In this October 25, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we begin with a focus on Saskatchewan and the University of Regina’s Somers Lab and their ground-breaking fish tracking research, and how such research could prove instrumental in advancing uranium mine reclamation along the shore of Lake Athabasca. As always, we include a specially curated list of summaries and Links to timely fishing, fish health, water quality and other news, and close with a spotlight guest resource selected to inform and inspire our readers.

Saskatchewan Fish Tracking Research, Lake Athabasca, and Uranium Mines

The Saskatchewan Sportfish Research Facebook group is attracting significant attention with over 4,000 followers. Reviewing their posts got me thinking that I really need to find out who’s behind the group and invite them on Blue Fish Radio.

Dr. Chris Somers is the scientist / angler behind both the Saskatchewan Sportfish Research Group, and the Somers Lab at the University of Regina. His research team are advancing our understanding of how fish move throughout their ecosystems, including what fish do after we let them go. Dr. Somers tags and tracks Walleye, Northern Pike, Burbot and Common Carp year-round, including through the ice with surprising results. Understanding why fish travel such incredible distances, whether to pursue prey, to spawn, to flee a stress-causing experience, or to patrol their territory, is the next step.

Click on the link to learn more about Dr. Somers fish research and his love of Saskatchewan on Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/saskatchewan-sportfish-research-group-and-dr-chris-somers/

It wasn’t until well into my interview with Dr. Somers that memories stirred of my own experience on Lake Athabasca in the northern part of Saskatchewan. I had travelled to the Lake via float plane out of Fort McMurray Alberta some eight years before for a film project. Lake Athabasca is Canada’s 9th largest lake and stretches across the tops of both Alberta and Saskatchewan ,crossing into the North West Territories. My interview with Dr. Chris Somers got me thinking about his expertise and what we documented on Lake Athabasca.

Including Lake Athabasca as one of ten segments in my documentary “What Lies Below” had to do with the regions numerous abandoned uranium mines. Concern over environmental contamination was brought to my attention during a conversation with an outfitter who had established their operations on lake Athabasca. Directly across the lake from their camp was the large, abandoned Gunnar uranium mine site – one of over 80 in the region that the Saskatchewan government had identified as requiring decommissioning. Not only do abandoned uranium mines pose as extremely long-lasting ecological hazards to the environment, but prime targets for people looking to salvage everything from reclaimed building materials, to crushed tailings for use as gravel.

Boaters approaching the area are warned away with signage and a warning to anglers to stay out of the bay. According to the mayor of Uranium City, a ghost town that once boomed with over 5,000 residence, these signs may need to stay up for the next 250,000 years. One of the obvious problems is that fish don’t read signs, but they do move around.

It was during one of many film festivals featuring my documentary “What Lies Below” that I met Terry Bachmeier. Terry grew up in Uranium City and told me about his father moving their family to the area, including the family car, and what work as a hard rock uranium miner meant in terms of both health and prosperity. Terry was a guest on Blue Fish Radio not long after, and then One of Terry’s daughters, who works as a writer for HuffPost Canada, wrote an article that revolved around her father’s return to the area to visit the grave site of his infant brother.

All this to say, I don’t think this story is over. Even though the Saskatchewan government is cleaning up the abandoned uranium mine sites, the issue of what to do with the slag piles and tailings ponds remains. Just how much of this radioactive contamination is getting into the watershed and fish? How many fish are being impacted and to what extent? How far are these fish travelling beyond the immediate areas of the mines with their radioactive contaminated bodies before expiring, leaving behind micro-radioactive waste piles of their own?

Link to the Blue Fish radio interview with Terry Bachmeier here: https://bluefishradio.com/reflections-growing-north-shore-lake-athabasca/

Link to the HuffPost Canada article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-dirty-secrets-are-hidden-below-the-surface_b_58e3976fe4b02ef7e0e6e09c

Link to a teaser for the documentary What Lies Below (Stay tuned for a web streaming link to the documentary itself now that our exclusive broadcast license with CBC Documentary Channel has concluded): http://whatliesbelow.ca/

***Fifty years ago, the organization Greenpeace was launched with a concert in Vancouver, featuring performances by Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and James Taylor. The goal was to raise money to send activists to protest at a nuclear test site on an Alaskan island. Ironic…

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Water Quality News

Events:

27th Annual River Symposium – St. Lawrence River Institute for Environmental Science
A two-day, free, online event will take place October 28th and 29th. Highlights include Lawrence Gunther’s presentation on Fishing Apps and Technology for Fishermen October 28th Day, and Dr. Steven Cooke on Perspectives on the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Freshwater Fish Biodiversity and Management on October 29th Science Day.

Fishing:

Reel in hand, women are rocking the boat in the male-dominated world of fishing – Roadtrippers Magazine
Roadtrippers the fastest-growing demographic in fishing, more and more women are sinking stereotypes in the male-dominated sports of competitive and recreational fishing.

Catfish NOW: Changing Strategies for Changing Seasons – CatfishNOW
The late summer/early autumn transition period is a golden season for catfishing fans. Summer’s crowds vanish. Lakes, ponds, and rivers shimmer beneath canopies of vermillion and amber leaves. Summer-fattened catfish are in prime condition

Sebastian precured Wins National Walleye Tour on Lake Huron – NPAA
Jason Precured, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, weighed a combined total of 73.25 pounds to win the National Walleye Tour Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Championship at Huron, Ohio, on October 17. The two-day championship paid out more than $289,000 in total winnings.

‘We will lose first-timers unless we stay connected with them’ – Angling International
“The demand for fishing information is through the roof. Tackle store shelves are empty, boating and fishing manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand, and fishing license sales are up too as fishing has become an escape from all that’s going on in the world right now,” said Frank Peterson, President and CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.

Bob Allen Books Announces the Release of Monica the Muskie – NPAA
Monica the Muskie shares the fun and excitement of fishing with family and friends. Monica the Muskie shares suggestions for getting the elusive” fish of ten thousand casts” into the boat and captures the rewarding feeling dedicated Muskie fishermen know well. This is Bob’s 4th family fishing book.

Record Lake Champlain Lake Trout a Testament to Successful Sea Lamprey Control – The Fishing Wire
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department recently certified a record fish entry for a 19.36-pound lake trout caught in Lake Champlain in August. Department officials say this demonstrates the positive impact long-term sea lamprey control efforts are having on the lake’s quality fishing opportunities.

Fish Health:

Great News for Lake Erie Walleye, Perch Anglers – The Fishing Wire
The 2020 August walleye hatch index was 48 per hectare, a standard measure of catch per area. This is the eighth-highest value on record for the western basin and well above the rapidly increasing prior 20-year index average of 32 per hectare. “This year’s hatch combined with the exceptional 2015, 2018, and 2019 year-classes ensures an abundance of young walleye will complement the older and larger fish that make up the current Lake Erie walleye population, which is projected to hit a historic high in 2021.

DFO Scientist says Ottawa too beholden to aquaculture industry – ASF
Dr. Kristi Miller-Saunders, head of DFO’s molecular genetics laboratory at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, has worked for Fisheries and Oceans for more than 25 years. She is troubled about recent assessments by the department that concluded the risk of pathogens transferring from salmon fish farms to wild stocks in B.C.’s Discovery Islands pose a minimal risk.

New Film Explores National Scope of Asian Carp Threat – NPAA
A new film explores the national scope of the problems caused by invasive Asian carp. The film focuses on the impact Asian carp have on the values and economies they threaten in the Great Lakes. “Against the Current”, released by the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center, features diverse viewpoints representing scientific, tribal, business, tourism, fishing, outdoor recreation, and conservation communities.

Nova Scotia Moves Quickly to Rid St. Mary’s of Smallmouth – ASF
The Nova Scotia government has taken a leadership role in eradicating illegally introduced invasive smallmouth bass from the St. Mary’s watershed.

Climate Change and St. John River Atlantic Salmon – ASF
Warm water and low river levels are a serious threat to Atlantic salmon says a biologist. He provides information on this year’s return of salmon as well.

What Would a British Columbia Seal and Sea Lion Cull Actually Entail? – Hakai Magazine
At least 100,000 harbor seals are thought to occupy the coves and nearshore waters along British Columbia’s coast. Now proponents are calling for the deaths of at least 75,000 seals and sea lions in the first year.

Captive-bred salmon in wild may do more harm than good – ASF
Releasing captive-bred Atlantic salmon into the ocean, a long-standing practice to boost stocks for commercial fishing, reduces the rate at which wild populations reproduce and may ultimately do more harm than good, researchers caution. Fish reared for any period of their life in an aquaculture environment, it turns out, somehow change compared to their wild counterparts.

Permanent fish-passage solutions considered at Big Bar landslide – Chilliwack Progress
DFO officials said roughly 151,000 salmon have now been detected with acoustic sonar north of the site of the Big Bar landslide, and contribute the success to their deploying the Wooshh portal, or salmon canon, that uses pressurized water and tubes to transfer fish up and over the slide.

‘Unprecedented’ new data tool aims to bolster B.C. salmon conservation – National Observer
The Pacific Salmon Explorer, a user-friendly data-visualization tool, provides valuable insights into the current health of salmon across British Columbia.

Sea otters are back with a worrying vengeance in B.C. – Macleans
Once within a whisker of extinction, the adorable creatures are making a major resurgence—but not all residents view their comeback in a favourable light.

Maryland Striper Spawn Lowest in Years – The Fishing Wire
The Fishing Wire Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the 2020 juvenile striped bass index is 2.5, well below the average of 11.5, and even worse than last year’s 3.4.

Menhaden Catch Cut Aimed at Improving Striper Populations – The Fishing Wire
One of the most crucial fish in the Chesapeake Bay’s aquatic food web is getting more protection from potential overfishing, but not as much as some environmentalists and state fishery managers had wanted.

Water Quality:

British Columbia’s seamounts are becoming uninhabitable – Hakai Magazine
The deep ocean, where changes usually manifest over millennia, is losing oxygen at an unprecedented rate.

Secret recordings portray regulators as easing Pebble Mine’s path to approval – Hakai Magazine
The Pebble Limited Partnership’s latest plan to offset the damage caused by the proposed Alaska mine is being highly criticized.

Blue carbon: the climate change solution you’ve probably never heard of – The Narwhal
Canadian scientists are looking to re-flood marshes to mitigate the impacts of sea-level rise and store carbon, and seaweed is having its moment in the spotlight.

Indigenous:

Skeena sockeye returns jump 50 per cent in three years thanks to Indigenous leadership – The Narwhal
B.C. First Nations voluntarily closed their food fishery or limited the catch for two decades to help rebuild salmon populations. This year, those sacrifices are paying off.

Nova Scotia lobster dispute: Mi’kmaw fishery isn’t a threat to conservation, say scientists – Nova Scotia Advocate
The commercial lobster season in Lobster Fishing Area 34, in St. Marys Bay Nova Scotia, runs from late November to late May. The Mi’kmaw livelihood fishery was launched outside that, leading the commercial harvesters to label it as illegal. Commercial fishers are also upset by a decrease in lobster landings, and have articulated two conservation concerns about the Sipekne’katik fishery: its scale and whether fishing during the summer season — when lobsters molt and their shells are soft — is a problem for the survival of lobsters that are thrown back.

Conservation:

New Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Coalition proposes new Conservation Fund – Wildsight
New B.C. wildlife coalition seeks to have Government, “dedicate all hunting, guide-outfitting, and trapping license fees, all industry wildlife compensation dollars, a portion of the royalties from new resource extraction projects and ensure all those who impact fish, wildlife and habitat” pay into a proposed new dedicated fund.

Hunting, Fishing Groups Release Statement on 30 by 30 – NPAA
The U.S. leading hunting, fishing, and habitat conservation organizations just released a statement on the Thirty by Thirty Initiative to establish a goal of placing 30% of the planet’s lands and waters under protected status by the year 2030. Given the historic and ongoing role that hunters and anglers have played in land, water, fish, and wildlife conservation, their statement sets out a number of objectives and goals that they plan to put forward at the up-coming meeting of the “Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity” (CBD), currently scheduled for May of 2021.

Industry:

Join us virtually this year for our Northern Ontario Tourism Training Week – Destination Northern Ontario
On Nov 23-27 Help grow Northern Ontario’s tourism industry. The Northern Ontario Tourism Summit was developed as a partnership event between Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario (NOTO) and Destination Northern Ontario (DNO). Registration is free to all industry partners.

Squirrel Tails Can Help Fill Your Tacklebox – The Fishing Wire
Mepp’s is again offering their tails-for-tackle program to hunters sending them legal squirrel tails, which are traded for the classic Mepps squirrel-tail spinners.

Bass tournament organisers have united under one brand – SGB Media
Two of America’s biggest bass fishing tournament organisers have come under one brand. Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) has moved all its brand assets to Major League Fishing (MLF) in a move designed to elevate tournament bass fishing further and align the multiple circuits as one company which will be known as MLF Big5.

Lodge owners, guides concerned about Minnesota resorts fishing in Canadian waters – CBC News
Frank and Lynn Wepruk get frustrated when they hear the hum of a group of boats full of people going fishing, who will cross into Canada, fish, and then return south of the border. Canadian outfitters near Fort Frances, Ont., are concerned over rules which allow Americans to fish in Canadian waters without clearing customs.

Atlantic Sapphire Harvests First Fish – and Counts Big US Grocers Among Customers – Undercurrent News
At its large land-based grow out facility in Homestead, Florida, Atlantic Sapphire harvested and sent to market the first of its salmon.

Boating:

New Powerboat Sales Up 8 Percent in August – The Fishing Wire
New data from the NMMA show August was another strong month for new powerboat retail sales, which were up 8% year to date on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to a year ago.

Protect Your Boat from Ice and Freeze Damage – The Fishing Wire
As boaters prepare their vessels for a long winter nap it’s time to check the boat’s insurance policy for “Ice and Freeze” coverage. This affordable coverage does come with one caveat: Most insurers do not offer the coverage once temperatures drop, usually the end of October, so check with your insurer before then.

Special Guest Feature:

Advanced Telemetry Allows Tracking Great Lakes Fish

By Christopher S. Vandergoot
Michigan State University

Graphic representation of how acoustic telemetry works. Acoustic receivers are deployed underwater and passively ‘listen’ for an acoustic signal produced by an acoustic transmitter implanted into a fish.

To understand fish behavior and movement in natural environments, scientists typically use direct observation, such as following fish around underwater with snorkeling or scuba gear or tagging a fish and relying on someone to report where it was eventually caught.

In 2010, the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System research initiative started tracking individual fish using advanced telemetry to understand the mysteries of Great Lakes fish behavior. GLATOS is primarily funded through the US Great Lakes Restoration Initiative along with state, federal, provincial, and tribal natural resource agencies in Canada and the United States.

Map showing the location of acoustic receivers (blue dots and underwater picture) deployed as part of the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System network as of August 2020. Credit: Dr. Thomas Binder

The impetus of this research was to provide fishery managers with needed information regarding the movements and behavior of native fish to aid in conservation and restoration efforts and inform aquatic invasive species management.

The Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation Systems, or GLATOS for short, consists of a series of underwater acoustic telemetry receivers deployed throughout the Great Lakes basin to monitor the movements of fish tagged with acoustic transmitters.

When a tagged fish swims close enough for a receiver to “hear” the unique signal emitted by the transmitter, this information is recorded and stored on the receiver until it is downloaded later. In some instances, this information can be monitored in real time.

In addition to being able to identify the presence or absence of individual fish, researchers can determine what temperature or water depth a fish is occupying if the transmitter is programmed to record this type of information.

To date, fish as large as lake sturgeon (almost 2 meters or up to 6 feet long) and smaller fish such as yellow perch have been successfully tagged and tracked throughout the Great Lakes.

