The first of the season’s sockeye salmon have now started returning to the Allco Fish Hatchery in Maple Ridge.
Sophie Sparrow, communications and engagement manager for the Alouette River Management Society, explained that the Alouette sockeye run is typically in July and August, with many returning in late September and October.
“As these sockeyes make their way back to their natal streams in the heat of the summer, we are reminded of how their numbers are still extremely low in the South Alouette River,” said Sparrow.
“Alouette sockeye are part of a larger project known as the Alouette River Salmonid Restoration Program where the feasibility of fish passage around the Alouette Dam is a topic of study.”
Sparrow explained that this project is funded by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, making it a vital part of BC Hydro’s Fish Passage Decision Framework that helps to improve fish passages in watersheds affected by BC Hydro dams.
READ ALSO: Government minister tours Maple Ridge salmon hatchery
“It’s important to remember that anglers should always consult the DFO Fishing Regulations and Freshwater Fisheries Regulations for their area before heading out,” said Sparrow.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), fishing for sockeye salmon in the Alouette River is illegal, and any sockeye unintentionally caught must be released immediately in as safe a manner as possible.
READ ALSO: DFO inadequately rebuilding B.C. salmon stocks
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