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| 29.10.2013, 11:25 - fenpxsli - Pfeifenkopp - 205 Posts Pacific herring spawn is a true wonder of nature It is all fine and dandy to speak about the great migration of Pacific herring into local waters on their own annual spawning run, however it can be a little disconcerting when you aren't able to find them. The latest figures I have heard around the size the run could it be is estimated to become about 125,000 tons, give or take several thousand. When it comes to individual fish it might equate to something more than 12 to fifteen billions. My degree of frustration is easily relieved, however this is certainly not the case of the women and men who make a major portion of their yearly income from the runs of these small fish the people who catch them with gillnets, seines and also the individuals who process the fish after they are caught. Even without the herring I found much to watch within the brant migration and sea birds in general. Last Thursday I set the day aside to look into the beaches between Royston and Qualicum Bay for spawning herring. It was among those windy, stormy days with constant bursts of rain which have been so much a pattern in our weather these past few weeks. If you are a new comer to the Valley or perhaps an oldtime resident I would recommend a good cure for this stormy weather and fishless days would be to spend a day working along our coastline from here to Qualicum or beyond. Weather won't be factor as far as wind and rain are concerned because most of the time you will likely spend in a car driving from one vantage point to a different looking for indications of a roe herring spawning run. I recommend you keep dogs on the lease or better still leave them home because dogs disturbing feeding brant and sea birds aren't welcome. Good rain gear, knee boots, warm clothing,parajumpers, camera, and binoculars should be most of your equipment. A pleasant hot thermos of coffee or tea adds much comfort while scanning beaches for signs of activity. My information on the fishery is sketchy,canada goose pas cher femme, but from things i often hear most of the fishing will be with gillnets, from the Qualicum Beach area and south to Nanaimo, to harvest the larger fish. I suggest here is a direct correlation on markets from Japan,canada goose sale, for that herring roe, which is a costly delicacy that will be negatively impacted from the tragedy from the earthquake and accompanying tsunami. Depending where you reside I suggest you begin your trip to either Goose Spit in Comox or the Marine Drive waterfront in Royston. If you discover an energetic spawning area you will see a large number of feeding gulls, eagles and quite possibly an energetic fishery in process. It's an exciting wildlife feast and feeding orgy in which the great Stellar sea lions, California sea lions and harbour seals all compete for their share of the bounty. When you mix the birds looking to get their share and the all animals gorging around the sexdriven countless herring bent on procreating their species, it is a memorable wildlife spectacle. My second beach point was along the Union Bay waterfront. Came from here I moved south to the Buckley Bay waterfront where the wharf is located. I opened up and spent quite awhile watching about 50 Stellar sea lions hauled out on the log rafts within the bay. They looked fat and content, but beyond much barking and grunting they gave no indication of the recent herring spawn. I'm wondering how these guys leave without complaints within noise bylaw using their constant barking,parajumpers, roaring and grunting. My next stop was the Deep Bay waterfront which was without birds and seals. From here I moved to the Bowser waterfront after which to the mouth of Nile Creek where I saw my first evidence of a spawn namely a sizable flock of content gulls sitting on the beach. But nonetheless no herring. My final stop was the wildlife viewing platform at Qualicum Bay where I found foraging gulls, oyster catchers, and eagles, but no herring. I retraced my route home, but still no spawning herring. If you're a new comer to the Valley part of your initiation like a West Coaster should be spending time to worship in the shrine of Pacific herring spawn it is really a wonder of nature. Ralph Shaw is really a master fly fisherman who had been awarded an order of Canada back in 1984 for his conservation efforts. In Two decades of writing a column within the Comox Valley Record it's won several awards. |