As of August 2020, more than 13,000 individual fish representing 47 different species have been tagged and released as part of this research endeavor, resulting in close to 390 million detections or data points. There are now more than 1,600 active acoustic receiver deployments associated with the GLATOS network. In addition to better understanding population demographics like survival and movement rates, GLATOS researchers are providing fishery managers with important information regarding broad- and fine-scale habitat use of native and non-native fish species across the basin.

For example, acoustic telemetry has been used to evaluate spawning behavior and habitat selection of lake trout near Drummond Island in Lake Huron and movements of lake trout and lake sturgeon throughout the Huron-Erie Corridor St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.

A lake trout tagged with an acoustic transmitter (not visible) and an external tag (orange plastic behind dorsal fin) prior to release. Credit: James Markham, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Telemetry data also has played an important role evaluating current methods and developing new control strategies for aquatic invasive species such as sea lamprey and grass carp.

Additionally, while most research conducted to date focused on understanding where and when fish move (or remain) in a particular area, in the future researchers hope to gain a better understanding of why fish occupy a particular area and how environmental conditions influence movement and behavior.

For example, researchers and managers need answers to questions like: How do fish relate to harmful algal blooms? Do fish alter their behavior when blooms develop? Are they vulnerable to predators when blooms develop? Additionally, how do fish react to areas that experience low dissolved oxygen levels that develop during the summer, like in the western and central basins of Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, and Lake Michigan and Green Bay?

By understanding fish movement and behavior, fishery managers can better manage these ecologically and economically important resources throughout the Great Lakes.

(First published in the October 2020 edition of the IJC’s Great Lakes Connection newsletter – link to the original article)

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

World Rivers Day

In this September 25, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News, we feature Canada’s rivers in honour of World Rivers Day, and as always, we offer up a curated collection of fishing, fish health and water quality news. We finish with links to several aquaculture resources, a call to ban open pen fin-fish aquaculture in B.C., and a guest article from the Atlantic Salmon Federation on impacts of escape aquaculture Salmon on wild salmon populations; including a second call to ban open-pen fish farming.

This Week’s Feature on Rivers in Honour of World Rivers Day:

I was honoured and inspired to have the opportunity to speak with Mark Angelo, founder of the B.C. and World Rivers Day celebratory events. In fact, it was Mark who founded this now UN-sanctioned annual event; set to take place this year on September 27. Mark was inspired to pursue the creation of these events during a 1975 canoe trip down the Fraser River. His telling the story brought up memories of my own canoe expedition involving 18 members of my Scouts Canada 1st. Georgetown Venturer Company when we canoed from Port Credit on Lake Ontario to Summerset P.E.I. to attend the 1977 World Scout Jamboree.

Early settlers to North America observed the efficiency of indigenous people in their use of canoes and rivers to follow game, visit, celebrate, trade and to move their families with the changing seasons. It was a practice that settlers quickly adopted, and then just as quickly fell out of favour with the invention of refrigerated transport trucks and the extensive network of highways they spawned beginning in the mid-1950’s. Mark’s voyage down the Fraser left him acutely aware that much of society had turned their backs on their rivers, allowing the fait of these natural arteries to fall into the hands of large-scale industry. Our own continuation of using rivers to make waste disappear also became increasingly toxic as the nature of our waste transformed from largely organics, to refuse increasingly contaminated with manufactured chemicals and worse.

I can still recall when my fellow Venturers and I paddled our two 25-foot voyager canoes through the tail-end of the Lachine Rapids and found ourselves just downstream of Montreal sharing the surface of the St. Lawrence with hundreds of bobbing condoms. We know now that sewage continues to bypass treatment plants during periods of heavy rain, and it did rain almost every day of our 2,100 km paddle. And then, a week later to be paddling amidst of pods of Belugas curious about our long, slim, white-painted hulled canoes. We learned later that carcases of St. Lawrence Belugas found washed ashore were declared hazardous waste because of the high levels of chemicals bio massed within their bodies.

No doubt, the industrial revolution sullied our personal connection with rivers, which lead to our interest in their wellbeing deteriorating over time, the exception being anglers, indigenous fishers, the budding environmental movement, scientists who’s voices were going largely unheard, and canoeists Like Mark Angelo.

Mark Angelo shared with me his determination to have people turn back around and face their rivers to restore their appreciation and reconnection with nature. A restoration that might some day allow for drinking and eating of a river’s bounty without risking either one’s health or that of the river. His most recent call to action is his film “Last Paddle” which is set to begin it’s film festival journey this January 2021.

Mark and I also spoke about his many favorite Canadian rivers to fish and canoe, and how to select the right paddle and canoe for different water adventures. Link below to hear my conversation with Mark Angelo about all this and more on this special edition of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/world-rivers-day-founder-mark-angelo/

I also wanted to catch up with Leigh McGaughey, research scientist with the St. Lawrence River Institute for Environmental Science. Leigh started with the River Institute several years back with the launch of the Great River Rapport. I wanted to find out how her collection of scientific data and local knowledge was going, and what we can expect at the up-coming Annual River Symposium to take place virtually on October 28 and 29.

Not surprisingly, Leigh is discovering there’s a vast wealth of people who have been living along the shores of the St. Lawrence for generations who have been documenting their river health observations. Leigh is painstakingly going back in time and linking scientific data to the local knowledge she’s collecting from anglers, indigenous fishers and many others. Link below to hear my conversation with Leigh on Blue Fish Radio. https://bluefishradio.com/health-of-st-lawrence-river-fish-and-the-great-river-rapport/.

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

The 20th Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team — NPAA
The 2021 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship will launch from the shores of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay next July for the first time in its storied history. Organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation (TWF,the 20th anniversary event will draw 200 or more teams from U.S. and Canada.

Salmon season is a thing to ‘revere’ — The Daily Star
In the late 1960s the first Coho salmon were stocked in the Lake Ontario watershed, with chinooks stocked soon after. The rest is history. These fish went to the lake and survived, growing big on the enormous amount of bait fish in the cold, deep water. Lake trout and brown trout stocking soon followed.

Iconic fall chinook fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River was short, but sweet — The Oregonian/OregonLive
There was promise in the sunrise, its glow framed behind the Astoria-Megler Bridge and embracing a parade of boats surging westward from town Thursday on the last day anglers could keep chinook salmon. Familiar alarms of foghorns thundered ahead of heavy ocean-going freighters, incessant in their urgency to clear a path through the fleet of hundreds of small fishing boats each trying to maintain its own course at trolling speed. Off in the distance, humpback whales near Megler put on what’s become an annual show as they gorged on tightly schooled anchovies in the Columbia estuary. And closer to the fleet at Hammond, a purse seiner drew hundreds of gulls and pelicans as it collected its own share of anchovy bait.

Quite a catch: Finding solace in fly-fishing — The Globe and Mail
I once dropped by Drift to think about buying a pair of waders and ended up watching Chris Krysciak, a competitive fly-fisherman who works in the store when he isn’t fishing 100 days a year. He was tying a hairwing version of a nighthawk salmon fly on a small double hook. The whole process took fifteen minutes. The fly looked like a miniature trophy. It was an admission of defeat (it could never be the real thing) but also a beautiful human imagining of a surprising level of detail in an object no bigger than a dime.

Demonstration recreational salmon fishery on the Fraser River going ahead without DFO approval — Agassiz Harrison Observer
The Fraser River Sportfishing Defence Alliance organized a “demonstration” fishery to showcase traditional bar-fishing techniques despite their proposal for a test fishery having been turned down by DFO. Part of the problem is that the “selective” nature of bar fishing, using a shorter leader length, has not been given a fair shake by DFO officials. Fred Helmer of Fred’s Custom Tackle has been blogging about the one-day demonstration and calling for angler support. It’s a chance to show that “the opportunity to fish on the Fraser River can and should be allowed during times of abundance

DFO confirms illegal sockeye retention — Castanet
This year’s Fraser River sockeye returns are the lowest on record, prompting a complete closure on all fishing for sockeye. However, some chinook fishing was allowed for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Sockeye that are caught as bycatch are supposed to be thrown back alive. Catch records for August 19 show that some sockeye caught incidentally in chinook fisheries were indeed returned. But in a few cases, sockeye were retained. In one case, in a fishery in the area known as Texas to Deadman, 4,614 sockeye were retained in an FSC (food, social and ceremonial) chinook fishery. The illegal retention is being investigated, according to DFO.

Lenny DeVos and his partner Jeff Desloges Wins Renegade Bass Tour Canadian Championship — Fishing Wire
The teams Day 1 bite would rely on fishing for deep smallmouth in 25’ to 45’ of water – a pattern they would continue on Day 2. They fished drop shot baits, Crush Worms and Drifters in Smoking Joe pattern, as well as Carolina Rigging. The team brought the final day’s biggest bag to the scales of 23.06lbs and a winning two-day total of 45.57lbs. “We had an incredible two days on the water and got the critical bites we needed because of the STH Crush Worm and Drifter.” said the newly crowned 2020 RBT Canadian Champion Lenny DeVos.

Fish Health:

Atlantic Smolt Tracking & Striped Bass Predation — ASF
Smolt survival through the Miramichi river and estuary has dropped to 10-30% since striped bass spawners exceeded approximately 250,000 (every year except once since 2013). The Atlantic Salmon Federation is advocating DFO to implement changes to the striped bass recreational fishery to remove the upper slot limit of 65 cm for retention in coastal waters and allow any sized striped bass to be retained in inland waters. Combined with the commercial fishery, these measures would reduce Striped bass numbers by well over 50,000 fish annually.

Study finds Yukon-Alaska salmon declining in size — The Narwhal
Climate change and competition with hatchery fish are causing chinook, sockeye, chum and Coho to shrink and produce fewer eggs. Four species of salmon are spawning at a much younger age.

Closing Canadian commercial fisheries would help rebuild stocks and lead to economic gains — The Narwhal
At least a quarter of major commercial fish stocks in Canada are in decline, but efforts to rebuild them — such as closing fisheries or setting catch limits — are often met with strong opposition due to negative socioeconomic effects. A new study by UBC researchers shows how a 30-year closure of four different commercial fisheries would lead to significant long-term gain in their recoveries.

Tell local B.C. Municipal representatives to vote for wild salmon Habitat Restoration — Watershed Watch Salmon Society
Over 1500 km of streams, sloughs and side channels in the lower Fraser River are impacted by archaic flood control structures that kill fish or block their access to these vital habitats. These structures need to be replaced or upgraded to protect communities along the Fraser River from flooding. We can’t just replace these fish-killing structures with more of the same. A resolution is coming forward at the Union of BC Municipalities AGM with huge implications for wild salmon. Will you ask your elected representative to VOTE YES for wild salmon at UBCM 2020?

Water Quality:

Smoke and acid: where wildfires meet the ocean —The Narwhal
As forest fires burn uncontrollably south of the U.S. border, the smoky skies over B.C. hint at the suffocating life in an ocean growing increasingly acidic. Ocean acidification is caused by the growing concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which increases the amount of carbon dioxide that dissolves into the sea. Once it enters the ocean, carbon dioxide interacts with water molecules and undergoes two chemical reactions, the outcome of which is increased seawater acidity and altered carbonate chemistry. Already, shellfish aquaculture facilities along the Pacific Northwest coast from Oregon to British Columbia are suffering from the mass mortality of larval oysters, mussels, clams and scallops.

The home of the Klondike gold flush — MacLean’s Magazine
For decades, Dawson City was notorious among Canada’s poorest performers on sewage treatment. Like Victoria and some East Coast cities, the historic Yukon town pumped raw sewage into the nearest major water body – the Yukon River. After a judge forced historic Dawson City to fix its raw-sewage problem, the never-ending quest to build a system that works—and doesn’t bankrupt the place—has even Yukon’s premier saying ‘WTF’

Inside the ongoing mission to scrub clean B.C.’s wild beaches — Salmon Arm Observer
In British Columbia, the provincial government has funded the crews and boats of several small ship adventure tour companies—which have had their seasons scuppered due to COVID-19—to help remove marine debris from the province’s long, convoluted coastline. In all, nine boats and over 100 crew members will help clean 1,000 kilometers of remote shoreline.

Jacques Cousteau’s Grandson Wants to Build the International Space Station of the Sea — Smithsonian Magazine
In 1963, Jacques Cousteau lived underwater for one month with four other aquanauts in the Continental Shelf Station Two (Conshelf 2). Now, 57 years later, Cousteau’s grandson Fabien is to build the world’s largest underwater research station, Proteus, in a marine protected area off the coast of Curaçao. In 2014, Fabien spent 31 days in the Aquarius Reef Base, the last remaining under-sea research station built in 1986. The 400-square foot base sits on the seabed off Key Largo in the Florida Keys.

What is a hurricane storm surge? — EarthSky
Of all the hazards that hurricanes bring, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. Storm surge begins over the open ocean. The strong winds of a hurricane push the ocean waters around and cause water to pile up under the storm. The low air pressure of the storm also plays a small role in lifting the water level. The height and extent of this pile of water depend on the strength and size of the hurricane.

NGOs:

World River’s Day September 27th
Join people in Canada and around the world to celebrate our life-giving rivers. Organize an event in your community or attend one!

Morlock Appointed Director of Government Affairs for Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association — Fishing Wire
Directors of the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association and the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation are pleased to announce that Phil Morlock has been appointed Director of Government Affairs for both organizations, effective September 1st, 2020. CSIA/CNSF President Kim Rhodes commented, “Phil’s dedication and determination to set things right for the betterment of millions of Canadian anglers will continue during the peak of threats we are now facing in Canada from environmental groups”.

The Vancouver Aquarium is closing temporarily
Citing COVID-19-related reductions in visitors, Ocean Wise will be laying off over 200 Vancouver Aquarium employees, though animal care, research, and other programs will continue.

IGFA Releases 2020 Program Report — IGFA
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) recently released its 2020 IGFA Program Report, an annual publication that outlines the breadth of the organization’s work around the world.

Industry:

Walmart reports sales of ‘unlikely items’ like fishing rods — Angling International
Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer and a prized outlet among fishing tackle brands, made special mention of fishing tackle sales as it revealed an impressive profit jump for the latest financial quarter. The chain posted net income of $6.5 billion, up almost 80% from the same period last year.

Japan’s ten richest companies reveals surprise at number nine — Angling International
Think of the top ten richest companies in Japan and you could be forgiven for coming up with huge corporations like Honda, Sony and Mitsubishi. But, surprisingly, except for the top company – Nintendo – the majority on the list are not the globally-famous names you would come to expect. The surprise number nine in the rankings is Shimano. The bicycle components and fishing tackle manufacturer is said to have 266.9 billion yen in its ‘wallet’. The survey was based on net cash recorded in each business’s accounts.

AFTCO Mask Donation Program A Big Hit — Fishing Wire
AFTCO’s “Buy 1, Give 1” mask program has produced some 200,000 mask donations thanks to AFTCO customers.

Arts:

Fish Art Contest Season Opens — Future Angler Foundation
Wildlife Forever and Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops and the Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, is proud to announce that the 2021 Fish Art Contest is officially open and accepting entries. This free international art and writing competition is a perfect way to inspire learners in kindergarten through 12th grade to discover the outdoors.

Aquaculture:

Big Fish: The Aquacultural Revolution — Hakai Magazine
In this in-depth editorial package, Hakai Magazine investigates some basic questions about domesticating animals that exist solely for human benefit: what will we feed all of the fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic species we’re raising from birth to dinner plate? How will we shelter them humanely and raise them efficiently? Can we feed 9.7 billion people without destroying the environment? And as business booms, who will profit?

CFIA details virulent ISA outbreaks in New Brunswick and Newfoundland — CFIA
CFIA just released its latest findings on virulent ISA from salmon cage sites. This disease can be passed to wild Atlantic salmon as well as other wild fish species like herring. Four new cases in NL and two more in NB during August.

