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FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA

Pacific Biological Station,Nanaimo, B. C.

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Circular No. 9 October, 1947•

RECORD HERRING CATCH DOES NOT GREATLY DECREASE WEST COAST

OF VANCOUVER ISLAND SPAWNING.

-ALAN S. HOURSTON

The herring catch on the west coast of Vancouver island reached a high record totalof 58,797 tons during the 194-6-47 fishing season. T- is tremendous catch v;,?s mare 'ossibleby an exceptionally large run, as predicted, and the relaxation of restrictions, asrecommended by investigators of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada* During the 1947spawning season, particular attention was paid to surveys of the spawning grounds inorder to get some idea of the extent of egg deposition and the quantity of fish whichwas left to spawn after such a large catch had been made.

1946-4.7 fishing season most successful.

Fishing started in Barkley sound towards the end of November and, aided by echosounders, good catches were made by a fleet of about forty seine boats in Peacockchannel, Sechart channel and Mayne bay throughout December. At the time of the holidayclosure, December 19, the quota of 25,000 tons was largely used up.

The second part of the season started on January 5 with an extension of 15,000 tonsto the West Coast sub-district quota. Fair catches continued to be made in Barkley sound,but seiners scouting grounds to the westward discovered an exceptionally large body offish in Esperanza inlet and adjoining waters. S-oectacular fishing took place here, withtotal catches averaging two to three thousand tons a day. At Espinoza inlet on January8, a single set by the "Eastisle", skippered by John Bordewick, yielded a record of 1,200 •tons. On January 9, quota restrictions were removed entirely for the 1946-47-season inthe sub-district.

Fishing continued in the Esperanza inlet area but after a few days the large bodyof fish seemed to disappear: it either went into deep water, moved from the area, or wascaught off. The seiners scattered to other grounds including Tahsis inlet, Sydney inlet,and Barkley sound, where fair catches v/ere made. On January 25, after four or five daysof very poor fishing, the West Coast sub-district was closed by the Dominion Departmentof Fisheries.

All in all, it was a most successful season. The catch was over 30,000 tons greaterthan the previous year when fishing was restricted by the 25,000 ton quota. The averagecatch of a seiner for each day of fishing amounted to 76 tons as compared with 34 tons in1945-46, showing the relatively greater abundance of herring on the fishing grounds during the fishing season.

Poor spawning feared.

At the time of closure, fear was expressed in several quarters that practically allof the west coast of Vancouver island herring population had been caught off, and that

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spawning would be very poor. This fear was heightened by the experience of one seinerwho continued to fish in the sub-district for a limited supply of bait after the dateof closure and made only one set in about two weeks of scouting. It seems fairly certainthat very few herring wore present in inshore waters from the date of closure until thestart of the spawning period.

Herring investigators were not particularly worried about the situation as they werecounting on the influx of additional fish from offshore to replenish the spawning stock.They pointed out that some decrease, in glq spawning stock must be expected and shouldcause no great alarm, for in the past large spawnings have not necessarily producedabundant year classes of fish. In fact, the very rich 1943 year class, which was partlyresponsible for the excellent fishing during the 194.6-47 season, was produced by arelatively poor spawning in the spring of 1943«

Spawning ground surveys made.

Three vessels, the "W. No. 10" loaned by the British Columbia Packers Limited duringboth the fishing and spavining seasons, the "Dominion No. 1" also loaned by BritishColumbia Packers Limited, and the "Western Monarch" loaned by Nelson Brothers FisheriesLimited, were used by the herring investigators and their assistants for spawning groundsurveys and also for tagging work during tha spawning period. Each west coast ofVancouver island area was searched several times during the course of the spawning seasonfor herring spawning grounds. These are fajrly readily discovered by the presence ofwhite milky water—the milt of the male f ish-jror by the presence of large numbers ofgulls, shags, scoters, and other birds which.feed upon the herring or the eggs. Whenspawning grounds were found, they were examdnec as carefully as possible at low tide todetermine the length, width, depth, and intensity of egg deposition, the type of vegetation on which the eggs were laid, and the extent of mortality which they might havesuffered.

Each area was also patrolled by fisheries officers of the Dominion Department ofFisheries who made similar observations where possible, and who reported spawnings whichthey had found to the investigators for further detailed study.- They also submittedtheir usual annual reports on herring spawning which.served as a valuable supplement tothe nwre detailed scientific surveys.

Thirty-two miles of spawn recorded.

