The “Feeding Our Endangered Orcas” Initiative – Media Event Notice
Victoria, BC – You are cordially invited to witness first hand, film and ask us about a really unique salmon enhancement project underway in Sooke. The event starts at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 16th, 2017 on the boat docks at the Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina, 6971 West Coast Rd., Sooke and will take approximately one hour. The location is where the Chinook smolts are currently being held. “This is a great news story about anglers, whale watchers and many in the local community coming together to help our endangered Orcas. Come and see all the healthy little Chinook salmon for yourself!” urges Christopher Bos, president of the group who championed this very unique initiative.
The SVIAC “Feeding Our Endangered Orcas” initiative is a Fisheries and Oceans Canada approved multi-year program intended to significantly increase large adult Chinook salmon in the Juan de Fuca Strait during the key pre-winter feeding time of local Orcas. Increasing Chinook salmon abundance is one vital part of an Orca recovery strategy. With 225,000 healthy little Chinook salmon smolts safely in their temporary holding enclosure in the Sooke Basin, year one of this project is now underway and off to a very successful start. In the future, increased quantities of Chinook smolts will be out planted each spring to reach an annual target of 1,000,000 within three years. With the current uncertainty of adult Chinook salmon abundance, this initiative is not only vital to helping the endangered Orcas, but will improve ecotourism as well as traditional and public fisheries.
“The Pacific Whale Watching Association supports initiatives that address the availability of preferred food for the Orcas. The launch of this Canadian program in Sooke is indeed good news and an excellent start” said Dan Kukat, owner of Springtide Whale Watching and Eco Tours and project sponsor.
We hope you will come and join us. For more information please contact:
Christopher Bos President, South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition CELL: (778) 967-2363 – PH: (778) 426-4141 or email: chris@anglerscoalition.com; or Dan Kukat President, SpringTide Whale Watching and Eco Tours 250.384.4444