Sep 30, 2020 fish farm deadline fast approaches — Watershed Watch Salmon Society
September 30, 2020 marks the deadline for removing all salmon farms from the Discovery Islands, near Campbell River according to the 19th recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. The inquiry was headed by Justice Bruce Cohen, took over two years to complete and, in 2012, culminated in an 1100 page final report with 75 recommendations covering habitat protection, salmon farming, hatchery management, fisheries management, government accountability and more.

Guest Article:

“ESCAPES AT THE N.B. AND MAIN BORDER”

(Atlantic Salmon Federation River Notes by Tom Moffatt)

As spawning time nears for wild salmon populations in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine, a pulse of escaped aquaculture salmon has been detected at the Magaguadavic River fishway in St. George, N.B.

Five fish from industry cages were identified through fin and scale analysis, then culled, with samples being sent for analysis. ASF scientists working with DFO and researchers at the University of British Columbia recently published the first look at the infectious agents carried by aquaculture salmon in this region, finding a concerning array of viruses and bacteria.

Beyond disease, aquaculture salmon chronically escape and have bred with wild fish throughout Atlantic Canada, like along the south coast of Newfoundland and where the Magaguadavic meets salt water – the Bay of Fundy.

The result is offspring less fit for the wild, contributing to population collapse and altering the genetic heritage of wild populations.

Escapes are in the news around the world right now. In western Scotland tens of thousands escaped when four cages were destroyed in North Carradale in Argyllshire.

The Scottish government is asking anglers to kill the aquaculture salmon and take samples, offering a guide to identifying the escapees.

In Norway there have been even more escapees, and the harm they are doing will last centuries. The Norwegians estimate 3% to 9% of salmon entering their rivers since 1989 have been escapees. Most recently, in monitored rivers in 2019 there were 6% escapees. Their studies have shown that 2/3 of monitored rivers had wild salmon contaminated with aquaculture escapees. In some cases, this has led even to altered age and size at maturation for wild fish.

The legacy of escaped salmon is another reminder of the high cost of salmon aquaculture.

It is time that governments really did institute a Precautionary Approach with more than lip service to the term. And one central part of this would be a plan to move aquaculture operations out of the oceans where they are jeopardizing the long-term health of the ocean’s living web of life and that of our rivers as well.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue Fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.Ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

In this September 3, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we bust myths about dams and their fish passage systems; serve up a curated list of Links to fishing, fish health, water quality and other news; and end with an article on Newfoundland’s successful rebuilding of Atlantic Salmon numbers following the removal of a dam and a concerted long term recovery effort.

Dams and Fish Passage Systems

While most all dams pose barriers to fish mobility, not all rivers where dams are guilt are inhabited by migratory fish species. Further, dams equipped with fish passage systems don’t necessarily benefit non-migratory fish species. Compounding fish sustainability are reservoirs created by dams that don’t necessarily provide access to suitable spawning and rearing habitat, and the restrictions to fish mobility throughout watersheds that limit gene flow, resulting in unique and not always healthy genetic pools. The aging hydro dam on the St. Croix River in New Brunswick is one such dam that has caused all manner of fish sustainability issues for decades and is now about to be removed with the support of stakeholders including New Brunswick Power.

However, let us not forget the role dams can play in protecting and rebuilding native species like Alberta’s Cutthroat Trout from non-native migratory species like Rainbow Trout. Or how dams have prevented invasive Lamprey from moving beyond the great lakes. the paper mill dam in Georgetown Ontario on the Credit serves as an example of a structure being left in place on purpose to protect fish species introduced upstream, (Brown and Brook Trout), from having their habitat invaded by Rainbow Trout and Pacific salmon (Chinook and Coho) introduced into Lake Ontario in the 1970’s. Water exiting turbines can also serve as prime fish habitat that benefit both fish and anglers alike as they provide fish with a focussed source of food, and release the colder water located deep in reservoirs above dams that trout crave – a crucial habitat variable that is increasingly harder for fish to find as the climate continues to warm.

At the same time, thousands of abandoned commercial and private dams continue to carve watersheds into countless river-locked segments that serve no economic or practical purpose and remain largely forgotten. Professor Sean Landsman from Carleton University believes one of the main takeaways about dams and fishways is that there is hope for a better relationship between humans and migratory fish through increasing recognition that, “dam removal is warranted in many cases”, and “we are getting better at designing fish ladders and other fish passage systems that actually work”.

As humans continue to turn from carbon-based energy to electricity, the demand for hydropower will grow. The public, scientists, and perhaps most importantly, industry, recognize the need to ensure barriers to the movement of fish populations aren’t an unintended problem associated with newly constructed dams. But that doesn’t mean anglers can take for granted what’s happening at dams now.

The relationship between dams and fish is complex, which is why I asked Dr. Sean Landsman, a fellow angling nut, to help bring some clarity to a fish impact issue all of us anglers need to know. Dr. Sean Landsman is with the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science at Carleton University.

In part one of this 2-part Blue Fish Radio series, Dr. Landsman discusses different dam configurations, movement of fish past dams in both directions, and why it makes sense to simply remove most smaller legacy dams. Link below for part one of my conversation with Dr. Landsman on Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/dam-busting-and-fish-passage-with-dr-sean-landsman-part-1-of-2/

Like me, many anglers may be of the mind-set that fish ladders or some other fish passage system introduced at dam sites is all that’s really needed. In this 2nd of my 2-part discussion with Dr. Sean Landsman, he explains the different fish passage systems adopted to move fish around dams, their strengths and weaknesses, and why alternative solutions to dams may be preferable in certain cases. Link below to hear the second part of my conversation with Dr. Landsman on Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/dam-busting-and-fish-passage-with-dr-sean-landsman-part-2-of-2/

Job creation, infrastructure projects, economic recovery, will all become priorities as we dig our way out of the pandemic. The federal government recently announced a fund to clean-up abandoned oil drill sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Let’s hope that something similar is in the works specific to removing the tens-of-thousands of legacy dams throughout Canada. The window for these sorts of projects is relatively short because, once the economy is up-and-running, the equipment and human resources needed to do this work will be focussed on private sector developments. No one wants to see public resources used to bid against privately funded projects for access to such services and equipment. The time to make a difference is now, so let’s make sure we get the removal of legacy dams on the table for funding consideration.

The Latest Fishing, fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

Let’s go salmon fishing — The Daily Courier
The big salmon are biting like crazy off the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee recommends halt on fishing for Chinook — Yukon News
The Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee is recommending the complete cessation of fishing for Chinook salmon this year on the Yukon River.

Wide-open spaces for August salmon fishing — Campbell River Mirror
My fishing buddy had mentioned it would be a fact-finding boat ride and wanted to know if I would come along.

Kootenay Lake anglers incentive reels in plenty of interest — Nelson Star
Local anglers continue to be incredibly supportive of the Kootenay Lake Angler Incentive Program.

A Tuna’s Worth — Hakai Magazine
Bluefin tuna are a luxury that feeds the egos of many, the bellies of few. Inside a Canadian fishery that pursues them. North Lake P.E.I. is a community too small to support an ATM but calls itself the tuna capital of the world. In the 1960s and 1970s, anglers here regularly landed bluefin that broke world records.

Fishing lines down in August during COVID times — Campbell River Mirror
Since mid-month, the salmon fishing around Campbell River has been on fire, meaning the fishing has been exceptionally good.

Fisherman ‘torn’ on closing access to salmon migration in Port Hope — Northumberland News
Port Hope council is seeking public feedback on whether to close all access lands to the salmon migration due to COVID-19.

Marathon Man Gears Up for Another Fishing World Fishing Record Attempt — Fishing Wire
Starting at 9:00am on September 9th, 2020, at Sankoty Lakes Resort and Retreat outside Peoria, Illinois, Jeff Kolodzinski will attempt to catch more than 2,172 fish on hook and line to break his own record set in 2019 as a charity fundraiser.

Why some rain falls so hard — EarthSky Watch
Some rainstorms drench you in a second, while others drop rain in a nice peaceful drizzle. A downpour or a drizzle: What causes the difference? A meteorologist explains.

Fish Health:

After 30 years of work to P.E.I.’s Miminegash River, Atlantic Salmon stocks begin long road to recovery — The Journal Pioneer
After decades of absence, Atlantic Salmon are back in Prince Edward Island’s Miminegash River.

In Ontario, it’s open season on cormorants — National Observer
Double-crested cormorants don’t have a lot of fans. Standing as tall as the average toddler, they have distinctive S-shaped necks, dark plumage and orange skin around their beaks. They sometimes vomit when threatened. Their acidic feces — called guano — kills vegetation on the islands and shorelines they settle, stripping trees bare until they look like bones. Cormorants also eat a lot of fish, and anglers have long viewed them as competition.

Salmon rivers closed in face of high temperatures, low water — The Telegram
Salmon rivers like the Exploits River in Newfoundland were closed to anglers around the province by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans earlier this week because of low water levels.

Parks Canada kills fish in remote Banff lakes to protect at-risk native species — Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF)
Federal scientists and managers are carrying out a program to remove non-native trout from some remote lakes and streams to establish a sanctuary for Westslope cutthroat. In New Brunswick, First Nations organizations and NGO’s are taking similar action after more than a decade of government inaction.

Alaska’s salmon are shrinking, impacting coastal communities and ecosystems — Oceanographic Magazine
The study concluded that the size of salmon returning to rivers in Alaska has declined dramatically over the past 60 years since they are spending fewer years at sea.

Hundreds of sea lions to be killed on Columbia River in effort to save endangered fish — Terrace Standard
U.S. government approves to kill up to 840 sea lions in a portion of the Columbia River and its tributaries over the next five years to boost the survival of salmon and steelhead at risk of extinction.

Water Quality:

Silt cloud in Great Slave Lake spells trouble for fishers and fish — Cabin Radio
A large silt plume spreading through Great Slave Lake is being attributed to high water levels in the Slave River. It’s not helping a tough year for fishers.

Catastrophic failures raise alarm about dams containing muddy mine wastes — Science Magazine
Poor design and construction lead to deadly disasters.

The Site C dam has become an albatross and a serious objective review is needed urgently — The Globe and Mail
A geological snafu is just the latest challenge for the increasingly expensive and uneconomic BC Hydro project.

BC government takes steps toward watershed cleanup — The Cordova Times
After the Tulsequah Chief Mine shut down, while continuing to leach acidic runoff into the Taku River watershed, B.C.’s government has committed to a long-term plan to halt the pollution.

U.S. Army Corps Decides Pebble Mine Can’t Be Permitted as is — American Sportfishing Association (ASA)
The ASA supports the announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the proposed Pebble Mine, a massive mineral extraction mining development in Alaska’s Bristol Bay area, cannot be permitted as proposed. The Pebble Mine threatens one of the world’s most productive wild salmon strongholds.

Ontario’s Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act — Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association (FOCA)
FOCA is concerned that major changes to environmental oversight are underway, with the July 2020 introduction of the omnibus Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020. This Bill affects 43 different pieces of Provincial Legislation. FOCA believes that all environmentally significant undertakings should be reviewed through an appropriate and efficient EA process that is open, fair, and evidence-based. Further proposals to change the Planning Act would give Ministerial discretion to issue zoning orders, and to overrule decisions by municipal council and planning staff, even to the extent of a specific project and site details.

No environmental charges as 6th anniversary of Mt. Polley mine dam collapse looms — Prince George Citizen
Nearly six years after the collapse of the tailings dam at Imperial Metal’s Mount Polley mine, no charges for environmental damage have been laid and there is no word on timing of a decision.

Indigenous:

We are poisoning our future — Prince George Citizen
Six years ago, the Imperial Metals Mount Polley mine waste dump failed. Billions of litres of contaminants flooded into Quesnel Lake and the Fraser River watershed, where my people, members of the Xat’sull First Nation, have drunk water and caught salmon since time immemorial.

Let’s heal our rivers and restore salmon — Bend Bulletin
“For some people, “water is life” is a slogan. For us it’s who we are. It’s in our DNA. As tribal members, citizens and fishing guides, we consider it our privilege and our duty to share our truth with others any way we can.”

First Nation celebrates sockeye harvest with free fish distribution — CBC News
The Westbank First Nation’s annual “Salmon Day” aims to restore traditional food systems in pandemic times and help members prepare for the winter.

Industry:

Canadian Tire Corp reports ‘extraordinary’ Q2 sales growth — Angling International
Canada’s leading supplier of fishing tackle has reported sales growth of 9.3% in the second quarter of its financial year, despite 80% of its stores operating under closures and restrictions for much of the period. Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) also reported that its digital and e-commerce business across all banners reached CN$600m in the quarter.

American Tackle to host prestigious rod building challenge — Angling International
American Tackle Company, the creator of the multi-award-winning Microwave Guide System, is set to host the 2021 International Rod Building Challenge. The Florida-based company describes its latest move to promote the sector as delivering another chance to custom rod builders to showcase their ingenuity, creativity and craftmanship. The event will take place during the International Custom Rod Building Exposition (ICRBE) next year.

B.C. boat dealers report record-breaking sales amid COVID-19 restrictions — CBC News
Sales boon comes as many coastal communities ask visitors to stay away.

Sweden experiences ‘veritable boom’ in recreational fishing — Angling International
Sweden is experiencing a ‘veritable boom’ in recreational fishing following the onset of COVID-19. That is according to the Swedish Maritime Administration, which monitors participation in the sport. It says: “Consistent data from fishing licence sales nationally this year show a very sharp increase.

Feature Article:

Newfoundland’s Rattling Brook Atlantic salmon Recovery Effort is Bearing Fruit!

(Notes from the Atlantic Salmon Federation Aug 28 2020)

The Rattling Brook watershed in central Newfoundland is small by the standard of other salmon rivers, but its 384 square kilometre (150 square mile) watershed includes some remarkably productive habitat

For example, an archaeological dig at the mouth of the river in 2005 uncovered artifacts from three waves of Indigenous settlement, one more than 5,000 years old. The lead archaeologist at the time proclaimed, “this site is probably the largest warm season salmon processing site in all of North America.”

Angling on Rattling Brook caught on in the early 20th century, but then salmon were completely blocked by the construction of a hydro dam with no fish passage in the 1950s.

Some Rattling Brook salmon were moved to the nearby Big Rattling Brook and other waterways. They established themselves, but the run on Rattling Brook was finished.

That’s until the nearby town of Norris Arm struck a committee in 1999 to investigate the possibility of a recovery program. Officials determined that restoration could provide $3 million in annual revenue to the community through a sustainable recreation fishery and the Rattling Brook Salmon Restoration Committee was born.

Starting in 2011, 50 adult salmon were captured from Big Rattling Brook, where the original Rattling Brook salmon were relocated, and placed back in their ancestral stream.

By 2013, Newfoundland Power, had completed their contribution to the project; a $5 million project to establish fish passage at the utility’s hydro dam on Rattling Brook.

Transplanting adults continued for four more season. When stocking was complete, 2,310 fish had been placed throughout the Rattling Brook watershed. With primary problems like fish passage addressed, the number of salmon returning kept increasing, hitting a milestone 1,000 and counting this year.

The perseverance of the Rattling Brook Salmon Restoration Committee, and the willing participation of partners like the Exploits River Environmental Resources Management Association, DFO, and NL Power are a model to follow.

Salmon conservation is a marathon, and Rattling Brook is proof that when the right decisions are made, wild Atlantic Salmon respond.

As for fishing in Newfoundland up to August 20th, most rivers in the province were experiencing very low water levels and very high-water temperatures. This led DFO to close most rivers throughout the Island portion of the province, and/or they restricted fishing to early morning outings only. The poor fishing conditions and river closures during the past two weeks meant very few anglers were fishing. For those who did fish, angling success was exceptionally low. But the Atlantic salmon were there, indicated by reports of many fish seen in the rivers on the island and at river mouths.

