pink salmon ~ photo by April Bencze
Salmon Counts
One fish, two fish
The measure of our success is that of the salmon – something we can only determine when we do our fall fish counts. Volunteers walk streams once or twice every week, or help operate the Village Bay Lake counting weir video system. Counting continues for a span of about two months while the salmon return to the place of their birth – typically late September to late November – depending on when the rains fall. There are a lot of variables in how many salmon come back every year, so following this information over many years is crucial.
Photo: Open Bay fish count, 2013
If you’d like to us for fall fish counts, please get in touch. It’s a delightful way to get out on the streams, see fish, and help assess salmon in a really tangible way. We try to prioritize folks who can commit to regular counting, and have some availability in the fall. It’s important to have some consistency in salmon observation and recording. But we’d also love your company!
Counting fish is only part of the process. We also collect reports and collaborate with DFO so that fish escapements (returns) around the province are recorded.