A list of the spawnings according to date, place, intensity and extent of the groundsis given in the accompanying table. Atotal of ?2.47 miles of spawn was recorded, 13.15miles from the Barkley sound area, 6.05 miles from the Clayoquot sound area, 9.32 milesfrom the Nootka sound area, 2.50 miles from the Syuquot sound area, and 1.45 miles fromthe Quatsino sound area.

Particularly extensive spawnings took place in Barkley sound and Esperanza inlet,which were the two main contributors to the tremendous 1946-47 *catch. This shows thatonly a portion of the runs to these areas contributed to the fishery, the remainderentering inshore waters to spawn after the close of the fishing season.

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In the Barkley sound area, the important spawning grounds along the western shore,extending from Mrcoah passage, both east and west of Maoris river, to Toquart and Maynebays, were very well seeded during two pulses of spawning, one taking place from aboutFebruary 19 to March 1 and the other from about March 15 to 21. Large eelgrass beds inthis area were heavily coated with eggs and although some became detached and formedyellowish-golden piles along the beach, in general they were not disturbed by poundingsuri which in some years can cause a heavy loss in exposed localities such as these.Heavy spawnings at Useless inlet and Mud bay took place earlier in the season, February4 to 8 and February 10 to 13* Lighter depositions occurred in February and early Marchat other places scattered throughout the sound.

The spawnings at Esperanza inlet in the Nootka sound area took place at intervalsfrom February 21 to March 29. Particularly heavy depositions were noted on the extensivetide flats off Nuchatlitz village and on the shores of the adjacent islands. The mileageestimate for this vicinity is approximate and probably low: it is a most difficultproblem to thoroughly cover a broken, irregular shoreline such as this in the limitedtime which is available. Other important spawnings took place in March at Kendrick andEvnn inlets in Nootka sound.

,In other west coast of Vancouver island areas the spawnings were less extensive.In the Clayoquot sound, area, fair-sized spawnings took place at Cypress bay and WMtepinecove but there was only a relatively small spawning at Refuge cove, usually an importantspawning ground. Only about 9,500 tons of fish were taken from this area during thefishing season as compared with about 19,500 tons from the Berkley sound and about 30,000tons from the Nootka sound areas. In the Kyuquot sound area there were the usual numbero* spawnings, none of which were particularly large. In the Quatsino sound area, apartrrcm a medium spawning in Leeson harbour on March 27, the spawnings wore all early andrelatively small. No c tcV.es were made during the fishing season'in either the Kvuquotor Quatsino sound areas. "

Some eggs discovered at six fathoms depth.

• t if0?* °f, the 8Pa"nin£s took Place on eelgrass or rockweed beds which occur within orjust below the intertidal zone. In a few cases, however, for example at Whitepine coveand fcwin_inlet, spawning- also took place on the large, broad-leaved brown kelp which maybe rooted at a considerable depth. Kelp leaves, thickly coated with eggs, were broughtup from a depth of sxx fathoms below the zero tide level by a special drag-rake whichwas used. Acareful watch must be kept for spawning at a depth on this type of vegetation,for it might easily be missed. & '

1947 compared with 1946 spawning,-

As this is the first year in which detailed studies of the spawning grounds havebeen made, there is no accurate basis of comparison of the 1947 spawnings with those ofprevious years. However, the reports of fisheries officers may be used as a roughindication; 5

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Miles of Spawn

Ire aProbable total

1947Recorded by Officers

1947 1946

23 13.15 7.2 4.4

24 " U05 6,3 13.0

25 942 1.7 3.:

26 2,30 1*5 0.4

27 1.45 1.5 3.7

Totals 32.4; 18.2 24.6

The total 1947 mileage reported bjr the officers (18.2) is less than the probabletotal as compiled by the investigators, (32.47). In comparing the officers1 mileagesfor 1947 and 1946 it must be assumed that the tendency to underestimate has remainedconstant.

Their figures indicate that spawning was greater in 1947 than in 1946 in theBarkley and Kyuquot sound areas (23 and 26), but less in the Clayoq^ot, Nootka andQuatsino sound areas (24, 25 and 27). Tke total mileage indicates that spawning wasless extensive in 1947 (18.2) than in 19*6 (24.6). However, the 1941 spawning wasnot much less than the average over an eleven yepr period (21.0).

Conservation and wastage.

