Salmon have always been a passion of B.C. businessman Tony Allard.
As he made his money in real estate, he spent the early 2000s becoming more and more disgusted by the sea lice and diseases running rampant among B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 Pacific salmon.
So one day in 2016, he built a hatchery he hoped could be a model for salmon enhancement for the whole province.
Ten years later, the re-imagined Percy Walkus Hatchery on B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 central coast is in its second year. Returns have hit higher levels than average for the province, and nearly 300,000 fry were released this season alone.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been going fantastically well. We just finished the egg take this fall,香蕉视频直播� said Allard told Black Press Media by phone. He had fished in that area in the past and felt like it would be a good spot to make a difference.
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The hatchery first opened back in the 1930s. Allard thought about buying it and the nearby Good Hope Cannery after becoming disappointed in the then-federal Conservative government香蕉视频直播� efforts to restore salmon stocks.
He felt like Ottawa had ignored the results of the 2012 Cohen inquiry into the decline of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River, instead expanding open net-pen fish farms. So he took action.
| Tony Allard with his dog, Tug. (Submitted) |
He pulled together a group of business people under the name Wild Salmon Forever, an organization focused on ensuring the survival of B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 wild salmon. Other activists he香蕉视频直播檇 met had either given up or 香蕉视频直播渕oved on to a pipeline,香蕉视频直播� so he thought perhaps a business owner could add a different voice to the fight by bringing together sports fishermen, First Nations and DFO.
香蕉视频直播淚 felt like I was always complaining about something. Complaining about the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, complaining about the sea lice香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈 Allard said. 香蕉视频直播淚 just thought香蕉视频直播� what are we doing with our wild salmon? That香蕉视频直播檚 the life I lead.香蕉视频直播�
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He met with the Wuikinuxv (Oweekeno) Nation and Sid Keay, the owner of the nearby Duncanby Fishing Lodge to talk about how they could work together to make the hatchery a hub for salmon enhancement.
Then, lodge manager and hereditary chief Ted Walkus got a Canadian icon involved.
In 2013, a few years before the hatchery was reborn, Rick Hansen came up to the lodge. Walkus was his guide.
Hansen promised that if Walkus could catch a Chinook salmon over 50 pounds that day, he would dedicate five days a year to helping promote salmon restoration.
香蕉视频直播淚 was praying to my ancestors to find this man a worthwhile fish,香蕉视频直播� Walkus said. 香蕉视频直播淎bout 45 minutes later, the rod beside where Rick was sitting absolutely exploded and we caught this beautiful fish香蕉视频直播� it was 60.5 pounds.香蕉视频直播�
Hansen was true to his word, helping connect Walkus and Allard to others with the same passion for conservation.
| Ted Walkus with a salmon caught in Rivers Inlet. (Submitted) |
The next step was to move the hatchery from Bella Bella to Rivers Inlet, in the Wuikinuxv香蕉视频直播檚 traditional territory, instead of spending more than $100,000 to fly the salmon eggs and sperm to Bella Coola, and then fly the fry back.
Allard admits some of the chiefs were skeptical at the start, based on their past experiences, but says now, 香蕉视频直播渋f you polled the community, I think they would be solidly behind it.香蕉视频直播�
Lodge manager and Wuikinuxv hereditary chief Ted Walkus said they香蕉视频直播檝e made amazing progress, both for the salmon and the community.
香蕉视频直播淚n the winter, there香蕉视频直播檚 probably about 60 people that live in my community, tops, so when we can hire three or four people year-round香蕉视频直播� you香蕉视频直播檙e making a difference,香蕉视频直播� said Walkus. 香蕉视频直播淲e want to put back into the system that we香蕉视频直播檙e taking from.香蕉视频直播�
The hatchery fertilizes about 300,000 eggs from 40 female salmon each year, and end up with higher returns than average.
香蕉视频直播淚f we get one or two per cent back, we香蕉视频直播檙e happy,香蕉视频直播� Walkus said. 香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 want any more than that because we don香蕉视频直播檛 want to start overproducing hatchery fish over wild fish. We want to keep the gene pool as widespread as we can.香蕉视频直播�
The chinook salmon the hatchery deals with are called Wannock chinook and are one of only a few species that regularly hit more than 40 pounds. Rivers Inlet, he added, is only of only two systems in the world that produce such large fish, making them extra important to preserve.
One idea that Walkus and Allard came up with for the fishing lodge is spreading: catch and release.
All lodge guests are asked to release the Chinook salmon they catch, unless the fish is going to die. Some guests were doubtful, saying that was only 香蕉视频直播渇eeding the sea lions,香蕉视频直播� but Walkus doesn香蕉视频直播檛 agree.
香蕉视频直播淲e started tagging our caught chinook and we find them when we香蕉视频直播檙e doing our intake,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 would love to see this model of our Percy Walkus Hatcheries move to other nations and other lodge owners.香蕉视频直播�
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