In Labrador, no rivers were closed for environmental reasons, although some probably should have been closed, given the low water conditions and warm water temperatures that were experienced in some areas. This was especially true in Southern Labrador.

Yet despite the hot and dry summer this year, Atlantic salmon have showed up in respectable numbers compared to recent years. It seems Atlantic salmon at sea experienced a better winter, with some combination of sufficient food supply, lower predation, and lower levels of fishing in Greenland waters.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

Yours truly,

Lawrence Gunther Euteneier M.E.S. M.S.M.
President / Blue Fish Canada

In the August 9, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we delve into the state of the Fraser River Salmon stocks and related recreational fishery, provide a specially curated list of the latest fish and fishing news, and share a provocative opinion piece prepared by several fishing legends on catch-and-release fishing. Grab your cup of coffee, find somewhere quiet, and read on….

Fraser River Salmon Sustainability and Recreational Fishing

In 2019 BC’s recreational salmon anglers harvested around 450,000 salmon up and down Canada’s west coast. Contrary to what some may think, the vast majority of BC’s recreational salmon fishing is being conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner. The problem is, the science is lagging behind, and where there’s most certainly room for improvement, the research and policies have yet to be developed that would guarantee healthy salmon stocks for future generations. Making matters worse, are decisions over recreational fisheries being taken without having invested in the science to make sure the management practices being implemented are science-based. Not everywhere, but especially it’s not happening where it’s needed most – along BC’s southern coast and the salmon that use the Fraser River to access spawning habitat.

David Brown was recently awarded the highest honour Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans can bestow to a recreational angler for his dedication and work on safeguarding West Coast salmon. With recreational salmon fisheries around the Fraser River suspended for much of 2020, Brown and others are questioning the science and motivation behind the closure, and have moved to advocacy with the formation of the Public Fishery Alliance, and a public protest held in front of DFO’s Vancouver office. Link below to hear David Brown in Conversation with editor Lawrence Gunther immediately following the protest on Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/public-fishery-alliance-protests-dfo-pacific-salmon-closures/

Bob Cole is part of (and a founding member) of the west coast’s most successful fisheries round table. The Port Alberni and Area 23 round table involves all fishery stakeholders. Their collective decision taking model has meant sustainable salmon numbers and equitable access to stocks for all concerned. Port Alberni salmon stakeholders include local and area First Nations, two of the three commercial sectors ( Area B Seine and Area gill-netters), plus the Somass bands Economic Opportunity fishers, the West Coast Aquatic Stewardship Association, processors, environmental groups, and DFO and their Robertson Creek hatchery (the largest DFO production hatchery on the West Coast). The cooperative model has developed tables and parameters that include environmental conditions, Fish fecundity, social and economic benefits as well as managing water levels with the local dams for the benefit of fish migration. It’s meant fish stock abundance and open fisheries. The round table meets 2-3 times for full day sessions in the off season, and meets weekly to take Fishery management decisions in season. Listen as Bob speaks with editor Lawrence Gunther about the successes and challenges of the round table, and how it can serve as a management model for the rest of B.C. on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/port-alberni-round-table-ensures-salmon-stocks-and-equitable-access/

Greg Taylor from Fish First Consulting is the guest on two episodes of Blue Fish Radio. In part I Greg talks to editor Lawrence Gunther about the state of salmon stocks and research along Canada’s west coast, and why DFO seems to be grasping at straws when it comes to managing Fraser River salmon fisheries. Listen to Greg talk about why DFO needs to adopt salmon recovery initiatives and to respect recreational fishing interests on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/fraser-river-salmon-stocks-and-greg-taylor-part-1/

In Part I with Greg Taylor from Fish First Consulting we spoke about DFO’s absence of fisheries research and their inability to manage to make sure both enough salmon reach spawning grounds, and to keep fishers on the water informed to ensure sustainable fishing is taking place. In Part II Blue Fish Radio presents Taylor’s strategy for moving forward with stakeholders to assume greater responsibility for setting fisheries related decisions and to identify gaps in research, similar to what Bob Cole and his fellow Port Alberni and FN stakeholders have accomplished on Vancouver Island. Link below to learn more about the proposed B.C. salmon fisheries management strategy to be released this fall. https://bluefishradio.com/fraser-river-fishing-access-and-greg-taylor-part-2/

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

Canadian Ranger Boats Pro Chris Johnston Wins Bassmaster Elite — NPAA
Ranger Boats pro angler Chris Johnston won the Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River, July 26. The win marks the first time a Canadian pro angler has won an Elite title. He weighed more than 22 pounds of fish each day.

Looking for sockeye? Salmon fishing in Osoyoos Lake is now open — Info News
Okanagan sockeye salmon are back in the South Okanagan, and fishermen have been given the green light in Osoyoos Lake.

Tips on Avoiding Water Flea issues While Trolling — Fishing Wire
Check out these tips for expert anglers Ron Winter and Randy Colom who spend a lot of time trolling.

Chinook salmon fishing opened in July on much of the Columbia River — The Spokesman-Review
With the summer Chinook salmon run exceeding preseason expectations, large portions of the Columbia River will open to recreational chinook fishing in July.

Fish:

B.C. July Salmon Stock Assessment Report — Watershed Watch Salmon Society
Greg Taylor from Fish First Consulting presents his July Salmon stock update for B.C.’s west coast. It’s a report that demonstrates a wide range in fish stock status, made even more challenging to assess given that each stock is continuously on the move.

Meet the “sturddlefish” — Popular Mechanics
A hybrid of paddlefish and sturgeon was created in a Russian lab by accident while researchers were trying to figure out how to save the endangered Russian sturgeon. The scientists simply didn’t expect the two fish to–ahem–warm to each other quite so much.

Sockeye Salmon May not make it to spawning grounds in Fraser River — My Cariboo Now
A run of sockeye salmon is having trouble making it up the Fraser River, mostly due to the ongoing Big Bar landslide.

Woman Attacked by Musky in Winnipeg River — Fishing Wire
A Winnipeg woman is recovering after being attacked by a muskie while swimming with her family at a fishing resort. The attack happened on July 25 at the North Star Village, in Minaki, north of Kenora. The unusual attack resulted in the woman being dragged under water and severe puncture wounds in her leg.

Interior hatchery resurrected to incubate chinook fry caught at Big Bar Slide — BC Local News
Chinook salmon unable to migrate past the Big Bar Slide on their own are being collected to enhance dwindling stocks in tributaries of the Upper Fraser.

Atlantic Canada’s Salmon Returns Continue to be Strong — Atlantic Salmon Federation
Warm waters and the protocol for closures are drawing attention on the Margaree, but overall counts are up and the good runs of 2020 continue.

Wiped out 105 years ago by a dam, coho salmon set to return upstream of Coquitlam River — The Georgia Straight
Fisheries and Oceans Canada plans to reintroduce coho salmon upstream of the Coquitlam River this fall.

Indigenous:

Recreational chinook openings leave First Nations frustrated on the Lower Fraser — Hope Standard
Limited recreational openings for chinook on the Chehalis and Chilliwack rivers being questioned. First Nations communities have a right to priority fishing for Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) purposes protected under the constitution. Only conservation concerns take precedence. “It was a bit of a shock,” Tribal Chief Tyrone McNeil said about the recreational openings.

Tsilhqot’in Nation demands meeting with feds on declining Fraser River chinook stocks — Salmon Arm Observer
The Nation wants to partner with DFO to rebuild and recover the stocks. The Tsilhqot’in Nation said alternative management actions are required and that they believe immediate steps must be taken to implement strategic emergency enhancement of key stocks. the Tsilhqot’in Nation said while it welcomes the stronger restrictions on exploitation, they are not enough to reverse the population decline and mitigate extirpation risk facing Fraser River Chinook.<

Water Quality:

Flood infrastructure: ‘the biggest salmon habitat issue you’ve never heard of’ — The Narwhal
Along B.C.’s Fraser River, concrete obstructions block 1,500 kilometres of fish habitat and ‘meat grinder’ pump stations kill fish. Critics say it’s time for fish-friendly flood control.

Does It Make Sense to Build a New Island at the Mouth of the Fraser? — The Tyee
The Vancouver port has big expansion plans. The proposed new artificial island that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority proposes to build at Roberts Bank, to expand its existing Deltaport container port, resides in the heart of the Fraser River estuary, about 30 kilometres south of Vancouver.

Ontario takes important first step in cormorant control — OFAH
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) announced that they will be introducing a fall harvest for double-crested cormorants. Over two decades of advocacy, OFAH has been at the forefront of requesting government control of overabundant double-crested cormorants. This fall season marks the first step in utilizing hunters to help create a manageable population of cormorants and minimize their impacts on other fish and wildlife species, as well as the habitat and ecosystems that support them.

In Scotland new disease casts further doubt on the future of Atlantic salmon — Atlantic Salmon Federation
Salmon with an unusual red skin disease have been showing up, and scientists are scrambling to understand its importance and extent. A call has now gone out to Scottish anglers to help identify cases of the condition and to pass on details of affected fish to authorities in the hope that a cause can be found.

Canada to ban ‘nuisance seals’ killing to keep access to U.S. market — CBC News
In an effort to maintain access to the lucrative U.S. seafood market, Canada will abolish permits that allow the killing of so-called “nuisance seals” by commercial fishermen and aquaculture. DFO is making this change in order to ensure continued access to the U.S. fish and seafood market, a market worth about $5 billion annually to Canada.

U.S. President Signs Great American Outdoors Act into Law — Fishing Wire
The Great American Outdoors Act is now codified as federal law. The Act is to enhance conservation and access to public lands and waters today and for generations. American Sportfishing Association (ASA) President Glenn Hughes attended the signing ceremony. Ducks Unlimited also supports the new law as half the revenue from energy development on public lands would be allocated to the fund and distributed to the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Education to cover overdue maintenance costs.

Industry:

The Road from Today to Tomorrow: Northern Operators Share Their Path
This panel discussion includes Northern Ontario lodge Operators, centered around the COVID-19 crisis. Join us to learn how our panelists are managing the reopening of their businesses, how they are planning for the future, and how they have addressed workforce issues now that tourism has opened back up! Panelists include: David MacLachlan, CEO of Discover Northern Ontario, Pat Peterson, owner/operator of Bruce Bay Cottages and Lighthouse, Krista Cheeseman, owner/operator of Wilderness North, Betty McGie, owner/operator of Watson’s Algoma Vacations, and Charlie McDonald, Manager, Kesagami Wilderness Lodge. Register for the August 12th, 2020 – 11:00 am EDT discussion.

IGFA World’s 2019 record-breaking brands revealed — IGFA
Brands from a household name in the industry took the top honours in the list of world record-breaking tackle. Japanese giant Shimano, owner of the G.Loomis and PowerPro brands, topped the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) list of rods, reels and line that set more than 400 world records in 2019.

Bass Pro and Cabela’s to reward hourly-paid staff for efforts during pandemic — Angling International
Staff at two of North America’s most iconic fishing and hunting chains have been rewarded with bonus payments for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The owner of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s says that it is making payments ranging from $250 to $1,000 to hourly-paid workers in its retail, distribution centres and manufacturing plants to ‘reward its outfitters and team members for their efforts’. The company has also announced that it is raising nationwide starting wages in its distribution centres.

Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris purchases 400-acre former theme park — Talk Business & Politics
While specific plans for the property – Dogpatch USA – remains in the early stages, Bass Pro says that the future development will be an extension of the group’s signature experiences that help families connect with nature. The property is near the 135-mile Buffalo National River, the first national river in the United States, and a 35-minute drive from Big Cedar Lodge, a resort Morris developed in Ridgedale, Mo. Other Morris properties in the Ozarks include 10,000-acre wildlife reserve Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, Ozark Mill and Finley Farms, and Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve.

Boating:

Where do old fiberglass boats go to die? — The Conversation
Too many old fishing boats along ocean coastlines are being abandoned on beaches or sunk in the sea, and that’s a growing problem. The problem of end-of-life boat management and disposal has gone global, and some island nations are even worried about their already overstretched landfill.

Forecasters bump up hurricane predictions for 2020 — EarthSky
2020 was already predicted as an active hurricane season. Now it’s looking extremely active. Forecasters with Colorado State’s Tropical Meteorology Project said on Wednesday they now expect 24 named storms (5 major hurricanes) in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The average from 1981 to 2010 is 12 named storms per year.

Guest Feature on Sustainable Fishing: “Major Challenges to Sport Fishing”

By Ron Lindner and Al Lindner with The Lindner Media Staff and Steve Quinn
(Link here to read the full length article)

No doubt about it; sportfishing today is facing a host of threats. They range in size from the tiny but invasive zooplankton creatures that threaten the underwater food web to the changes we see in the climate that encompass our whole earth. They include the simultaneous challenges of declining participation in fishing and increasing catch rates that threaten the quality of fisheries. Technology offers both its own threats as well as potential solutions.

Here we want to emphasize a threat that’s been present for a long time, but rarely has been recognized or acknowledged. It’s enmeshed with the highly popular practice of catch-and-release, which most fishery managers embrace as a boon to fish populations.

The catch-and-release ethic grew rather rapidly in the trout, muskie, and bass realms, as fishery management agencies altered many harvest regulations to require immediate release of various length groups of fish, including minimum-length limits, which had been often applied on a statewide basis with little biological basis, maximum-length limits, and slot limits, including both protected slot lengths and harvest slot lengths.

Barotrauma

These previous challenges to catch-and-release pale in comparison, however, to one that anglers and fishery managers have been aware of for many years, but generally chosen to “sweep under the rug.” That’s the growing problem of barotrauma, meaning the physiological damage to fish that are caught in excessively deep water.

Ron relates a story from 40 years ago around Morson on Lake of the Woods. Using vintage sonars, he and Al had found groups of crappies suspended in what is now known as a classic late-fall pattern, about 30 feet down over 45 feet or so. “We were catching them one after the other,” Ron says, ”and releasing these big slabs, 13 to 15 inches. We started looking around and I said to Al, ‘We got a problem.’ Fish were floating all around the boat, just struggling on the surface.” This lesson was reinforced a few years later while they were fishing in Florida for snapper. Those schools were in 60 to 70 feet and when they came up, their stomachs were protruding from their mouths, and some had bulging eyes. They struggled to swim down, but most floated off into oblivion.

Back in 1989, In-Fisherman contributor and fishery scientist Ralph Manns wrote the first in-depth article pointing out the problems of barotrauma, and calling for anglers and fishery management agencies to address concerns before the situation got worse. Unfortunately, little heed was paid to the problem in the freshwater realm, except for tournament anglers fishing the Great Lakes and other deep water habitats for walleyes and smallmouth bass who learned how to “fizz” fish caught from deep water (generally over 30 feet deep) using a hypodermic needle. Correctly inserting the needle into the gas bladder allowed air bubbles to escape from that organ, allowing the fish to swim back down.

While physiological studies showed that the gas bladder healed rather quickly, problems arose from anglers sticking needles the wrong locations, paralyzing fish or damaging their livers. As a result, some state agencies discouraged or even banned “fizzing,” while others continued to allow or even recommend it.

The problem afflicts fish species that do not have a duct structure (called the pneumatic duct) between the gas bladder and the alimentary canal, which allows expanding air to escape. Due to the laws of physics, pressure is doubled at 33 feet of depth, compared to sea level, theoretically doubling the volume required to hold it. Because the gas bladder is a rather elastic organ, it resists stretching, but gradually succumbs to drastic changes in pressure and expands, often preventing fish from swimming back down. While immediate release from moderate depths (20 to 40 feet) typically causes no problems with bass and walleyes), holding the fish at the surface for several minutes increases barotrauma problems. And storing a fish in a livewell for hours can cause severe symptoms in fish caught in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Species lacking this duct (including walleyes, bass, crappies, perch, and white bass) require substantial time to adjust pressure levels when shifting depths. Species with ducts, including catfish, sturgeon, salmon, and trout, carp, and shad, can release air immediately, thus are generally capable of greater vertical mobility. You see this in action when big lake trout, sturgeon, or catfish release air and create large bubbles as they near the surface. And they can generally swim straight back down, even from depths over 100 feet. At greater depths, physiological damage can occur, including hemorrhaging, exophthalmia (eyes popped out of their sockets), and tissue damage as bubbles form and expand in organs or the blood stream. This most often occurs in marine situations, where fish often are targeted deeper than 100 feet. Valuable species such as groupers, snappers, and rockfish lack ducts and are at great risk of post-release mortality.