It is obvious that a certaic amount >f spawning must take place each year to maintain the herring populations. It is knowl that poor spawnings sometimes produce bigyear classes and big spawnings sometimes produce poor year classes because of considerable annual variation in the survival of larval or juvenile herring. Until the reasonsfor this variation are known and unless tley can be controlled, conservation of thisvaluable resource demands the maintainenajce of a spawning population of a Certainaverage size which, although net overcoming these natural fluctuations, will at leastprevent a progressive decline in abundance* On the other hand, economy demarife that thiscertain average size be a minium, for if mre fish than necessary are allowed to spawnthe surplus is largely wasted. r

In 1947, about 34,000 tons of fish above the 25,000 ton West coast sub-districtquota were allowed to be taken. At an evaluation of $50.00 per ton, this represents anadditional income from the heMng fiahery of $1,700,000.00. In taking these extraf£S? ^Providing this extra income, spawning was reduced. However, one would guessthat it had not necessarily b;en reduced below the average minimum which is essentialto maintain the population. One of the primary goals of the herring investigation is todetermine this average minimU* as accurately as possible so that conservation is assuredand wastage avoided.

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LIST OF WEST COAST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND HERRING SPAWNINGS, 1947.

(VL-very light; L-light; M-medium; H-heavy; VH-very hbavy).

Date location of Ground:

Area 23i Barkley sound vicinity.

Feb. 4- 7Feb. 4- 8Feb. 10-13Feb. 10-13Feb. 14-18Feb. 19-28Feb. 24-28Feb. 28Feb. 23-

Mar. 1Mar. 3Mar. 15-19Mar. 15-19Mar. 15-19Mar. 16-21

Snug basinUseless inletMud bayUseless inletBanfield inlet, headMacoah passage, east of Maggie riverUchucklesit inletRainy bay,

Macoah passage, west of Maggie riverSunshine bayToquart bayMacoah passage, near Toquart bayStopper islandsMayne bay, south-east shore

Areft 24; Clavoauot sound vicinity.

Feb. 7Mar. 3- 4Mar. 3- 7Mar. 11-18Mar. 11-18Mar. 16-18Mar. 16-18

Hesquiat harbour, headCypress bay, Quait baySydney inlet, Fiores isi^ snoreRefuge cove, baad, .oast shoreRefuggocove, head, west shoreWhitepine cove, south shoreWhitepine cove, island at entrance

Area 25: Nootka sound vicinity-

Feb.

Feb.

Mar.

Mar.

Mar.

Mar.

Mar.

Mar.

Mar.

21-26

21-251- 6

2- 6

1426-2926-2915-1717-25

Nuchatlitz inlet, Port LangfordNuchatlitz inlet, Colwood island vicinityEsperanza inlet, opposite Centre islandNuchatlitz village tide flats, etc.Nuchatlitz village areaBay opposite Rosa islandRosa island

Nootka sound, Kendrick inlet, headNootka sound, Ewin inlet vicinity

Intensity

M

H

H

H

L

M

L

L

M-H

L

H

HH

H

Milesof Spawn

0.130.960.340.450.63#2.48#0.040.17

4.20#0.061.15#1.04#0.35#

•

13.15

VL 0.23H 2.54H 0.75#L 0.40#M 0.63#H 1.04#M 0.46#

6.05

H 0.80H 1.40M 0.57#

H-VH 1.15*VH 0.80

M 0.80#VH 0.68

M 1.421M-H 1.701

9.32

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Area 26: Kyuquot sound vicinity.

Malksope inlet, islands and east shoreClanninick cove, west shoreNasparte inlet, west shoreMalksope inlet, islandsNasparte inlet, headClanninick cove, west shoreMclean island, 3outh-east cornerUnion island, bay, south-west sideMalksope inlet, headClanninick cove, west shoreAmai inlet, head

Feb. 16-17Feb. 16Feb. 16-17Feb. 26Mar. 3Mar. 3- 4Mar. 3- 4•Mar. 9-10Mar. 19Mar. 25-26Apr. 9

Area 27: C

Feb. 25?Feb. 25?Feb. 25?Feb. 27-28

Mar. 27

Quatsino sound vicinity.

Klaskish inletKlaskish inletKlaskino inletForward inlet, west of and opposite

Greenwood pointI^eson harbour, west shore

M 0.28VL 0.09

L 0.23M 0.11L 0.03#

VL 0.11VL 0.06

M 0.85VH 0.06#M-H 0.62#

M 0.06

H

L

M

L

M

2.50

0.09#0.20#0.28

0.31#o±521-45

32.47

#-estimated1 by herring investigators

A.L. Tester, BiologistjJ.C. StevecFon, Assistant Biologist.

Herring Investigation.