Fisheries

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Fisheries Aquaculture Department
www.viu.ca/fisheries
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Presentation Overview

• Chase River Salmon Enhancement Hatchery
• White Sturgeon Culture
• International Centre for Sturgeon Studies
• Anadromous Cutthroat Trout Project
• Nile Creek Enhancement Society

• About us
• What do we do
• Programs
• Graduates

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Who we are?

• Professors

• Technologists

• Chris Foote Fisheries Ecology
• Don Furnell Fish Culture
• Mark Noyon - Engineering
• Duane Barker Fish Health, Marine Ecology
• Stefanie Duff Invertebrate Ecology

• Frank Dalziel Chase River Hatchery
• Gord Edmondson Sturgeon culture and facilities
• Anne McCarthy - Lab

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What do we do?
Emphasis on teaching and learning to prepare
students for employment

• Have a hand in conserving, managing, and
  enhancing marine and freshwater aquatic resources
  
• Cultivate and harvest fish, shellfish or marine
  plants for the replenishment of wild stocks or
  for commercial sale

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Facilities On Campus
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Training Programs
Combination of practical hands-on field
experience and academic course work

• Technical Diploma
• 2 years
• Bachelor of Science
• 2.5 3 years
• Short Courses
• Natural Resources Extension Program

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Graduates
Our graduates work all over BC and many
contribute directly to recreational fisheries
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Fisheries Aquaculture Department
The really exciting stuff!
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Salmon Escapement Estimates
Chase River Salmon Enhancement Program Hatchery
Urban stream Students collect escapement data
Produce a year-end population estimate for coho
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Enhancement Culture
Chase River Salmon Enhancement Program Hatchery

• Federally funded (SEP)
• Coho hatchery
• Managed by Frank and staffed with Fish/Aqua
  students
• Egg incubation, adult holding, and juv. rearing
  facilities

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Chase River Salmon Enhancement Program Hatchery
Stock Enhancement

• - Last May, 10,000 coho fry released into the
  Nanaimo River (brood from there)

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White Sturgeon Culture
Sturgeon are living fossils they have been
around for 200 million years
White sturgeon research for over 20 years Only
academic institution in Canada to have captive
white sturgeon broodstock Oldest fish is approx
37 years old and weighs 170 lbs! We have over 75
fish on campus ranging from juveniles to
adults Our goal aid in conserving restoring
endangered sturgeon populations worldwide.
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White Sturgeon Culture
Broodstock spawned in captivity every
summer Students employed as hatchery technicians
over the summer Very hands on approach to
learning!
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White Sturgeon Culture
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International Centre for Sturgeon Studies
To be constructed at VIU North America High
quality innovative research - sturgeon
biology - management - hatchery technology for
enhancement /restoration and commercial
purposes Research will aid in conserving and
restoring endangered sturgeon populations
worldwide. Not just for sturgeon
research! -Recreational fisheries
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Overview
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Project

• Began in 2005
• Field sampling min 1/week April October
• 2 Fish/Aqua students Frank
• Sample areas tidal waters near the Englishman
  River and Nile Creek estuary
• Undergone extensive habitat rehab

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Why study cutthroat?
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Project

• Least known about cutthroat biology ecology
• Species of management concern
• FFSBC stock some high priority areas
• No test fishing yet stocking occurs
• Hatchery managers need info on stock fish
  performance

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Sampling data recorded
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Project

• Approximate capture location
• Length and weight
• Time of capture
• Stage of tide
• Scale
• External parasite load
• Hook scars, location, bleeding

• Note presence of other species and use by
  recreational anglers
• Obvious presence of prey species
• anglers

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Info will be used by
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Project
Vancouver Island University faculty
students Ministry of Environment Biologists
to
Measure growth of stocked fish Calculate catch
per unit effort (CPUE) Assess status
distribution of wild populations in the
area Develop detailed sea-run cutthroat
revitalization strategy for each stream
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Coastal Cutthroat Trout Project
ISLAND WATERS FLY FISHERS PACIFIC SALMON
FOUNDATION LIVING RIVERS, GEORGIA
BASIN NANAIMO FISH GAME PROTECTIVE
ASSOCIATION COWICHAN FLY FISHERS CASTAWAYS FLY
FISHERS CHEMANIUS ROD GUN CLUB LADYSMITH
SPORTSMANS CLUB PARKSVILLE-QUALICUM FISH GAME
ASSOCIATION FRENCH CREEK FISHING
FESTIVAL MALASPINA RESEARCH FUND BAMFIELD
FELLOWSHIP WORK-O TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA HAIG
BROWN FLY FISHING ASSOCIATION NILE CREEK
ENHANCEMENT SOCIETY
This project would not be possible without
financial donations from many sponsors and
friends of sea-run cutthroat trout
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Nile Creek Enhancement Society

• January-March 2008 Students helped All
  volunteers taking environmentals, measuring fish
  and feeding Pinks in net pens
• Students back at VIU lab conducted fish health
  assessments of the pinks
• Currently Students actively surveying Thames
  Creek to eventually map the system
• This summer students assess the first return of
  pinks from the net pens (1.5 yrs. Ago) More
  fishing!

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Salmon Enhancement Partnerships

• Vancouver Island University
• Nile Creek Enhancement Society
• Trout Unlimited Canada

Habitat Enhancement Project 5 small creeks in the
Qualicum Bay area (2 km south of the mouth of Big
Qualicum Bowswer) Referred to as cutthroat
factories Include eel grass and kelp enhancement
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This is what it is all about
Training the present future stewards of our
precious fisheries resources
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Fisheries Aquaculture Department
Thank you all for your time Any questions?