PRINCE RUPERT – Production from the Fulton River and Pinkut Creek spawning channels in the Skeena River watershed was strong last spring, resulting in 95 million sockeye salmon fry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced today. These results are despite concerns voiced by various groups last fall that the Department was allowing too large an escapement, which could have led to excessive mortality of fish from overcrowding on spawning grounds. According to recent data, the largest of two Fulton River channels produced 67 million sockeye salmon fry this spring, up from 20 million in the spring of 2000. The survival rate from the egg to the fry stage also improved to 44 per cent, up from survival rates of 17 to 29 per cent over the past three years. This performance means that total sockeye salmon fry production in the Fulton River, including the spawning channels and the river upstream of the counting fence, was 103 million fry, reaching the Department's target of 100 million. That figure was almost double the 52 million fry that survived in the previous spring. The Fulton River is a major tributary of Babine Lake. The Fulton River and Pinkut Creek spawning channels, operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, are designed to increase sockeye salmon populations by improving the survival of young salmon compared to in-river conditions. The average in-river egg-to-fry survival rate is about 15 per cent. This spring's production from the Pinkut Creek channel was normal, at 25 million fry (35 per cent egg-to-fry survival rate) compared to recent years. Production in the overall Pinkut Creek system also benefited from an airlift of adult salmon from the channel's counting fence to the upper reaches of the Creek. This year, the spawning channels are undergoing thorough cleaning and gravel replacement to improve survival rates. The work will be completed in time for the returning sockeye adults this August. Although the channels are routinely cleaned each summer, a slow accumulation of silt and organic material in the gravel requires a more intensive cleaning. As a result, the Fulton River spawning channels and public parking area are closed to the public from June 15 to August 15. At Pinkut Creek, there will be limited parking and heavy equipment traffic, although access to Babine Lake at the Pinkut site remains open. An accompanying backgrounder contains more details about recent fry production at the Fulton River and Pinkut Creek spawning channels. - 30 -
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