Fish deaths due to warm currents
Alyson McAndrews, Alberni Valley Times, August 01, 2012
Dead California mackerel litter the beach at China Creak Marina. There are thousands of the dead fish throughout Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet.
Thousands of small, silver California mackerel bodies that are washing up in the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound. However, the only cause for alarm is what damage the fish could be doing to future salmon stocks, said fish expert and salmon enhancement specialist Jake Leyenaar.
The large biomass has moved up to local waters on a warm current. The fish swim up the Sound to the Alberni Inlet. At some point they hit water that is too fresh, and they die, Leyenaar said.
This, or something similar, happens every now and then, usually related to a El Nino or La Nina weather patterns, Leyenaar said.
"When they die, they create a great source of food for all the bears, and the eagles, and all the creatures that live a long the shore," Leyenaar said. "It's also good for bottom feeders like ling cod, and halibut like them too, so it's a great food source for our local species."
In fact, the fish make such choice bait for larger prizes like halibut that some fishers go out and collect them, he said.
What the mackerel are not great for is salmon fry. They eat as many as they can and have the potential to decimate the fry stock, Leyenaar said.
At this point, it is too early to tell what kind of damage they are doing, suffice to say it is definitely some.
"It will be easier to predict once we know how long they stay around for," Leyenaar said.
In the mean time, the coast line will likely continue to be littered with dead and dying California mackerel bodies.
A mild annoyance, and perhaps an inconvenient smell.
"It's not so strong it's making me leave yet," said Frank Jesperson. "But in this sun, you'd think it could get there pretty quickly."
Jesperson was visiting friends at China Beach campground.
Another consideration is wildlife, he said.
"This is great food for bears," he said.
"Hopefully they don't get attracted to where people are. Between Port Alberni and Bamfield, it could be a real problem."
A potential problem, but as Leyenaar pointed out, will also ensure those bear and eagles get enough food to survive the coming winter.
"For our salmon's sake, the more that die, the better," Leyenaar said. "In four year's time, we might not see a [sockeye salmon] run at all."
