Fish

Calls for a last-minute moratorium are intensifying as the start of Pacific herring season in the Straight of Georgia (SoG) approaches on Nov.24. (Courtesy of Ian McAllister)

Two sides to a coin: Opening of the herring fisheries in BC

‘We should have a say, as Indigenous leaders, on what happens in our territory’: Chief Chickite

 

Kayak guide Alex Scarth found this cemetary of dumped hake last month. (Alex Scarth photo)

Ucluelet kayak guide sound alarm over ‘gnarly’ offal increase

Group of kayakers discover grotesque dump site of unprocessed hake carcasses in Ucluelet harbour.

 

Rainbow trout infected with whirling disease which damages the backbone of the fish causing them to swim in a “whirling” pattern. (Photo: Sascha Hallett, fishpathogens.net)

Suspected whirling disease case threatens fish in Yoho Park

Invasive parasite deadly to fish has not previously been confirmed in B.C.

 

Tashi Townley took this photo of a Mola mola in Kyuoquot Sound being observed by Megan Komori-Kennedy and Violet Komori. Marine Education Resource Society Facebook.

Hola Mola! Researchers tracking massive tropical fish off Vancouver Island

Marine Education Resource Society is collecting data on sightings from the public

Tashi Townley took this photo of a Mola mola in Kyuoquot Sound being observed by Megan Komori-Kennedy and Violet Komori. Marine Education Resource Society Facebook.
Ron Ptolemy, rivers biologist with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, uses an elector fisher to capture sample coastal cutthroat trout from the Bilston Watershed during a day of population, water level and genetic testing by the province and Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association Wednesday, July 5. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)

West Shore trout testing reaffirms creeks not ‘just a ditch’ but watersheds

The testing aims to raise awareness of vulnerable species and guide restoration

Ron Ptolemy, rivers biologist with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, uses an elector fisher to capture sample coastal cutthroat trout from the Bilston Watershed during a day of population, water level and genetic testing by the province and Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association Wednesday, July 5. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)
Noctiluca scintillans, also known as red tide algae blooms, were spotted midway along the Patricia Bay beach walking path in North Saanich. (Photo of Courtesy of Frank Towler)

Shellfish harvesting banned around Saanich Peninsula due poisonous algae bloom

If the contaminated shellfish are eaten by humans there could be fatal side effects

Noctiluca scintillans, also known as red tide algae blooms, were spotted midway along the Patricia Bay beach walking path in North Saanich. (Photo of Courtesy of Frank Towler)
Juvenile Rockfish in Barkley Sound. (Photo courtesy of Emily Adamczyk)

Former UVic scientist eavesdropping on fish to fathom their underwater secrets

Researchers have devised a relatively low-cost portable audio-visual system for tracking fish sounds

Juvenile Rockfish in Barkley Sound. (Photo courtesy of Emily Adamczyk)
Rainbow trout, photo taken by Laryn Gilmour

Engineering firm fined $1M over B.C. spill linked to 85 trout deaths

Keller Foundations Ltd. was ordered to pay over 2018 incident in West Vancouver

Rainbow trout, photo taken by Laryn Gilmour
Countless charismatic critters have made their debut as the Ucluelet Aquarium opened its doors to a brand new season on March 1. Aquarium staffers Veronica Aguiar (left) and Rachel Baker cheerfully posed in front of a colourful tank that includes strawberry anemones, a Red Irish Lord, roughback sculpins, giant acorn barnacles and heart crabs. The aquarium is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Andrew Bailey photo)

Touch tanks return as Ucluelet Aquarium unveils new season’s creatures

Touch tank exhibits are back for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Countless charismatic critters have made their debut as the Ucluelet Aquarium opened its doors to a brand new season on March 1. Aquarium staffers Veronica Aguiar (left) and Rachel Baker cheerfully posed in front of a colourful tank that includes strawberry anemones, a Red Irish Lord, roughback sculpins, giant acorn barnacles and heart crabs. The aquarium is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Andrew Bailey photo)
A petition to the federal government aims to ban cephalopod farms in Canada. (Credit: Pixabay)

Green leader May petitions for preventative ban on octopus farms

Experts say practice not only morally questionable, but environmentally destructive too

A petition to the federal government aims to ban cephalopod farms in Canada. (Credit: Pixabay)
Heavy equipment at work at Coastal GasLink pipeline crossing at the Lho Kwa (Clore River) in northwestern B.C. (David Suzuki Foundation photo)

Feds quietly backed off while Coastal GasLink pipeline work killed fish in B.C.

