Finally some good news when it comes to BC's Salmon run. Fisheries and Oceans tell CFAX 1070 News that this year’s Fraser River Chum Salmon return is a record setting 2 Million.
Gilles Verret says the mixed-stock chum fisheries took place in Johnstone Strait throughout the month of October. Chum harvested in Johnstone Strait are bound for the Fraser River, east coast Vancouver Island systems, sunshine coast systems, and the USA.
Catches in Johnstone Strait were some of the strongest on record. The total catch from Johnstone Strait was 1.3M chum. There have also been very strong returns of chum to the Nanaimo River. The spawning target was met early and commercial fisheries have begun and are ongoing.
Average to strong chum returns have been observed to date in many other systems on the east coast of Vancouver Island and on the sunshine coast. Chum are still returning to many systems so the returns could get even bigger.