The first nation in BC investigates strogen deaths, plans to track the flowing bodies
Richmond took four people to carry the body of a stars from the banks of the Fraser River in BC, earlier this month, one of dozens of recent washing.
About 1.6 meters long, the body of heavy fish, then was frozen as part of a research project, which Tsavasen First Nation helped understand why stars are dying and guiding efforts to conserve.
It is finally fixed to float back under the river, fit with an electronic tracker as part of the project.
Kelly Scott, a biologist working for the First Nation, says that fish are like a dinosaur, dating back up to 200 million years ago, so the incidences of mortality are worrisome and questions about what they are changing in the environment.
She says, “We have received several reports this year (New Westminster) this year (New Westminster) received several reports this year, saying that she has seen four, five, six storjan at a time, such as floating within the river, within a day,” she says. “So it is very related.”
The Ministry of Land, Water and Resources Stewardship of British Columbia says that sargon mortality is seen this year.
But it is difficult to evaluate the horrificity of the utteri, it says in a statement, as tracking and reporting over time is improving.
The province has received 71 sturgeon reports across the BC from July, with 65 fish in the Lower Fraser River.
49 of those reports in Lower Fraser have taken place in the last four weeks.
Comparatively, the Ministry says that in 2024 all 2024, 42 reports were made in the lower fraser, 14 reports from the area in 2023 and 35 reports in 2022.
White sturgeon is among the largest and longest living fish in the world, growing in length of six meters with a lifetime of over 100 years.
This species is important for the first nations, including Tsavasen, who also cut sturgeon for food as well as cultural purposes, called Scott.
The BC banned the sterjan crop in 1994 and the first nation voluntarily stopped harvesting them at the same time across the province.
But the Lower Fraser River still has a catch-end-relief angling, and has discovered dozens of dead sterzen with a rare recreational opening for the sake salmon with parts of the fraser in recent weeks.
Many factors contribute to deaths
However, Scott says that many factors are playing in sturgeon mortality.
Climate change is between them, she says, as the river gets hot, emphasizes fish.
“There are not many areas with large, shady trees that can provide thermal refuge for fish, and therefore not necessarily give them the same relief they used to do.”
If a sterzen is already stressed when it is caught targeting another species in the Gill Net, it can increase the risk of mortality, called Scott.
She says that researchers are hoping to identify where sturgeon can be in cooler water and can restore the habitat in those areas, she says.
The propeller strike by large vessels is also a threat.
One of the sturgeon recently had a big gush on the back of a large gush found dead in Richmond, which could only be caused by a propeller, says Scott.
Research team from Tsawwassen is responding to the reports of the dead strosion, giving attention to any injury. Their goal is to gather 20 bodies, although Scott says many people have become very disintegrated to collect and freeze.
She says that there are plans to flow the bodies fitted with telemetry trackers, allowing researchers to track their movement.
“We want to do it in different circumstances, so we will do some attitude, some more under the river, when it is raining, in summer, in winter.”
The purpose of the project is to understand where and why sturges are dying and assessing whether the number of reports reported shows the correct mortality rate.
Scott says that the team is also in contact with a BC University researcher in the hope of using environmental genomics, including the study of DNA and RNA taken from samples of underwater environment, to find out where the stars are spending their time in the Fraser river and they are under stress.
No evidence of any evidence behind death
The province’s statement stated that it suspects many factors that in summer, the disease and hot water causes the stars’ mortality rate.
The Ministry of Resource Stewardship says it has not seen any direct evidence that the salmon was behind the deaths of the fisheries sturgeon recently.
“It is important to note that natural factors can contribute to these patients, but it does not meet the need to examine other contributors.”
A sterzon, known as a pig’s nose, measures more than three meters and weighs 363 kg, was caught by the crew filming for a TV show on the Fraser River. The pork was identified by its damaged nose, caught the first nine years ago. The objective of the crew collaborating with a local protection group is to raise awareness about storing conservation.
In a separate statement of fisheries and oceans, Canada says that the water temperature in the Fraser River exceeded 20 C in the post -summer part of this summer, with the risk of stress and mortality for sturgeon rising at a temperature of more than 18C.
This year, the hurry of fishing activity may be related to sturgeon deaths, it says, but it may also be responsible for a large number of vision and report.
Sturgeon is preserved under the federal species-risk law in most parts of the province. The population of the upper Fraser River, Upper Columbia River, Upper Catenay River and Natchco River have been listed since 2006 as endangered.
A group of fishermen in BC’s interior is still telling what they have done recently. They were on the Fraser River near Liloete on Monday, when one of his hooks caught a three -meter long white starson weighing more than 700 pounds.
On the status of endangered wildlife in Canada, the committee has assessed the low -fraser population as a threat, but has not been listed for security.
Catch-end-reliefs for sturgeon in the lower fraser require a specific protection license for fishing.
A provincial guidelines for angling sturgeon say that additional care should be taken to reduce the effects on fish.
Sturgeon should never be lifted from water, it says, as they are at risk of internal injuries due to their weight, and they should be released quickly.
The guidelines stated, “Sturgeon can be played for a very long time.”
In 2021, BC began a process to develop a plan for managing white stars in the entire Fraser River Basin. This includes a governing committee co-educated by provincial and first nation representatives with input from the Fisheries Department.
