1,035,766 pinks in Campbell/Quinsam Rivers, cohos at five year high
Neil Cameron / Campbell River Courier Islander, November 14, 2013
Salmon returns to the Campbell/Quinsam Rivers show that pinks came back in record numbers and coho returns were the highest in five years.
The record number of pink salmon hit 1,035,766 fish for the Quinsam River, while coho numbers there topped out at 12,750 adults and 2,564 jacks. Jacks are immature males that return with adult salmon and attempt to get in on the spawning action.
Aside from returns to the river system, the number of coho at ocean fishing sights like the Hump and Red Can off the south end of Quadra Island were the best seen there in two decades.
Chinook returns to both rivers were lower than last year, with 3,200 counted this year in the Quinsam and 4,200 last year. However, those numbers could go up in the next two weeks and final numbers won’t be known until December.
There were 802 chinooks returning to the Campbell River this year, 982 were counted last year.