Given the economic value of recreational saltwater fishing, and the heavy fishing pressure on popular species that’s caused widespread overharvest, marine fishery managers have been way ahead of their inland colleagues in studying and addressing this problem. In October 2019, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council made a landmark decision by mandating that all commercial and recreational fishermen who are targeting grouper or snapper must have a descending device readily available on boar to release fish. A variety of these devices have been on the market for several years. Some, such as SeaQualizer and RokLees Fish Descender, clip on the jaw of a fish, and carry it back into the depths, reducing gas pressure in the descending process. Back down where it was caught, the device releases the fish or can be triggered to pop open, leaving the fish in good condition, as long as no other damage had been done. Other devices function like cages with a trap door that carry fish back down and the door releases at the appropriate depth.

This decision by the Management Council followed findings by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) that almost 30 percent of all snapper and almost 40 percent of grouper caught by recreational anglers died after release, obviously an unacceptable level of post-release mortality. They found that unwanted fish released improperly was one of the largest problems facing marine fishery managers in recent years. The following month, a bipartisan group of U.S. congressman introduced “The DESCEND Act of 2019” requiring commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a descending device rigged and ready for use or a venting tool (needle used for “fizzing”) when fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. This proposed legislation was praised by a group of fishing and boating organizations, including the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation CSF).

In the freshwater realm, anglers have been exploiting deep fish aggregations, aided by hi-tech sonar units that depict fish, and can even define species, at great range and with amazing clarity. At recent major bass tournaments on the St. Lawrence River, on the border of New York and Canada, pros located groups of huge smallmouths deeper than 40 feet. Several pros later reported being shocked to see the many dead trophy-size smallmouths floating near the weigh-in site in New York, victims of barotrauma. In other areas with deep reservoirs such as the Southeast and West, anglers often target bass and walleyes in water deeper than 30 feet, waters where minimum-length limits often are in place. Such limits may thus mandate the release and waste of fish caught from great depths.

Ice anglers have discovered the deep-water winter haunts of walleyes and crappies, often pulling fish from more than 30 feet. As Ron and Al observed years ago in Canada, crappies are particularly vulnerable to even mild barotrauma, sometimes having difficulty swimming back down when caught and quickly released in less than 25 feet of water. Anglers with underwater cameras have reported popular fishing areas littered with the carcasses of fish that were released and did not make it, primarilly due to barotrauma.

With this article, we seek to inspire action by angler organizations, fishery management agencies, and individual anglers to address this growing problem head-on. We must document the extent of delayed mortality in enough cases to generalize across many more waterways, and put potential solutions on the table. Ignoring this problem any longer only serves to perpetuate bad habits and further damage the fisheries we love and depend on for our recreation and livelihood.

Let’s not forget that angler opportunity and healthy fish populations are not only vitally important to millions of anglers, they represent a huge economic engine. According to the latest statistics, America’s anglers are estimated to spend $49.8 billion per year in retail sales associated with fishing. With a total annual economic impact of $125 billion, fishing supports more than 800,000 jobs and generates $38 billion in wages and $16 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

It’s important to keep the momentum and continue to promote sustainable recreational fishing. In this effort we need to further address the challenges presented by barotrauma to fishery management and healthy fish stocks. Marine fishery managers have been far more responsive to this issue, and we’ve seen new legislation to promote use of descending devices. In the freshwater realm, we need to take a harder look at this problem.

About Blue Fish Canada

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: https://lawrencegunther.com/

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue Fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@bluefishcanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

In this July 19, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we present:

• A 3-part Blue Fish Radio program exploring the recently launched Atlantic Angler Challenge;
• The latest fish and fishing news; and,
• Blue Fish Sustainable Hot Weather fishing tips.

Atlantic Angler Challenge
Professor Trevor Avery teaches and conducts fisheries research out of Acadia University in Nova Scotia. More recently he’s teamed up with Jeff Wilson of the Striper Cup and Sean Simmons of Anglers Atlas to form a ground-breaking recreational fisheries research initiative called the Atlantic Angler Challenge. The initiative rewards anglers to download and use the MyCatch app to track and report their angling pressure and success. Listen as professor Avery shares with editor Lawrence Gunther his rationale and expectations for the research that is now taking place across all four Atlantic provinces on this episode of Blue Fish Radio.
https://bluefishradio.com/atlantic-angler-challenge-rewards-citizen-scientists/

Professional Angler Jeff Wilson is the lead organizer and spokesperson for the Atlantic Angler Challenge. You might remember Jeff from previous Blue Fish Radio episodes when we featured his championing the Striper Cup tournament that takes place each spring on New Brunswick’s Miramichi River, and his herculean efforts to protect the return of native Striped Bass to Atlantic Canada. In this Blue Fish Radio episode we speak with Jeff about the logistics behind organizing the Atlantic Angler Challenge, and how it grew so quickly to cover all gamefish species in all four Atlantic Canada provinces.
https://bluefishradio.com/angler-incentives-and-the-atlantic-angler-challenge/

In our 3rd and final installment on the Atlantic Angler Challenge, we go back to an earlier episode of Blue Fish Radio featuring the founder and CEO of Angler Atlas and the inventor of the MyCatch angler app. Sean Simmons has been expanding the use of the MyCatch app as researchers everywhere learn of its many benefits for engaging anglers as citizen scientists. The app is now in use across Canada by scientists and anglers to track angler effort and capture rates, and is the app chosen by organizers of the Atlantic Angler Challenge. Listen as Sean speaks to Editor Lawrence Gunther about the origins of the MyCatch app, and his world-leading progress in advancing recreational fishing science-based fisheries management.
https://bluefishradio.com/nature-meets-shiny-tech-with-mycatch/

Fish and Fishing News

Fishing:

New statistics point to young adults taking up sport fishing – Castanet.net
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC says, unlike many outdoor recreational sports, fishing is on the rise this year. Resident angler license sales are 16 per cent higher than last year and total fishing licence sales are 3 per cent above 2019 sales, numbers that more than offset the loss of licences typically purchased by non-resident Canadian, American and international anglers in April and May.

Recreational Chinook fishing re-open in the Skeena watershed – My Bulkley Lakes Now
As of midnight July 15 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has reopened fishing for Chinook salmon but additional measures have been put in place. According to the DFO, the maximum number of Skeena Chinook will be two in the Morice, Bulkley and Skeena rivers but only one may be over 65cm. The DFO also added certain tributaries and lakes will remain closed but sport anglers are being encouraged to look at the DFO’s website for a full list of closures.

Thousand Island Open Bass Tournament Cancelled
Organizers of the Thousand Island Open Bass Tournament had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 TIO. The city of Kingston has put in place a limit of 100 total participants in the event, which would have limited the tournament to 50 boats. This limit would make it entirely unfair for organizers to prioritize 50 out of the 94 who registered for the event. entry fees will be refunded promptly. For more details contact Janet Eastman janet@hookset.com

Kootenay angler’s program off to a great start – Trail Times
The first lucky winner of the new Kootenay Lake Angler Incentive Program is local Dave Johnston from Grey Creek. In the first month of the program, there were 2,082 rainbow and bull trout heads submitted. The goal is to help with the recovery of the main lake kokanee population that has been severely depressed for nearly a decade due to an overpopulation of rainbow and bull trout. The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC joined the program by providing funds for the monthly draw and the grand prize, and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and Jones Boys Boats at Woodbury Creek on the lake are also partners.

Barracuda caught in Vancouver Island waters – Mid Island Independent News
A Vancouver fisherman got a rare experience earlier this week while fishing in the Alberni Inlet.

La Onda Mila Named 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup Champions – In The Bite eNews
Capt. Marty Bates and the La Onda Mila team became this year’s Blue Marlin World Cup Champions after reeling in a 964-lb. blue marlin. Capt. Jason Buck and the Done Deal team earned the Big Blue Challenge for their 667.2 blue marlin.

Anglers Advised to Keep Fish Caught in Deep Water – Fishing Wire
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages anglers to keep fish caught from depths of more than 25 feet, rather than practice catch-and-release. The N.D. fisheries management section says while catch-and-release is often encouraged under the right conditions, fish reeled in from this depth will likely die if released because of the extreme change in water pressure. Change in water pressure will cause the swim bladder to expand which means fish can no longer control balance. In addition other internal injuries are likely, such as ruptured blood vessels or internal organs. Because of these other internal injuries, biologists discourage fizzing, the practice of deflating the swim bladder.

Fish:

Protect Game Fish in Michigan – NPAA
Commercial fishing interests have turned their sights on Lake Michigan’s game fish species including yellow perch, lake trout and walleye. These species contribute to the $2.3 billion recreational fishing industry in the state of Michigan through the participation of 650,000 Great Lakes Anglers. The vast majority of the fish in the Great Lakes are managed by funding generated through the sale of recreational licenses, indirectly benefiting the commercial fishing industry.

Tracking the Great Lakes Sucker Run – IJC
Every spring, rivers and streams connected to the Great Lakes fill up with suckers to lay their eggs. This group of fish species is known for eating their meals off the lake bottom. They are not a popular game fish and may be regularly overlooked, but recent research shows they play an important role in the broader ecosystem. The Great Lakes are home to several species of suckers. Two are found in all five lakes in abundant numbers: the longnose sucker and white sucker.

New Brunswick orders smallmouth eradication project to register for environmental assessment – ASF
The latest curveball in the push to eradicate smallmouth bass from the Miramichi watershed came Monday. The province of New Brunswick ordered the Working Group on Smallmouth Bass Eradication in the Miramichi to register its plans for a potential environmental assessment.

How Do Low Lake St. Lawrence Water Levels Affect Fish Habitat? – IJC
Lake St. Lawrence is the portion of the St. Lawrence River above the Moses-Saunders Dam that was made artificially wider and deeper when the dam was built. The area is a destination for sport fishing, including an annual Bassmaster tournament. High flows through the dam in recent years to remove water from Lake Ontario have resulted in historically low water levels in this portion of the river.

Hiding in Plain Light – Hakai Magazine
A natural phenomenon of light and waves helps prey fish use stealth when running from predators. It’s one of those things that everyone recognizes, but no one really knows the name for: the quivering light cast by sunlight through waves that makes a net-like pattern on the bottom of lakes, oceans, or swimming pools. The phenomenon is called water caustics, and it may help some fish to escape predators.

Infectious salmon anemia will result in fish removal from Aquiculture site – ASF
The years long ISA outbreak in Atlantic Canadian aquaculture rolls on with the 13th detection of virulent infectious salmon anemia in southern Newfoundland since late 2017. More than 300,000 diseased fish will be cleared out and sold to supermarkets, adding to the millions affected so far.

Indigenous:

83 Pound Lake Trout Caught in Northern Canada – The Venatic
A monster lake trout that should have eclipsed world records was caught by fishermen and Canada’s Northwest Territories earlier this month. Hauled in by members of the Deline First Nation Tribe, the fish was caught by using a gill net as the fishermen were sustenance fishing. Their catch would have been placed in the record books had it been caught using rod and reel. The current record is a 72-pound lake trout established 22 years ago. The fishermen attempted to revive the fish and release it, but unfortunately it had already died.

To bring back endangered fish First Nation claims environmental management authority – Phys.org
Over 20 years ago, the Bella Coola River—located in southern British Columbia and central to the traditional territory of the Nuxalk Nation—saw its last healthy run of eulachon before populations dramatically crashed in 1999. A kind of smelt, eulachon are anadromous fish, which means they spend the majority of their adult lives in the ocean and return to their natal streams only to spawn and to die. A sovereign Indigenous or First Nation within what is known as Canada, Nuxalk people have maintained a strong relationship with the eulachon since time immemorial.

Water Quality:

Asian carps and the Great Lakes – FOCA
Did you know that vegetated nearshore areas would be the most vulnerable habitats, if Grass carp became established in the Great Lakes? Loss of nearshore vegetation would negatively impact your water quality because plants along the shoreline slow surface runoff and filter contaminants before they reach the water.

Deep Geologic Repository cancelled – FOCA
Plans for nuclear waste storage on the Lake Huron shore have been shelved. Ontario Power Generation has cancelled the Environmental Assessment and their application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for a construction licence for the proposed Deep Geologic Repository.

TAKE ACTION: Canada needs a strong policy on Non-Fuel nuclear waste
Canada does not have adequate rules in place to manage non-fuel nuclear waste. This kind of waste is planned to be stored in the Near Surface Disposal Facility at Chalk River, on the shores of the Ottawa River and just upstream of our nation’s capital. The international community has recognized that Canada’s policies for managing nuclear waste are inadequate. The Ottawa River Keeper is asking the public to share their concerns by signing their petition and contacting your MP

How does Covid 19 and recreational water mix? – CDC
According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), “there is no evidence that COVID-19 can spread to people through recreational water”.

Boating:

Jumbo Electric Outboards on the Way – Fishing Wire
Evoy says the 150-hp electric outboard is just the beginning. Following the introduction of its 150-hp electric outboard earlier this year, Evoy is planning to add more powerful all-electric engines in the future. The Norwegian manufacturer says it will add 300-hp and 450-hp versions with the 300 being available for pre-order in 2022. The 450 will follow with pre-order expected for 2024.

Business:

ICAST 2020 Virtual Sportfishing Showcase a Success – ASA
In response to COVID-19, ICAST, the world’s largest recreational fishing trade show, transitioned from an in-person show to a virtual event. The American Sportfishing Association produced the Show and delivered attendees and exhibitors alike an engaging, interactive virtual trade show experience. Editor Lawrence Gunther was one of the judges this year for the “best in show” competitions involving over 30 categories of fishing equipment. Visit the ICAST 2020 Online New Product Showcase to learn about all the amazing entries and category winners.

Will Your Next Salmon Come from a Massive Land Tank in Florida? – POLITICO
The so-called Bluehouse located in Florida is on track to become the world’s biggest land-based fish farm on a campus the size of the Mall of America. Over the next decade the farm will ramp up to producing a billion meals of Atlantic salmon a year. The operation is on schedule to begin delivering salmon to customers later this year. The Norwegian firm Atlantic Sapphire has moved its entire river-to-sea life cycle into indoor tanks, with the goal of supplying nearly half the current U.S. salmon market.

This Week’s Feature – Blue Fish Sustainable Hot Weather Fishing Tips

1. Fish during the cooler early morning or at night when air and water temperatures are lower.
2. Use appropriately sized equipment and land fish quickly to reduce fish fatigue.
3. Keep fish in the water while removing hooks and while taking photographs.
4. Ensure nets and hands are wet before touching fish.
5. Revive fish before release by holding the fish upright, facing current, and as far below the surface as possible.
6. Avoid angling in deeper river pools where fish have concentrated in cooler water.
7. Fill your boat’s live-well during the morning in deeper cooler water and add only minimal ice to prevent excessive chlorine build-up from melting ice.
8. Switch the circulation pump on your boat’s live-well to recirculate when travelling through shallow areas where water is hottest.
9. Ensure fish are quickly returned to water with the depth and temperature from which they were caught.
10. Fish for only those fish species that can be safely harvested when surface temperatures exceed 25 degrees C.

About us

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: admin@bluefishcanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

It’s a short week and so is this week’s Blue Fish Canada News.

