacts #SeaWolves #WildlifePhotogrpahy #Ravens #RavensAndWolves
⚠️ BREAKING (GOOD) NEWS FROM U.S. WATERS ⚠️
🐟 In a historic decision, the Washington Board of Natural Resources in the USA voted unanimously (4-0) to ban commercial open-net pen salmon farming in state waters. During a public hearing ahead of the vote, more than 80% of public commenters urged the board to ban the pens, emphasizing the need to support salmon and the orcas that rely on them, while safeguarding the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in species recovery efforts.
This ban builds on efforts that began in 2017 when Washington State`s Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz, imposed an initial ban following a catastrophic farm failure in 2017 which released hundreds of thousands of invasive Atlantic salmon into the Salish Sea. This new ban echos efforts made by other Pacific Coast jurisdictions to prioritize the health of marine ecosystems. In the USA, Oregon has no commercial salmon farms in operation and open-net salmon farming is prohibited in both Alaska and California. Last June, Canada committed to ban open-net pen salmon farms in British Columbia by 2029.
The Washington decision represents a renewed commitment to conserving and recovering wild Pacific salmon populations, as well as supporting the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales in this crucial time after the loss of yet another calf, J61. This regional effort signals an important step toward protecting vulnerable species and restoring the overall health of the Pacific Ocean ecosystem.
📸 @brendonbissonnette
#FOFF #ProtectWildSalmon #SaveWildSalmon #PacificSalmon #FishFarmsOut #SRKW #SalishSea
🐻 2024 marked the 100 year anniversary of the last grizzly bear sighting in California, prompting the state to officially declare 2024 the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear.” This year however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering removing or revising Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears in Montana, Wyoming, and possibly throughout the entire lower 48 states.
Bears don`t know borders, and some populations wander valleys and mountain ranges that span Canada and the United States. Protecting wildlife is an international issue, and grizzlies need all the political protection that they can get as they face the increased challenges that biodiversity across the globe is battling: from climate change to habitat destruction and fragmentation.
Learn more about this issue @wildearthguardians and sign their petition stop the reversal of grizzly`s protected status.
📸 by Ian McAllister
#GrizzyBear #CaliforniaGrizzly #EndangeredSpecies #SaveBCBears
🐟 Why are so many scientists concerned about salmon farming (particularly open-net pen salmon farms)? We have done the digging for you, and compiled a resource list of scientific studies on the negative impacts of salmon farming. This resource list includes a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph for each entry, so you can get a quick and easy overview.
📖 Drawing from over a decade of largely independent research, we invite you to explore this resource to learn about the significant threats posed by open-net pen salmon farms and the urgent need to protect wild salmon populations.
Follow the link in our bio to take a deep dive into fish farm research.
📸 @iantmcallister
#FOFF #FishFarmsOut #SaveWildSalmon #PacificSalmon
