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Brochure
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| | In
response to the 1990s steelhead conservation crisis on the east coast of Vancouver
Island, the province's Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection developed an
experimental Living Gene Bank program (LGB) at the Vancouver Island Trout Hatchery
in Duncan in 1998. The LGB includes three winter steelhead stocks from the Keogh,
Quinsam and Little Qualicum rivers. These stocks were selected based on: 1) potential
for rebuilding a self-sustaining wild population; 2) opportunity to critically
evaluate success, and c) geographic location within the region where steelhead
stocks were most at risk. | | The
LGB program involves capturing wild steelhead smolts as they migrate from freshwater
to the ocean in the spring, and culturing these fish at the hatchery until they
mature as adults. LGB adults are then spawned and their progeny returned to the
original donor streams where they are reared and released as marked smolts. Substantial
efforts have been made each year to capture a genetically-diverse sample of wild
smolts (i.e., multiple age fish over the range of migration timing) to approximate
the remaining genetic diversity of each donor stock. Approximately 100 smolts
were captured annually from each stream between 1998 and 2002. |
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| LGB
smolts were subsequently released in their respective streams in 2001 and 2002,
with three more annual releases planned to 2005. The program's goal is to accelerate
the rebuilding of wild populations to sustainable levels in the three experimental
watersheds. | | | The
program is considered "experimental" as an LGB for steelhead has never been undertaken
before in North America. The challenges of raising wild smolts in captivity have
been technically difficult and considerable experience has been gained by provincial
fish culturists in this new and innovative program. Smolt survivals from capture
in the wild have averaged about 70% and growth rates have been excellent within
the hatchery environment. The program has been relatively expensive, given the
intensive "hands-on" treatment fish have required during their lengthy growth
and maturation period. | | First
returns of LGB adults to the three streams in question are anticipated in the
winter of 2002/03. The province will expend considerable effort to evaluate these
returns in coming years. If successful, an NSERC grant application through the
University of Toronto could provide considerable funds and graduate student support
to document critical genetic consequences of this conservation-based initiative
over the next five years. | |
| In
addition to annual ministry base funds, BC Hydro's Bridge-Coastal Restoration
Program has provided considerable funding support to the Quinsam River steelhead
LGB program, and to a similar steelhead captive brood program on the Puntledge
River, where sport fishery enhancement is the primary goal (i.e., preservation
of wild stock genetics is de-emphasized). Note
this text has been adapted from this website: http://www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/rec/hatch-stock/new/steelhd.html
For
more information, a descriptive article on the experimental Living Gene Bank can
be found by following this link: http://www.ariverneversleeps.com/backissues/april00/specialrpt.shtml
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Instructions:
Click region on map or watershed name to view information about the Living Gene
Bank activities we are working on there 
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| INSTRUCTIONS:
Pass your mouse pointer over the numbers to view the presentation. | |
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Download
PDF
(675KB PDF, opens in new browser window)
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| INSTRUCTIONS:
Pass your mouse pointer over the numbers to view the presentation. |
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PDF
(143KB PDF, opens in new browser window) top
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| INSTRUCTIONS:
Pass your mouse pointer over the numbers to view the photos. | |
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©
BC Conservation Foundation 2003-2006
3-1200
Princess Royal Avenue • Nanaimo • BC V9S 3Z7
Tel. 250.716.8776 •
Fax 250.716.2167
www.steelheadrecoveryplan.ca
• info@steelheadrecoveryplan.ca |