Stewardship Quiz – It’s a Wrap!

Blue Fish Canada wants to thank the near-400 readers who stepped up and tested their stewardship knowledge using the Blue Fish Stewardship Quiz. With eight prizes now valued at close to $1,000, the first eight randomly drawn names of those who took the Quiz have now been sent out emails inviting them to get back to us with their 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize choices. The prizes were provided by Ranger Boats, Orleans Boat World, Shimano, Catch Fishing, Musky Factory Baits, Eagle Claw, Salus Marine and Scotty fishing. Check your email and spam folder to find out if you were one of the lucky ones. We are giving the first eight 48 hours to get back to us with their choices before we move down the list.

For more details about the gifts or if you still want to try the Quiz just for fun, visit: Blue fish Steward 12-question Quiz

Blue Fish Radio Feature:

Professional angler David Chong spoke with editor Lawrence Gunther on Blue Fish Radio about the challenges of making a living as a professional angler in Canada during the pandemic. A competitor who fishes upwards of 50 tournaments a year, it hasn’t been easy for David to step back in the interest of keeping his family, friends, and himself safe. Learn about the many considerations, opportunities and challenges that go along with being a professional angler – it’s not all about fast boats, blue skies and big cheques –now even more challenging because of the pandemic. https://bluefishradio.com/covid-19-impacting-professional-angler-david-chong/

Girl Guides Go Fishing:

Every spring Blue Fish Canada volunteers take part in numerous youth and family fishing events. One of our favorites has been taking the Girl Guides of Ottawa fishing on the docks at Dow’s Lake in central Ottawa. Upwards of 75 young women ranging in age from 6 to 16 come out each year and practice catch-and-rlease fishing, and to learn about fish biology and behavior. The pandemic put a stop to such events since March 2020, but if you want a glimpse of the fun we have, check out the following 3-minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syyfYYplH4c

National Fishing Week – July 4-12 – and Now Up to July 19 in Ontario!

With National Fishing week now underway, a time when all Canadians can fish without a license in their home provinces, our friends at Catch Fishing and the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation have some precautions they are advising families to take to stay safe. The guidelines serve as a good starting point when contemplating that next fishing trip.

Everyone’s situation is different, but if there was ever a good time to take a step back, simplify things, and enjoy family time on the water or shoreline, it is now. Take a bad situation and turn it into something positive, even if it’s just something simple like fishing with your kids.

“It’s been proven that fishing has a positive impact on mental wellness, which is something that’s crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Mike Melnik, Managing Director of the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation. “It’s also an important local food source for countless Canadians. For these reasons, fishing is an essential pastime that deserves to be promoted, fostered, and celebrated.”

NATIONAL FISHING WEEK COVID-19 GUIDELINES:

• Adhere to all travel advisories and self isolation requirements. Conduct your fishing activities as close to your home residence as possible.
• If you must travel beyond your home community, totally provision your trip from your community of origin. Do not plan on buying food, drinks or even fuel after you begin your trip and until you return home.
• Ensure you have all the necessary supplies to keep you safe including life jackets and a first aid kit.
• Only fish with members of your household or by yourself. Please remember that there are restrictions on the number of people who can gather at one time.
• Adhere to all municipal, First Nation community, provincial and federal closures and restrictions.
• As recommended by Health Canada, practice physical social distancing by keeping a distance of at least 2 metres (6 feet) between you and others at all times.
• Consider wearing a non-medical mask or face covering when social distancing is not possible in public spaces.
• Practice proper hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus, especially around communal areas.
• Outdoor businesses are suffering. Consider ways to support your favorite outdoor retailer, tour company, or tackle shop, like buying a gift certificate or ordering online when possible.

Fishing:

• fosters a new generation of conservationists — it benefits the environment because it gives people a reason to care about the resources their activities depend on.
• is easy and affordable.
• is a great way to escape electronics and reconnect with family and friends.
• helps us connect with nature and develop an appreciation for Canada’s vast natural environment.
• provides mental and physical health benefits.
• generates over $8 billion to the Canadian economy.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue Fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.Ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

In this June 28 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we celebrate the up-coming Family Fishing Week – July 4-12! This week’s news includes curated Blue Fish Radio content to get those new to fishing connected with anglers from across Canada; links to the latest fish, fishing and water quality news; and, a Blue Fish Canada pan fishing resource to ensure you and your family get the most out of the up-coming Family Fishing Week.

**Last chance to take the Blue fish Steward 12-question Quiz and enter your name to win one of seven great prizes totaling $750 in value**

Virtual fishing networks connect anglers across Canada, while groups seek to ensure the survival of native fish species:

Canadian Fishing Network nearing 11,000 strong – Blue Fish Radio
If you’re looking for a new fishing buddy or information about fishing in your area, you may want to consider following the Canadian Fishing Network on Facebook. Scottie Martin is the host and driving force behind the wildly successful CFN, which now has close to 11,000 followers on Facebook. They also just concluded another successful edition of the national fishing “Fish-Off” tournament led by CFN Michael Consul. The virtual fishing platform shows no signs of slowing, and is truly a grass-roots Phenomenon. Scottie and Mike were the guests on this episode of Blue Fish Radio.

Alberta Focusses on Rebuilding Native Trout Species – Blue Fish Radio
Five Alberta conservation groups and the Alberta government are working hard to rebuild native trout populations. Westslope Cutthroat Trout, bull trout and Athabasca rainbow trout are native trout species found in Alberta that now need help. Protecting these native species and the diversity they represent is crucial if we are to ensure the wide variety of fish and fishing opportunities across Alberta and Canada. The Alberta Native Trout Restoration Program includes The Cows and Fish, Trout Unlimited Canada, Foothills Research Institute, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Alberta Government. The Program entails: fish habitat improvements, a north Central Native Trout Recovery Program, a roadway Watercourse Crossing Remediation Initiative, a Westslope Cutthroat Trout Recovery Program, and a Whirling Disease detection, education and mitigation strategy. Listen as editor Lawrence Gunther speaks with senior ACA biologist Mike Rodtka as they discuss the many challenges ahead on Blue Fish Radio.

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

DFO’s Response to Fraser Chinook Salmon Conservation – Seafood Source
The DFO’s Fraser River Chinook salmon management measures announced June 20, 2020 are assessed by conservation groups as failing to protect endangered salmon runs. Others report that Fraser River Chinook stocks will continue to be tightly controlled, including limited harvests and a push-back on dates of certain fisheries. Specifically, a maximum size limit of 80 centimetres in southern marine recreational fisheries will be enforced for July and August, as well as a fishing closure at the mouth of the Fraser River. Limited harvest for First Nations will be allowed, and the commercial troll fishery will be pushed back into August to avoid Fraser chinook encounters.

Covid-19 Hits Florida Recreational Fishing Hard – Angling International
Florida is one of the US states hardest hit by COVID-19. Florida, often referred to as the ‘fishing capital of the world’, has more than four million anglers who generate $11.5 billion in economic impact and support more than 106,000 jobs.

The Golden Age of Smallmouth Bass – The IGFA
Smallmouth bass thrive in clear water. So, their tide began to turn after the Clean Water Act limited pollution of the Great Lakes and other waters, while clearing it as well. Further water clarification has been provided by exotic zebra and quagga mussels that crossed the Atlantic from Europe and colonized the Great Lake in the 1980s. Their populations have expanded to more lakes ever since, causing problems with shoreline infrastructure but providing water clarity for smallmouths to thrive. Invasive prey fish, such as the round goby, have also provided added forage for smallmouth bass. In their northern natural range, annual ice cover has been reduced in recent decades due to milder and shorter winters, which gives this warm water fish more time to spawn and grow.

American Sportfishing Association applauds passing of Great American Outdoors Act – Angling International
The body that represents the fishing tackle industry in the USA has applauded the passing of an historic public lands bill. By a comfortable majority, the US Senate gave the go-ahead to the Great American Outdoors Act, a landmark legislative package to fund access to and the maintenance of the nation’s public lands.

Fish Health:

Report on the 2020 State of Wild Atlantic Salmon – Atlantic Salmon Federation
The ASF’s annual look at Atlantic salmon returns to North American rivers shows that the downward trend in abundance continues. Last year’s adult salmon returns to North America were among the lowest in a 49-year data series, continuing a downward trend that threatens the sustainability of the species. In recent decades, the human harvest of wild Atlantic salmon has been significantly reduced through a series of conservation measures, helping to stabilize some populations, but recovery has been inhibited. Wild Atlantic salmon are struggling to adapt to warming rivers, changing oceans, and pressure from human development.

Teck Mines Elk Valley B.C. Coal Mine Expansion Threatens Westslope Cutthroat Trout – The Narwhal
Teck Resources’ Castle Mountain is being described by the company as an expansion of an existing mine, and not a ‘new’ mine — but critics say the project’s significant environmental impact should make it subject to a rigorous federal assessment. Tech’s own scientists report that mining associated selenium contamination has contributed to a 93% reduction in Westslope Cutthroat, a problem for Alberta’s trout recovery program. The coal mine’s expansion is expected to increase selenium pollution entering the rivers that flow into Alberta and Montana, causing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to request clarification on how the scientific assessment was conducted.

300-million-year-old fish resembles a sturgeon but took a different evolutionary path – Science Daily
Sturgeon, a long-lived, bottom-dwelling fish, are often described as “living fossils,” because their form has remained relatively constant, despite hundreds of millions of years of evolution.

Size matters in sex life of Atlantic salmon – Science Daily
For Atlantic salmon, size matters when it comes to love. Larger males and females that may spend up to four years at sea produce many more babies, but they are exceedingly rare compared to younger fish.

Key monitoring of herring near Haida Gwaii cancelled due to coronavirus – The Narwhal
The federal government axed seasonal dive surveys of endangered pacific herring off the B.C. coast, where the species has suffered worrying declines in recent decades. Herring are a key food source for west coast salmon and their continued over-harvesting is undermining the recovery of certain Chinook stocks at risk.

Water Quality:

More regulatory changes introduced in wake of Mount Polley mine disaster – Vancouver Sun
One of the largest mining-dam failures in the world in the past 50 years, the Aug. 4, 2014, collapse of Imperial Metals’ gold mine dam in B.C. shook the industry and caused wide spread concern that aquatic life would be harmed, particularly salmon that use the Quesnel Lake system to spawn. If the legislation is passed under the minority NDP government, a new chief permitting officer position will be created, separate from the chief inspector of mines.

A Shipwreck’s Incalculable Toll on a Remote Reef – Hakai Magazine
After a fishing boat ran aground on a fragile atoll, the consequences for the ecosystem were alarming—and curious. How the toxins from the shipwreck altered the ecosystem of the coral reef and the fish that lived nearby presents a disturbing but fascinating story.

Tourism:

Alaska Airlifts ‘Into the Wild’ Bus Out of the Wild – Outside Online
In recent years, the bus once occupied by Christopher McCandless had attracted tourists from all over the world—a growing number of whom had to be rescued in their attempt to reach the remote location. McCandless occupied the bus, located outside the town of Healy near the boundary of Denali National Park, during the spring and summer of 1992. He died there in mid-August, and his story was made famous by Jon Krakauer—first in a now-classic Outside story, “Death of an Innocent,” and then in his bestselling 1996 book, Into the Wild.

Business:

Fishbrain reaps benefit of significant shift to digital sales – Angling International
The shift towards e-commerce has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen bricks-and-mortar retailers across the globe forced to shut up shop. One company that has experienced the benefit of the shift is Fishbrain, described as the world’s largest social network for anglers.

Blue Fish Canada Sustainable Panfish Fishing Tips:

1. Panfish live under docs and boathouses, and near rocks, weeds or around sunken brush.
2. Panfish eat worms, grubs, flies and small fish, and can be caught using small artificial baits and lures.
3. Use 4-6 pound test fishing line, non-lead weights and jigs sized 1/8 ounce or smaller, or non-offset size 8-12 circle hooks.
4. Check harvest regulations before you go fishing and report tagged fish to aid with fish research.
5. Use of small needle nose pliers can help with removing hooks, as does pinching down hook barbs.
6. Cut the line near the hook if swallowed as fish can pass most small hooks safely.
7. Hold fish out of water no longer than 30 seconds and always keep fish wet to protect the slime coating.
8. Keep one of each panfish species in a bucket of water for observation, and change water regularly release fish.
9. Never discard old fishing line, hooks, weights, artificial baits and live minnows into the environment.
10. Always release extra-large panfish as these are the primary breeders.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue Fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

It was not that long ago that I competed in over 2-dozen fishing tournaments in a season. As a blind angler, my reputation as someone who could feel even the lightest bite was earned by regularly placing ahead of most of my competition. I totally get the allure of fishing competitively and continue to compete in about a dozen tournaments each year for everything from bass to walleye to muskie and even carp. All this to say, tournament anglers understand the connection between keeping fish healthy and the future of their sport. This year is different though, this year we also need to think about a whole new range of issues related to keeping safe ourselves that goes way beyond life jackets and sun exposure – COVID-19.

In the Blue Fish News this week we bring you a special to ensure anglers have the knowledge needed to understand the unusual “one-health” issues the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced to competitive bass fishing. As always, we bring you the latest fishing, fish health and water quality news. And finally, check out our fully vetted and approved sustainable fishing tips when competing in bass tournaments – good luck everyone and stay safe.

Ontario’s Bass Season Opener and Covid-19 One-Health Concerns

Across southern Ontario bass fishing season is in the process of opening up. It is a moment many speculated might not happen in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Well, a lot of bright minds have given the matter considerable thought and plans are now underway to commence tournament bass fishing. Anglers understand the one-health connection between themselves and the fish, but this year they are faced with a third priority. In addition to catching the biggest bass and making sure they go back alive; we also need to stay COVID-19 free – the stakes have never been greater. The following three resources may not help you sleep the night before that big bass fishing tournament, but will give you the one-health knowledge to keep both the bass and yourself healthy.

The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation is one of the biggest competitive bass tournament organizations in Ontario having 25 chapters and over 800 members. No wonder then their executive has been working overtime to figure out how to hold bass fishing tournaments without putting their members or the resource at risk. It is an uncharted “one-health” predicament that recognizes the connection between fish and anglers in ways never imagined. Link below to hear OBN’s VP and Conservation Director Jason Barnucz speak with Lawrence Gunther about the good news and the bad for the upcoming 2020 OBN bass fishing season on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/bass-fishing-tournaments-and-covid-19/

Dr. Bruce Tufts runs the freshwater research centre at Queen’s University and knows a thing or two about catching and releasing fish alive. He is also looked inside more than his fair share of fish to learn just what makes them thrive, which led to his team’s developing the Shimano live release weigh-in system including a live-release boat. Dr. Tufts is also a world leader in the field of understanding the impacts invasive gobies are having on spawning Great Lakes and St Lawrence Bass – crucial information every angler should know. Link below to hear Dr. Tufts speak about his research, and his thoughts on kids spending time on the water on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/bruce-tufts-on-gobies-bass-and-youth/

We already established the fact that Dr. Bruce Tufts is an expert on researching and conducting field studies on bass in Ontario. But did you know that because of Dr. Tufts research that the government of Ontario recently conducted consultations this past spring on whether to change the rules governing the capture and harvest of both Smallmouth and Largemouth bass in Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence (FM Zone 20)? Link below to learn about Dr. Tufts’ latest research on how climate change is impacting the timing of bass spawning, and the government’s range of proposed changes on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/dr-bruce-tufts-on-bass-research-and-regulatory-changes-in-fm-zone-20/

**Don’t forget to take the Blue Fish Steward 12-question Quiz and enter your name to win one of seven great prizes totalling $750 in value**

The Latest Fishing, fish Health and Water Quality News

Fish and Fishing:

Free fishing weekend in Ontario June 20-21 for Father’s Day – Government of Ontario
Canadian residents can fish in Ontario without buying a fishing licence during: Family Fishing Weekend in February; Mother’s Day Weekend in May; Father’s Day Weekend (June 20-21); and, Family Fishing Week (July 4-12).

