Vandals kill 700,000 chum salmon in Canada

Vandals killed 700,000 chum salmon alevins (a newly spawned salmon) near Vancouver late in December.

The Powell River Peak reports that one of the Powell River Salmon Society’s hatcheries was vandalized over the weekend of Dec. 28. The vandal or vandals seemingly randomly turned valves that measure the flow of water.

“One of our staff went to Duck Lake to proceed with a routine procedure and immediately messaged me: ‘A big problem at Duck Lake,’” PRSS manager Shane Dobler told the Powell River Peak. “I went up to join him and we discovered the water had been adjusted at multiple points.”

Nine valves were changed.

“We can’t bring those fish back. In all likelihood, it will maybe take four cycles or five cycles of that year before we’re back up to decent numbers,” PRSS president Ed Oldfield told the Peak. “That’s 20 to 25 years of work because they come back every four years and hopefully every four years we’re able to increase the numbers.”

The hatchery, and the Powell River Salmon Society, are working toward self-sustaining salmon runs at Lang Creek and Mowat Creek.

For more information check out the Powell River Peak’s story.