Low Salmon Returns May Be Impacting Coastal Grizzlies
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Epoch Times
Photo: Grizzly in salmon river by John Mariott
VANCOUVER—A dramatic drop in British Columbia’s chum salmon population is raising concerns that grizzly bears on the west coast may be going hungry.
B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner has asked government biologists to redo an annual bear survey along the central coast in an effort to determine the status of the grizzlies.
While runs of pink salmon in rivers on the central coast are up this year, populations of chum salmon, a key food source for west coast grizzlies preparing for winter hibernation, are decreasing.
As a result, grizzlies have dropped in numbers, with many believed to have starved to death last winter. In addition, pregnant females that survive a hungry winter are unable to produce as many cubs the following spring as they normally would.
Chum salmon returns have been decreasing for the last few years said Joe Foy, national campaign director with Western Canadian Wilderness Committee (WCWC).
“This year has been particularly bad. People such as ecotourism operators, people fishing, and people out on the land are reporting that the grizzly bears just aren’t there. They should be fishing in the rivers right now. But they’re not there and the fear is that many have died over the winter due to lack of salmon.”
The worst-hit salmon returns occurred on the Fraser River, with fisheries officials confirming last month that the Fraser River sockeye run was down to about 1.6 million from an expected 10.6 million.
To give both the grizzlies and the salmon a chance to build up their numbers, environmental groups and some First Nations are calling for an end to the commercial fishing of chum salmon.
WCWC also wants a cancellation of the fall grizzly bear hunt. According to the organization, 430 grizzly bears were killed in B.C. in 2007, 87 percent by trophy hunters. B.C. has a population of between 12,000 and 17,000 grizzly bears.
“Now would be a good time to be cautious, and one of the ways we could is turning off the grizzly bear hunt,” said Foy, adding that other threats facing grizzlies are climate change and the destruction of their habitat by logging.
Tom Ethier, director of the fish and wildlife branch of B.C.’s Environment Ministry, has said it’s too soon to know what the situation is for coastal grizzlies.
“We know there is a strong berry crop along the coast this year … and it’s still a bit early to be coming to these kinds of conclusions that the bear populations are in great trouble along the coast,” Ethier told CBC News.
While grizzlies are good at seeking out alternate food sources, Foy said bears in different regions eat different foods, and not all foods suit all bears. They also require time to adapt to another diet.
“Grizzly bears in various regions of North America have their own way of living which they teach their kids. The problem happens when their particular style of living suffers radical, quick change, and that’s what’s happened on the coast with the rapid decline of the chum salmon population.”
VANCOUVER—A dramatic drop in British Columbia’s chum salmon population is raising concerns that grizzly bears on the west coast may be going hungry.
B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner has asked government biologists to redo an annual bear survey along the central coast in an effort to determine the status of the grizzlies.
While runs of pink salmon in rivers on the central coast are up this year, populations of chum salmon, a key food source for west coast grizzlies preparing for winter hibernation, are decreasing.
As a result, grizzlies have dropped in numbers, with many believed to have starved to death last winter. In addition, pregnant females that survive a hungry winter are unable to produce as many cubs the following spring as they normally would.
Chum salmon returns have been decreasing for the last few years said Joe Foy, national campaign director with Western Canadian Wilderness Committee (WCWC).
“This year has been particularly bad. People such as ecotourism operators, people fishing, and people out on the land are reporting that the grizzly bears just aren’t there. They should be fishing in the rivers right now. But they’re not there and the fear is that many have died over the winter due to lack of salmon.”
The worst-hit salmon returns occurred on the Fraser River, with fisheries officials confirming last month that the Fraser River sockeye run was down to about 1.6 million from an expected 10.6 million.
To give both the grizzlies and the salmon a chance to build up their numbers, environmental groups and some First Nations are calling for an end to the commercial fishing of chum salmon.
WCWC also wants a cancellation of the fall grizzly bear hunt. According to the organization, 430 grizzly bears were killed in B.C. in 2007, 87 percent by trophy hunters. B.C. has a population of between 12,000 and 17,000 grizzly bears.
“Now would be a good time to be cautious, and one of the ways we could is turning off the grizzly bear hunt,” said Foy, adding that other threats facing grizzlies are climate change and the destruction of their habitat by logging.
Tom Ethier, director of the fish and wildlife branch of B.C.’s Environment Ministry, has said it’s too soon to know what the situation is for coastal grizzlies.
“We know there is a strong berry crop along the coast this year … and it’s still a bit early to be coming to these kinds of conclusions that the bear populations are in great trouble along the coast,” Ethier told CBC News.
While grizzlies are good at seeking out alternate food sources, Foy said bears in different regions eat different foods, and not all foods suit all bears. They also require time to adapt to another diet.
“Grizzly bears in various regions of North America have their own way of living which they teach their kids. The problem happens when their particular style of living suffers radical, quick change, and that’s what’s happened on the coast with the rapid decline of the chum salmon population.”
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