Shimano Steps up to Support Bass Weigh-In Best Practices – Renegade Bass Tour
Renegade Bass Tour is pleased to announce that Shimano has stepped up and purchased a weigh-in bag for each competing team. With new Covid-19 weigh-in procedures designed to keep both anglers and fish safe and healthy, each team will receive a new bag to use for the season to ensure accurate weights and optimum fish health. At the end of the season, teams can either return the bags, or purchase the bags for $40, in which case the funds will be donated by Shimano to Tufts Lab at Queens University in support of Dr. Tufts’ on-going research on weigh-in best practices to optimise fish health.

Early Positive Signs of Strong Atlantic Salmon returns Continue – Atlantic Salmon Federation
There are large and extremely healthy wild Atlantic salmon noted in rivers from Maine to Newfoundland. While water levels are dropping almost everywhere, there are some remarkable stories of the runs this year.

Pikeminnow still need to be caught despite cancellation of Cultus Lake fishing derby – Abbotsford News
Organizers of annual pikeminnow derby asking folks to continue to help get rid of the predatory fish. In turn, folks will be giving an endangered species of salmon a chance to survive. The event, which is held on Father’s Day weekend every year, typically attracts 400 to 500 people but this year it has been cancelled due to the COVID-19

Do carbonated beverages reduce bleeding from gill injuries in angled Northern Pike? – bioRxiv
The use of carbonated beverages to treat bleeding fish is an intervention practiced by some anglers. To assess the validity of the practice, scientists captured Northern Pike via hook and line, experimentally injured their gills in a standardized manner, and treated them with carbonated softdrinks and observed the duration and intensity of bleeding. The researchers found that the duration and intensity of bleeding increased regardless of the type of carbonated beverages used in this study. No scientific evidence was found to support the use of carbonated beverages for reducing or stopping blood loss for fish that have had their gills injured during recreational angling.

Invasive shrimp in Okanagan Lake still an issue after 50 years – InfoNews
By the time the B.C. government realized that introducing mysis shrimp into Okanagan Lake was a bad idea, it was too late. The Ministry of Environment thought the shrimp would provide a food source for the declining Kokanee fish population, but their science was flawed and has led to unforeseen consequences.

Water Quality:

Earth’s Largest Waterfall is Under the Ocean – EarthSky
Earth’s largest waterfall – known as the Denmark Strait cataract – begins 2,000 feet (600 meters) under the ocean surface near the southern tip of Greenland. From there, it plunges down nearly 3 km to the ocean floor.

Final Report – Nature-Based Climate Solutions Summit
Last February I attended the Nature-Based Climate Solutions Summit in Ottawa in my capacity as a member of the media. Interest in the topic of nature-based climate solutions was overwhelming with the Summit being capped at 400 participants. Clearly, the appetite for these conversations is there, and Summit organizers want to ensure that the momentum continues despite the current circumstances with COVID-19. The final Summit report containing links to videos of many of the sessions is now available.

Ontario Restores Environmental Rights – CELA – Canadian Environmental Law Association
The government of Ontario restored the 1994 Environmental Bill of Rights on June 15, 2020. Ontario suspended key provisions of the EBR in early April prompting 50 civil society organizations to raise concerns over the suspension as it eliminated public knowledge and accompanying rights to stay informed about environmentally significant decisions using the Environmental Registry.

Industry:

Master Promotions Acquires Canadian National Sportsman Shows – Master Promotions Ltd.
Halifax, Canada-based Master Promotions Ltd announced on Wednesday that it has acquired five major-market consumer boat and sporting goods shows from Canadian National Sportsmen’s Shows (CNSS). This includes one of the biggest and oldest outdoor shows in Canada, the Toronto Sportsman Show. Master Promotions has been producing trade shows and consumer shows across Canada since 1973, and several years back acquired the Ottawa Boat Show from CNSS.

Business:

Step up to your plate of sustainable seafood – The Chronicle Herald
The world has changed. Canadians have changed. As part of that change, we need to increasingly value what we have as a country and what our natural ecosystems continue to produce — for ourselves and for the world., With Covid-19 playing havoc with our traditional food chains, it is a fitting occasion to remind ourselves of Canada’s extraordinary potential to establish secure, long-term access to wild, organic sustainable seafood, rich in protein, nutrients and oils. Yet despite having the world’s longest coastline, most of the seafood consumed by Canadians is imported.

Patagonia Provisions challenges ocean fish farms by selling seafood – Forbes
Outdoor gear and seafood may seem like an unlikely pairing, but Patagonia wants to expand its environmental mission to restructure food supply chains through the Patagonia Provisions brand. Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard describes this new foray into the food realm as “the most important experiment we’ve ever tried”

Ten Bass Tournament Sustainable Fish Management Tips:

1. Keep boat livewells clean and free of mold. Ensure pumps and aeration systems are operational.
2. Avoid fishing bass at depths below 25-feet. Make sure you have the training and tools required to fizz Bass showing signs of Barotrauma.
3. Use knot-free rubber nets to prevent scale and fin damage. Hold bass away from clothing and boat decks to protect fish slime.
4. Use pliers to quickly remove fish hooks. Cut off deeply set hooks to minimize injury instead of attempting their removal.
5. Use non-puncturing weighing and culling technologies. Release culled Bass below gunnel height to avoid stressing or stunning bass.
6. Maintain constant livewell temperatures by adding just enough non-chlorinated ice to ensure stable water temperature. Avoid replacing livewell water when transiting warm shallow bays.
7. Keep bass in livewells until invited by tournament officials to approach the weigh-in station. Keep bass in weigh-in bags for no longer than 2 minutes.
8. Dispose used soft plastic baits, fishing line, and lead weights and jigs responsibly.
9. Empty and clean boat livewells, bilges and boat trailers before departing the launch to prevent transporting invasive species.
10. Report tagged fish, unethical behaviour and water quality issues to relevant authorities.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.BlueFishCanada.Ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: Admin@BlueFishCanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

In the June 14, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we dive into the Great Lakes and explore what’s good, what’s not good, and what’s being done about it. As always, the news includes links to timely fishing, fish health, water quality and other fishing related articles, and more about our Blue Fish Steward Quiz along with details of the prizes totaling over $750 in value!

This Week’s Feature:

Ever wonder why recreational fishing harvest regulations and fish consumption advisories don’t always mesh up? Or why different government organizations issue conflicting advisories concerning the same fish from the same body of water? Want to no more about why fishing advisories are issued in the first place, or what makes advisories necessary in the first place? As well, Fish move around, as does the water in the great lakes, so why do we have different advisories for the same species of fish based on some invisible line on the water? I and many other recreational anglers and indigenous fishers have been asking these questions and others for decades, and all the time wondering just who to believe.

For several years now I’ve been part of a process called the “Healthy Great Lakes Initiative” organized by the Canadian Environmental Law Association. They understand that water quality issues in the Great Lakes Basin and Upper St. Lawrence River includes fish health. With their support, I conducted a stakeholder consultation that explored Great Lakes and St. Lawrence fish health issues including speaking with people including recreational and indigenous fishing, the fishing and boating industry, conservation groups, government officials and the scientific community. They all agreed that not only is non-commercial fishing a valuable economic contributor valued at over $8-Billion annually, but an important part of the social fabric of both indigenous and non-indigenous shoreline communities. A number of recommendations came out of the process, which I’m pleased to report are beginning to be acted upon. You can read the report for yourself here: https://bluefishcanada.ca/resources/fish-health/

Mark Mattson is a lawyer and the Waterkeeper for Lake Ontario. Mark’s been advocating for more responsible ways to release sewage into our ecosystems. No doubt, the untreated sewage that is routinely released into the Great Lakes and associated watersheds each time there’s a significant rainfall is one problem. Another is the harmful chemical and other toxins that end up passing through sewage treatment plants and being released into the lakes and rivers each day. Link below to hear my conversation with Mark Mattson of Swim Drink Fish Canada on Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/sewage-continues-to-pose-problems-for-fishability/

The Great lakes and St. Lawrence Collaborative recently wrapped up their own consultations in which they explored issues such as addressing shoreline erosion, outdated infrastructure, invasive species, exposure to toxins, and beach contamination. The Collaborative recently released their final Action Plan calling for a $2.2 Billion investment by Canada that would result in ecological, public health, economic, and lifestyle benefits. One of the five organizations participating on the Collaborative was the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, responsible for overseeing what is the most valuable freshwater commercial fishery in the world. I had a chance to speak with the Fisheries Commission’s Bob Lambe Executive Director and Marc Gaden Communications Director and Legislative Liaison to discuss how fish health factored into the work of the Colaborative on this episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/great-lakes-and-st-lawrence-collaborative/

Mercury and PCB have been an issue with fish health and the source of numerous fish consumption advisories throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence for decades. While many of these issues continue to this day, steps have also been taken to ensure further such contamination is prevented. Not so with a variety of new “forever” chemicals being released into the ecosystem by industry such as PFAS commonly found in products such as fire retardants and waterproofing agents. These are chemicals that biomass [accumulate] in fish and, if eaten by us, in humans as well. Worse, they are considered endocrine disruptors, or in other words, the cause of cancerous tumors, birth defects and other developmental disorders such as with the sex organs of juvenile fish. John Jackson, Co-Chair of the Binational Toxic-Free Great Lakes Network, is leading the charge in Canada to get chemicals such as PFAS listed as “chemicals of mutual concern”. John was my guest on the following episode of Blue Fish Radio: https://bluefishradio.com/great-lake-chemicals-of-mutual-concern/

Normand Peters is a Mohawk elder who has taken on the responsibility of educating the next generation of Mohawk of Akwesasne youth on their 10,000 years of fishing culture. Fears over consuming contaminated fish from the St. Lawrence has meant two generations of Mohawk people have lived along the river without catching and eating the fish. No wonder then it was the Mohawk that successfully pursued the companies that once dumped the chemicals into the river over decades of manufacturing along the its banks. The restoration work will be on-going for years. Blue Fish Radio was on hand to record the story of four Mohawk activists and now fishers who graduated from Normand’s outdoor education program: https://bluefishradio.com/restoring-the-st-lawrence-thanks-to-the-mohawks-of-akwesasne/

Finally, One of the recommendations concerning fish health getting underway is a new International Joint Commission initiative intended to explore fish consumption advisories of specific relevance to the Mohawk of Akwesasne. The goal is by working with the Mohawks, scientists and officials from both the Canadian and U.S. governments, we can begin to make sense of how advisories are formed and issued. Blue Fish Radio recently spoke with Dr. Laurie Chan, Canadian Co-Chair of the IJC initiative. Link below to hear how this first step will be used to inform a much broader process that will look at fish consumption advisories throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence: https://bluefishradio.com/ijc-on-new-great-lakes-fish-health-advisory-committee/

The Latest Fishing, fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

Renegade Bass Tour’s 2020 season will continue
To comply with Federal and Ontario health guidelines, a number of changes will be implemented. RBT competitors are not to participate in the tournament if they have had any Covid-19 symptoms within the last 14 days leading up to an event.

Fish Health:

Sockeye Salmon Back in Canadian Lake for First Time in Fifty Years! – Goodnet
Restoration efforts have successfully brought back thousands of sockeye salmon to British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake. Sockeye salmon were once native to this lake in British Columbia, Canada, although they had not been seen in it for five decades.

Goldfish are rapidly taking over this B.C. lake – CBC
Dumping a couple of unwanted pet goldfish in a lake may not sound like a big deal but two can quickly multiply. Pinecrest Lake, which is located about halfway between Squamish and Whistler, had no goldfish in its waters last year — but now they number in the hundreds, according to the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council.

Atlantic Salmon Continue to Dwindle in Nova Scotia’s LaHave River – CBC
The Atlantic Salmon Federation calls on DFO to focus on restoration of Atlantic salmon in the LaHave River, instead of their current preoccupation with the St. Mary’s River in northeast Nova Scotia where Salmon populations are stable. The salmon advocates are asking for better support from government in areas where help is required.

Virus-infected salmon should not be sold – ASF
Nova Scotia salmon advocate raises concerns on the potential harm from distributing virus-infected salmon in areas not originally impacted. Advocates claim The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture’s decision to give a 20-year permit to Cooke Aquaculture to raise farmed salmon in Liverpool Bay is both devious and reckless.

‘Eyes the size of a coffee cup’: Rare deep-sea fish found near Port Angeles – KOMO
A paddle boarder made a discovery of an extremely rare fish near Port Angeles Sunday that has wildlife researchers buzzing. The ribbonfish, known as the King-of-Salmon, was found at the Salt Creek Recreation area. The fish typically live down around 3,000 feet deep along the Pacific Coast and up till now, only four or five had ever been spotted between Washington and British Columbia.M

Water Quality:

Pebble Mine Nears a Decision but Questions Surround its Environmental Review – Hakai Magazine
Documents unveiled by a Freedom of Information Act request show agencies’ behind-the-scenes critiques of the proposed Pebble Mine. The Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) plans to build an open-pit mine in a largely undeveloped stretch of southwest Alaska to extract a fraction of what may be the world’s biggest unexploited deposit of copper and gold. The proposed site for the mine lies under two rivers that drain into Bristol Bay, home to one of the world’s most productive wild salmon fisheries.

Elephant in the room – liabilities of open-pit mining – The Narwhal
On April 17, with the energy industry in crisis, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $1.7 billion in federal funding for cleaning up a long-festering environmental liability: orphan and inactive oil and gas wells. While it was viewed as a positive step to fix a growing problem, it also drew criticism for offloading the responsibilities of private corporations onto taxpayers. What about Alberta’s oil sands? The Alberta Energy Regulator says publicly that the liabilities of open-pit mining — the operations that produce tailings ponds — amount to $30 billion, though its internal estimates calculated a “worst-case scenario” of $130 billion. The province of Alberta has on hand less than $1 billion as the oil sands industry grapples with a declining market.

Lake Ontario Containment of 150-year-old toxic blob – The Narwhal
A $139-million underwater box the size of six city blocks is being built to contain an underwater contaminated zone in Hamilton’s Randle Reef for some 200 years. While critics point out the answer to the steel town’s historic pollution shouldn’t be found in making more steel, others say the technique should be considered for other toxic sites in Canadian waters

How a Yukon mine left behind a $35-million clean-up bill – The Narwhal
The Yukon Territorial government is on the hook to clean up the Wolverine mine after its owner went bankrupt. A system in place to secure funds for remediation throughout a mine’s life should have prevented this scenario, but it didn’t — and that doesn’t bode well for future mine clean-ups.

Indigenous:

Northern B.C. First Nations wrap up testimony in supreme court case against Rio Tinto (Alcan) – Prince George Matters
Saik’uz and Stellat’en First Nations launched legal action in BC Supreme Court in 2011 to save the Nechako River and its fisheries. The case centres around the impacts of the construction and operation of the Kenney Dam on the Nechako River and Saik’uz and Stellat’en’s constitutionally protected Aboriginal rights, including fisheries on the river.

Business:

Free Business Re-Opening Resource
A new free toolkit has been prepared by Destination Northern Ontario and Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario (NOTO). The toolkit is designed to provide guidance for business owners, operators, staff as well as customers.

Arts:

“Invader Crusader” Art Contest Winner Announced – Outdoor.Com
Wildlife Forever and Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops, is proud to honor 7th grade, Pennsylvania artist, Tilden Abercrombie with the prestigious Invader Crusader award. The Invader Crusader award was created to spotlight the impact that invasive species have on fish and wildlife.