Fisheries officers cited safety concerns, but critics say none existed

  • Feb 8, 2023
Heavy equipment at work at Coastal GasLink pipeline crossing at the Lho Kwa (Clore River) in northwestern B.C. (David Suzuki Foundation photo)
In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reaches a boat right before a giant wave rolled the craft at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the life of a man who was piloting the yacht. (AET1 Kyle Turcotte/U.S Coast Guard Pacific Northwest via AP)

Victoria man rescued by U.S. Coast Guard wanted in bizarre fish incident at ‘Goonies’ house

Jericho Labonte is also wanted in B.C. on criminal harassment, mischief and failure to comply cases

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reaches a boat right before a giant wave rolled the craft at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the life of a man who was piloting the yacht. (AET1 Kyle Turcotte/U.S Coast Guard Pacific Northwest via AP)
Goldfish under the ice at Munson pond in Kelowna. (Wendy Eiler/Photographer)

Invasive goldfish seen swimming under ice at Okanagan pond

Species often released after being pets

Goldfish under the ice at Munson pond in Kelowna. (Wendy Eiler/Photographer)
A worker rides a bike at a B.C. Hydro substation in Vancouver, on Friday, April 16, 2021. British Columbia’s unusual fall weather has resulted in some of the lowest river levels on record on the South Coast.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Cold, dry weather threatens fish habitat but not power demand: BC Hydro

BC Hydro says the colder and drier conditions have forced it to adjust its operations on the coast

A worker rides a bike at a B.C. Hydro substation in Vancouver, on Friday, April 16, 2021. British Columbia’s unusual fall weather has resulted in some of the lowest river levels on record on the South Coast.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Alouette River Management Society encourages spectators to be respectful of salmon when viewing them. (ARMS/Special to The News)

Environmental group releases tips for salmon viewing this season

6.8 million sockeye salmon have returned on the Fraser River this year

The Alouette River Management Society encourages spectators to be respectful of salmon when viewing them. (ARMS/Special to The News)
Keltic Seafoods in Port Hardy. (Keltic Facebook photo)

Employee owned Keltic Seafoods has been bought out by the Pacific Seafood Group

The full leadership team will continue with Mickey Flanagan still serving in the role of CEO

Keltic Seafoods in Port Hardy. (Keltic Facebook photo)
The 2022 Ignite award for Cleantech/Aquaculture/Advanced Materials, was presented by Innovate BC to Campbell River company Brown’s Bay Packaging for their efforts to create an alternative to traditional plastic wrapping. (Photo courtesy of Innovate BC)

Campbell River fish packaging company wins prestigious award for cleantech project

Browns Bay awarded $300,000 for solution to traditional packaging at 2022 Ignite Awards

The 2022 Ignite award for Cleantech/Aquaculture/Advanced Materials, was presented by Innovate BC to Campbell River company Brown’s Bay Packaging for their efforts to create an alternative to traditional plastic wrapping. (Photo courtesy of Innovate BC)
Aquarium curator Ricky Belanger assists Raisin the Octopus into her bucket for her voyage home. Photo by Edward Hitchins/Campbell River Mirror

‘Raisin’ the octopus among several underwater creatures sent back into the ocean.

World Octopus Day celebrates the uniqueness and beauty of this incredible creature

Aquarium curator Ricky Belanger assists Raisin the Octopus into her bucket for her voyage home. Photo by Edward Hitchins/Campbell River Mirror
A Victoria exterior cleaning company was fined $11,000 in June after bleach it was using last year to remove moss from roofs ended up in Sidney’s Reay Creek, killing more than 300 fish and other animals. (Courtesy of Ian Bruce/Peninsula Streams Society)

Victoria company fined $11,000 one year after bleach spill kills fish in Sidney

Dead fish initially found in Reay Creek by child in 2021; province issued penalty

A Victoria exterior cleaning company was fined $11,000 in June after bleach it was using last year to remove moss from roofs ended up in Sidney’s Reay Creek, killing more than 300 fish and other animals. (Courtesy of Ian Bruce/Peninsula Streams Society)
Premier John Horgan and Langford Mayor Stew Young lend a hand restocking Glen Lake with rainbow trout Friday afternoon at an Earth Day event organized by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)

PHOTOS: Premier, mayor, children help restock trout at Langford’s Glen Lake

The Earth Day event was put on April 22 by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.

Premier John Horgan and Langford Mayor Stew Young lend a hand restocking Glen Lake with rainbow trout Friday afternoon at an Earth Day event organized by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)