FISHERIES RESOURCE FISH MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN WATERSHED ESCAPEMENT SUMMARY Estimating the total number of fish in the stream based on the number seen at one or two locations. Mosquito Creek (DFO 1980-1985) Annual Stream Inspections following "enhancement". SPAWNER SURVEY Counting salmon spawners in a designated section of the stream, weekly during the entire spawning season. Thain Creek (DFO 1998) Thain Creek (MCSS 1995-2006) Mosquito Creek (MCSS 1995-2004) FISH SAMPLE - TRAPPING Counting fish caught in traps placed in specific locations in the stream. Fish are held in the traps for only a short period of time and are unharmed. They are released back into the stream. Mosquito Creek (NVSD/PIP 1986) species n/a Wagg Creek, Lower Mission Creek (CNV 1995) Coho, 'Rainbow' (Steelhead) Mosquito East Back Channel (CNV 1996-2002) Coho, Steelhead, Cutthroat Mosquito West Back Channel (CNV 1997-2002) Coho, Steelhead, Cutthroat Mosquito Creek (MCSS 1998) Steelhead, Sculpin, Crayfish Griffin Channel (DFO 2000) (DFO 2003) Coho, Cutthroat Fell Channel (DFO 2003) Coho, Cutthroat Upper Thain Creek (DFO 2001) Cutthroat FISH TRANSPLANT Placing young hatchery produced fish into streams. Not appropriate for some streams. In the 1980's and prior to 1987, provincial and federal fisheries placed a limited number of coho and steelhead fry into Mosquito Creek. After that, for the most part, fry transplant was limited to small numbers of Coho (1986 to 2002) produced by schools through the Salmon in the Classroom Program, and released only into the main stem of Mosquito Creek. After 2002, Coho fry were no longer transplanted. Instead, the school programs hatched Chum eggs, then fed and released the fry. Since Chum migrate to the ocean at release, they do not compete for food and shelter with the wild Coho and Steelhead fry which live in the stream for some time before migrating. Natural spawning beds in Thain Creek, and the Griffin and Fell restoration channels, have been left to naturalize - allowing "wild" fish to repopulate with less competition from other genetic stocks. There was a small release of Coho fry into a section of Upper Thain Creek, not accessible to spawners, in 2001, to see if fry could survive there. Pink fry were released into the lowest part of Mosquito Creek in 2010, in hopes of restoring the species to a stream which once supported it. Mosquito Creek (MELP 1986) Cutthroat - 1000 fry (SEP pre-1987) - Coho Mosquito Creek (DFO SEP 1986-2002 School Program) - Coho Thain Creek Open Channel (CNV May 2000) - Coho - 1000 fry Note: Unauthorized release. There was no prior consultation to determine possible impact. The timing and location (releasing unfed fish near a steelhead redd at the time young fry were emerging) was unfortunate. An example as to why it's important to understand that fry release does have an impact on fish already in the stream> Upper Thain Creek (DFO SEP March 2001 School Program) - Coho - under 200 fry Note: This section of Thain is not accessible to wild salmon, but has good habitat. The release was a one-time experiment to see if released fry could survive. Mosquito Creek (DFO SEP 2003 - School Program) - Chum Mosquito Creek (DFO April 1, 2010) - 50,000 Pink fry Lowest reach of the creek. Pink historically spawned in this area, but their numbers all but disappeared. This introduction of young Pink will help give information about their survival rate when they return as adults. Placement of Pink fry should have minimal impact on other species on the stream because they stay in the creek for only a short time before heading out to sea. FISH LADDER MAINTENANCE Evaluating ladder function or maintaining the ladder. Mosquito Creek (MCSS 1998-99) Data Collection Visited the fish ladder weekly for a year to evaluate its function. Mosquito Creek (MCSS 1998-current) Maintenance Visiting the ladder weekly to maintain fish access.