A herring spawn has been documented for perhaps the first time ever off the shores of Port McNeill.

B次元官网网址淣o one we have spoken to so far can ever remember Pacific herring spawning near the shores of Port McNeill and Hyde Creek,B次元官网网址� states a post dated March 27 from the Marine Education & Research SocietyB次元官网网址檚 (MERS) social media page,

B次元官网网址淲e see juvenile herring so often, itB次元官网网址檚 what the humpbacks here specialize on. But, we do not see adult herring and never have we seen a spawn.B次元官网网址�

MERS is a marine conservation, research, education, and marine wildlife response charity based on Northern Vancouver Island.

A herring spawn (or herring run) occurs every spring on the eastern shores of Vancouver Island between February and April.

MERS noted the waters turn B次元官网网址渢urquoise from the milt of the malesB次元官网网址� and with the spawning comes B次元官网网址渂ald eagles, the diving birds, the gulls, the steller sea lions (and a few male California sea lions too).B次元官网网址�

MERS added herring are not a B次元官网网址渟pawn-and-die speciesB次元官网网址� as they can live for 8+ years. B次元官网网址淭hey spawn every year from the time they sexually mature at age three to four years.B次元官网网址�

Jim Shortreed is a Victoria-based herring enhancement volunteer has a theory as to why this herring spawn is all of a sudden happening here in the North Island. He pointed to the Haida Gwaii Herring Rebuilding Plan published last fall that states B次元官网网址渨hen herring stocks are low, they have a tendency to spawn in random events in random places.

B次元官网网址淭wo springs ago there were spawns reported in Tod Inlet and Bourgyne Bay. Last year there were spawns at Esquimalt, Round Island and Texada. So far this spring no spawns in any of those places.B次元官网网址�

Herring stocks have not been counted yet and that count wonB次元官网网址檛 be available until July.

However, B次元官网网址渢he number of spots with no spawn are very numerous and easy to count,B次元官网网址� added Shortreed.

B次元官网网址淣o spawn south of Qualicum yet, none in Ganges, Sidney or Sooke. No spawn in the Gorge at Victoria even, and that was once legendary. The volunteers of Howe Sound have worked with the First Nations to carefully nurture their herring back to some semblance of abundance.

B次元官网网址淭hey had a good spawn in the Squamish Estuary this spring.B次元官网网址�

Correction - This article originally stated that this was the first time a herring spawn had been seen in the Broughton Archipelago. In actuality, it is the first time residents can remember seeing one off the shores of Port McNeill

editor@northislandgazette.com
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