Blue Fish Steward Quiz

You already know how to catch fish, great, but are you the best angler you can be? Want to test your knowledge to see if you’re following the latest science-based best practices so released fish swim away healthy, and the fish stocks you harvest from are sustainable?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C6FS5MQ

Be one of seven lucky anglers who will receive gifts from Ranger Boats, Shimano, Orleans Boat World, EagleClaw, Salus Marine, Scotty Fishing and Musky Factory Baits – gifts totaling over $750 in value.

Blue Fish Canada has assembled a series of short quizzes to test your knowledge about fishing sustainably. They go beyond fishing regulations, and test how well you know the latest best practices and proven technologies that safeguard the welfare of fish and their long-term sustainability.

Take the first quiz and gain access to Blue Fish Canada’s interactive on-line citizen science resources, and the tools to become a certified Blue Fish Canada Steward including free decals and the chance to sample the latest sustainable fishing gear.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C6FS5MQ

Whether you’re new to fishing and you want to make sure you’re catching, releasing and harvesting fish sustainably, or you want to mentor those new to fishing using the best available science-based knowledge, Blue Fish Canada has the free resources you need to fish with confidence, connect with nature sustainably, and give back in meaningful ways.

About us

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.bluefishcanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.lawrencegunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487?uo=4

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: admin@bluefishcanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/

In this June 7, 2020 issue of the Blue Fish Canada News we celebrate World Ocean Day (June 8) and the bounty the ocean represents.

This week’s Blue Fish Canada News includes:

• Our weekly Feature including curated Blue Fish Radio interviews with experts and analysis;
• Links to timely fishing, fish health, water quality and other news; and
• A resource that will inform and inspire you to become better at both catch-and-release fishing, and at harvesting fish sustainably.

**Don’t forget to take the Blue fish Steward 12-question Quiz and enter your name to win one of seven great prizes totaling $750 in value**

World Ocean Day June 8:

This Week’s Feature celebrates World Ocean Day on June 8, and the sustainable seafood opportunities the world’s ocean represents. Not only is Canada surrounded on three sides by three oceans, but Canada also has the longest coastline in the world. Further, taking into consideration Canada’s rights over it’s coastal waters, the total area of ocean Canada has responsibility over is 2.67 million square kilometres representing 72% of Canada’s total territory. You would think that we would be world leading stewards of our good fortune.

Bren Smith is a Canadian now living on Long Island in the state of New York where he’s pioneering a Green Wave by showing and teaching the world how to farm the ocean sustainably. In Bren’s conversation with editor Lawrence Gunther on this episode of Blue Fish Radio, he speaks about his leaving Newfoundland and a career in the commercial fishing industry, and what inspired him to start an international movement to practice green aquiculture: https://bluefishradio.com/bren-smith-pioneers-green-wave/

With large-scale commercially harvested seafood piling up in freezers due to the closure of restaurants and vacant hotels, you would think that grocery stores would be bursting at the seems, but they’re not. No wonder then direct consumer to fisher seafood purchasing relationships are growing in number as never before. It’s a movement that has been long in the making, and we owe much of it to the hard work of Josh Stoll, a leader in the world in setting up Community Supported Fisheries and a past guest on Blue Fish radio: https://bluefishradio.com/josh-stoll-on-community-supported-fisheries/

Oceana Canada recently investigated seafood being sold in stores and restaurants in five cities across Canada, and their DNA findings were not promising. Upwards of 30% of seafood is being miss-labeled and its never the case of Arctic Char being sold as Tilapia. Josh Laugrehn is the Executive Director of Oceana Canada and has a lot to say about the state of Canada’s commercial fisheries. We use to be the 7th greatest commercial fish harvesting nation in the world, but we’ve since slipped to 21st. Are we on our way back? Listen as Lawrence and Josh discuss progress, challenges and what we still need to see happen before Canada can hold its head high as a sustainable commercial fishing nation: https://bluefishradio.com/oceana-canada-speaks-out-about-the-state-of-canadas-marine-fisheries/

Curious to learn if anything was being done to address the lawless harvesting and misleading sales of ocean seafood taken from international waters, Blue Fish Radio reached out and spoke with Michele Kuruc, VP of world ocean policy at the World Wildlife Fund. We heard about their leadership role in partnership with the U.S. government to rain-in the fish piracy taking place in international waters. https://bluefishradio.com/wwf-on-illegal-fishing/

Having taken part in the North Atlantic Cod fishery up until it’s ultimate demise in 1992 as a deckhand jigging for Cod aboard a 10-meter homemade wooden dory off Cape Breton Island between semesters at university, I know first-hand what it’s like when a once vibrant fishery is depleted. Fortunately, Canada is slowly turning this ship around and rebuilding fisheries, one fish stock at a time.

Non-profits such as Ocean Wise, formally known as the Vancouver Aquarium, have been leading the charge to raise awareness and demand for sustainable seafood. There are many businesses across Canada that are now delivering sustainably harvested seafood right to your door, and Ocean Wise is there to help connect consumers with just such seafood retailers who have earned their Ocean Wise sustainable certification. Learn about sustainable seafood home delivery options in Canada: https://www.aquablog.ca/2020/05/get-ocean-wise-seafood-delivered-to-your-home

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Water Quality News

Fishing:

Atlantic Salmon Federation News — ASF RiverNotes – 5 June 2020
Overall the 2020 Atlantic salmon angling is slow in starting. High water and a pandemic are reducing activity on many rivers. Yet Atlantic salmon are returning, and in some rivers there are some very beautiful early fish.

Angler incentive project launched on Kootenay Lake — Nelson Star
Anglers are asked to harvest their catch of rainbow and bull trout, then turn in the heads to one of four depots, and be entered into a monthly draw for prizes valued at $1,000.

Size Matters in Balancing Recreational Fishing Policy for Striped Bass — NOAA
A recent study by Science Center scientists sheds light on possible actions needed to rebuild the Atlantic striped bass fishery while minimizing adverse impacts to anglers. Andrew Carr-Harris and Scott Steinback evaluated the immediate economic and biological impacts of different types of recreational Atlantic striped bass fishing policies. Understanding how anglers respond to management changes is key to rebuilding overfished stocks like Atlantic striped bass.

Effort to Save Endangered Rockfish in BC Is Working — The Tyee
Many rockfish species are vulnerable to over fishing: they can live for more than a century, are slow to grow and reproduce, and don’t stray far from home habitats. Rockfish targeted within the inshore waters of Vancouver Island, including the Gulf Islands, have been in decline. A push using education and spy cameras shows promise in turning things around.

Bassmaster Elite Series Resuming Schedule On Historic Lake Eufaula
Finally, after the longest unplanned break in B.A.S.S. history due to COVID-19 precautions, the Bassmaster Elite Series will resume tournament action next week.

Fish Health:

Fraser River Big Bar Landslide Mitigation Costs Escalate — CBC
The cost of the federal contract for clearing out the Big Bar landslide has tripled to $52.5 million as crews try to meet the “very, very difficult” goal of allowing salmon to migrate naturally along the Fraser River. Federal scientists say some salmon populations in B.C. face possible extinction as a result of the landslide.

Why the Ocean Fish We Eat May Become More Toxic than Ever — Nature
Many species of fish — several of which end up on our plates — are displaying increasing levels of methyl-mercury, a very toxic substance. Why is this happening? Researchers from Harvard University believe that they may have the answer. At the moment, according to recent research, approximately 82% of the exposure to methyl-mercury that consumers get comes from eating seafood. In a new study, the results of which appear in the journal Nature, researchers suggest that levels of methyl-mercury in fish such as cod, Atlantic blue-fin tuna, and swordfish are on the rise. The reason? According to the research team, we should blame the ill effects of global climate change.

Montreal’s rare humpback whale sighting draws crowds and concern — Global News
This is the first time in recorded history that this species of whale has been spotted this far up the St. Lawrence River. Humpback whales usually live in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and can be seen during summer months near Tadoussac, Baie-Comeau and Rivière-du-Loup, all cities about 500 kilometres away. The reasons why the whale has traveled so far are still unknown, perplexing local marine scientists.

Water Quality:

PFAS “the Forever Chemicals” Contamination in the Great Lakes
The Toxics Free Great Lakes Network, Healthy Great Lakes Program (a Program of the Canadian Environmental Law Association), and National Wildlife Federation will be hosting the following webinar: PFAS “the Forever Chemicals” Contamination in the Great Lakes Basin – A Strategic Discussion on Further Steps Around Binational Citizen Action. DATE: Monday June 22, 2020. TIME: 12 noon ET.

Yukon gold mine releases 43 million litres of wastewater amid spring runoff — The Narwhal
Meltwater from heavy snowpack combined with unseasonably warm temperatures caused Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine to divert wastewater into sump, where arsenic levels were measured at four times the allowable concentration on April 27.

Lobster and Sea Scallop Habitat Shifting North — NOAA
A new NOAA study projects that climate change will pose management challenges for two commercially important species—lobster and sea scallop—as suitable habitat shifts north. Researchers have projected significant changes in the habitat of commercially important lobster and sea scallops on the Northeast continental shelf, posing potential trouble for the U.S. commercial fishing industry.

Industry:

ICAST Trade Show Goes Virtual — Angling International
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), producer of the ICAST trade show, has revealed details of the virtual event that will replace the conventional show this July. The transition from conventional show floor to a 24/7 virtual experience means that ICAST, already the world’s biggest trade show, will reach a larger audience than ever before. During ICAST week, ASA will host several conservation-related events to engage the recreational fishing audience, providing information on the nation’s conservation efforts and critical needs for the future.

Boating:

Boat Buying Frenzy Across U.S. — BoatTest.com
Reports of a tremendous spike in boat buying this spring as families seek isolation on the water. A boat buying frenzy is playing out at many dealerships. From runabouts and center consoles to large express and flybridge cruisers and motoryachts, boats are selling at a fast pace, and many dealers are running out of inventory. Builders of large boats in the $1 to $2 million range report that nationwide inventory is often in single digits, and in some cases only a couple of boats are available for immediate delivery. One financial institution is saying its boat loan business is up 31%. BoatTEST has seen a huge spike in boat research on its website, something echoed by virtually all major online classified services.

Sea Tow Foundation Appoints Angie Scott to Serve on North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council — NPAA
The Sea Tow Foundation has appointed Angie Scott, Podcast Host of The Woman Angler & Adventurer as one of seven new marine industry stakeholders to serve a two-year term on its North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council which was established in 2019. In this capacity, Scott joins a combined slate of 19 council members charged to collaborate on and develop a variety of strategies and tactics to promote greater awareness and adoption of boating safety initiatives and messages.

BRP discontinues production of Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboard engines — Global News
VALCOURT, Quebec, May 27, 2020 BRP announces it has re-oriented its marine business to focus on the growth of its boat brands with new technology and innovative marine products. The Stuyvesant WI facility will be repurposed. In 2018 BRP acquired Alumacraft and Manitou boat companies in the U.S., followed by the acquisition of Australian boat manufacturer Telwater in 2019. “Our outboard engines business has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, obliging us to discontinue production of our outboard motors immediately. This business segment had already been facing some challenges and the impact from the current context has forced our hand,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP. BRP has signed an agreement with market leader Mercury Marine to supply outboard engines to BRP’s boat brands. BRP will continue to supply customers and dealer network service parts and will honour manufacturer limited warranties, plus offer select programs to manage inventory. These decisions will impact 650 employees globally. BRP plans to expand its presence in the pontoon and aluminum fishing markets and continue to develop unique new marine products, such as the next generation of engine technology with Project Ghost and the next generation of pontoons with Project M.

Business:

Outdoor retailer Sail Outdoors Closes Six Stores — Canadian Press
Sail will shrink its footprint by a third with the closure of four stores in Quebec and two in Ontario that will affect about 500 workers. The move comes two days after the Quebec-based company said it filed for creditor protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act due to the pressure of having its stores shuttered for several weeks because of measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. The restructuring will see it end the Sportium brand by closing locations in Quebec City, St-Hubert, Laval and Kirkland at the conclusion of a liquidation sale that will start in a few days. Ontario stores in Vaughan and Etobicoke, near Toronto, will also close. The company, founded more than 40 years ago, will focus on 12 remaining Sail locations, including eight in Quebec and four in Ontario, as well as its e-commerce business. Sail has 1,800 employees, some of whom will be able to transfer to other stores or its distribution centre.

Ottawa Unveils Biggest Fishing Industry Aid Package Since Cod Moratorium — SaltWire Network
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $469 million in direct support for fish harvesters, who are facing mounting uncertainty. Crab and lobster fisheries throughout Atlantic Canada have faced delayed season openings due to fears about the coronavirus spreading in small communities and close working conditions. The start of the season is also overshadowed by a significant drop in prices due to a collapse in retail and restaurant markets in the United States, Japan and China, major export markets for Canada’s seafood.

Art:

Winners of the 2020 State-Fish Art Contest — Wildlife Forever
A distinguished panel of judges selected winners from over 5,000 entries received from 47 states and 32 international countries. On May 18, judges from around the world including Jeremy Wade of River Monsters utilized a new online platform to help to select this year’s winners. Artists competed for state, national and international recognition including several unique award categories including the Guy Harvey Award, Fish Migration Award and Invader Crusader Award. Students also competed by submitting a written essay for the Fish Make You Smarter Award. Art has been intricately linked to nature for thousands of years. From pictographs on stone walls, to Ding Darling and the creation federal duck stamp program, utilizing art to build connections to nature is at the core of modern conservation. Fish Art captures the wonder and real-life experiences of stories told and lessons learned, inspiring visions for tomorrow. For many students, the Fish Art Contest is their first experience learning about fish and fishing. 22 years ago, the Wildlife Forever contest was born from a child’s idea that has since inspired tens of thousands of youth to create, learn and become uniquely connected to the outdoors.

Blue Fish Canada Sustainable Saltwater Fishing Tips:

1. Use corrosive / non-stainless steel hooks to shorten the time the hook will take to dissolve if left in a fish.
2. Use non-offset circle hooks designed to hook fish in the jaw, reducing the chance of causing internal injuries to fish.
3. Photograph and release fish while in the water whenever possible. Large fish can injure themselves and anglers, and cause damage to the interior of boats.
4. The protective slime on a fish is important, so handle fish as little as possible. If you must handle a fish, only use wet hands, and never use a towel.
5. Avoid lifting a fish from the water by the line. If you use a landing tool such as a Boga-Grip® to control the fish, use your hand to support the belly of the fish.
6. If a fish needs to be taken out of the water to measure or vent it, or to remove the hook, this is another perfect opportunity to quickly take a picture.
7. Avoid lifting a fish by its jaw, especially large fish. This can injure the fish so it can’t feed normally and may harm its internal organs.
8. If a hook is lodged deep in a fish’s throat, cut the line as close as possible to the hook.
9. If a net is needed to land or control the fish, always use a knot-less rubber-coated net. Only gaff a fish when you intend to keep it.
10. Gently release fish headfirst into the water. If a fish is exhausted, revive it before releasing it by moving the fish forward in the water with its mouth open, allowing water to flow through its mouth and over its gills. Be cautious of predators while reviving fish.

About us:

You can read current and back issues of Blue Fish Canada’s Newsletters by visiting: www.bluefishcanada.ca

For more about Lawrence Gunther, North America’s only blind professional angler, conservationist, writer, blogger, podcaster, film maker and TV personality, visit: www.LawrenceGunther.com

Gunther founded the charity Blue Fish Canada in 2012 and launched the podcast Blue Fish Radio in 2013.

Please rate The Blue Fish Radio Show on Apple Podcast so others will learn of this unique Canadian resource by visiting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blue-fish-radio-show/id1090189487

Should you have a podcast suggestion or resource you would like to share, please send us a message to: admin@bluefishcanada.ca

Blue Fish Canada is a federally incorporated registered Canadian charity. Please consider making a small monthly donation to off-set the costs of this Newsletter and our other Blue Fish Canada programs by visiting: https://bluefishcanada.ca/donations/