At least three Atlantic salmon showed up last weekend in Aboriginal nets along the Fraser River B次元官网网址攊ncluding one near Chilliwack.

ItB次元官网网址檚 setting off alarms because itB次元官网网址檚 exceedingly rare, said Cheam Chief Ernie Crey, a director with the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Fisheries Society (FVAFS).

The Atlantic salmon were noted by catch monitors at: Shxwh谩:y Village in Chilliwack, Yale First Nation, and Katzie First Nation, near Pitt Meadows.

B次元官网网址淲e count and monitor and certify the Aboriginal catch, and turn that data over to DFO.

B次元官网网址淩ecently we found out that three Atlantic salmon had been reported,B次元官网网址� said Crey, talking about the work of the FVAFS.

How rare is it? The last time he remembers was in the late 1990s.

These rogue fish could be from the large escapement of farmed Atlantic reported last month, from a breached fish farm owned by Cooke Aquaculture in Washington State. DFO has had dozens of reports in recent weeks from various parts of the province.

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B次元官网网址淭hey are obviously roaming,B次元官网网址� Crey said.

It that doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean there are not many more, if thatB次元官网网址檚 the case. Thousands escaped and it was blamed on high tides causing a structural break.

B次元官网网址淚t worries us although we donB次元官网网址檛 know if the worry is with foundation. And whether it will result in harmful effects on migrating salmon, I donB次元官网网址檛 know,B次元官网网址� Chief Crey said. B次元官网网址淭o us they are an unknown entity.B次元官网网址�

DFO is asking anyone who catches a farmed salmon to report it to the program at 1-800-811-6010. One distinguishing feature is black spots on the gill cover.

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B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said after the spill it wasnB次元官网网址檛 immediately clear what impact the release could possibly have, but that the government was committed to looking at the possibility of land-based containment of aquaculture pens.

The Progress contacted Fisheries and Ocean Canada to get an idea of how many Atlantic salmon had been reported in the Fraser system after these certified catches connected with Aboriginal fisheries, but no answer was available in a timely fashion. Instead a media teleconference was set for Friday with DFOB次元官网网址檚 Atlantic Salmon Watch official, so stay tuned at www.theprogress.com for updates.

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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