Chief Darren Blaney expects the worst for a generation of coho and chum salmon mowed down in the Southgate River by a massive landslide last month on B.C.含羞草研究社檚 south-central coast.
含羞草研究社淲ith the speed and violence of this devastation, we expect all the eggs were washed out,含羞草研究社� said the Homalco First Nation leader. 含羞草研究社淚t really gouged out the mountainside when it came down. The boulders are pretty big. Just the momentum of it; it took out all the trees and the inlet is now just full of debris.含羞草研究社�
The landslide originated in the Coast Mountains near Elliot Creek, tearing into a glacier and plunging ice and forest debris into a swollen glacial lake. A powerful outburst flood generated a wave reaching between 70 and 110 metres tall, turning to the Southgate River and bulldozing its way to the head of Bute Inlet.
The event occurred late November, but due to its remote location the impacts are only now coming to light.
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Blaney is meeting with the provincial government this afternoon (Dec. 15), and planning an aerial tour of the area tomorrow with Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials.
With only one bridge washed out, and no known human life lost, Blaney said his attention is fixed on salmon recovery. The nation含羞草研究社檚 Orford hatchery will be requesting a special permit from the province to replace the salmon losses.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檒l see what supports we can get to rebuild the stocks, enhance them at Southgate,含羞草研究社� Blaney said.
Brent Ward, co-director for the Centre for Natural Hazards Research at Simon Fraser University, said the waterways will eventually re-establish their paths, but the landslide will have a serious impact on fish.
含羞草研究社淭he lower reaches of Elliot Creek are Coho habitat, and if you look at those images, that habitat is now buried with gravel,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淭hese landslides happen, but when you含羞草研究社檙e dealing with a four-year life cycle of a fish, it含羞草研究社檚 going to have a longer effect than that.含羞草研究社�
Blaney said the losses will factor into consultations alongside six other First Nations with the federal government over the fate of salmon farming in the Discovery Islands.
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The narrow waters form a bottleneck for out-migrating juvenile salmon, which opponents to open-net pen farms fear increases the potential for sea lice and parasite transmission. Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan is expected to decide this month whether to renew the licences of 18 farms in the area.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e waiting for a decision, but this landslide will only add to the urgency to get those farms on land,含羞草研究社� Blaney said.
A 2020 prohibition on salmon farming in the Discovery Islands was recommended in the 2012 Cohen Commission report, which looked into the collapse of Fraser River sockeye, if the salmon farms presented more than a minimal risk to wild stocks.
DFO risk assessments showed the farms were operating within acceptable limits.
Nonetheless, while the consultations have focused on sockeye salmon, Blaney said all species are still potentially impacted by the salmon farms. With a generation of chum and coho wiped out by the landslide, he will push for their inclusion in consultations.
含羞草研究社淭he stocks that are passing by Johnstone Strait are becoming less and less reliable,含羞草研究社� Blaney said. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e been working hard at Orford so we can create our own food security, that we含羞草研究社檒l have enough chum stocks for our own community, but also so we can look after our elders, pass on knowledge and hang on to our culture.含羞草研究社�
- with files from Marc Kitteringham
