Requesting Forage Fish Local Knowledge

op: Surf smelt, Bottom: Pacific sand lance (used with permission K. Perry)

Over the past few months, Project Watershed and citizen scientist volunteers have been working hard to identify forage fish spawning beaches in the Northern Salish Sea. Forage fish are a group of small schooling fish that are ecologically important to a variety of marine species such as Chinook and coho salmon, marine shore birds like the Rhinocerous Auklet and larger marine mammals such as orcas and humpback whales. In BC there are seven common species of forage fish: eulachon, Pacific sand lance, surf smelt, Pacific herring, Pacific sardine, capelin, and Northern anchovy.

Forage Fish

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Forage Fish Questionnaire

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Results of Winter Beach Surveys

Stories are important methods of knowledge and information transfer. We hope you can help us by sharing your forage fish stories! We are primarily interested in any information related to the location and timing of spawning or aggregating events by any of the seven species listed above. Other things to look out for include aggregating events of forage fish predators like seabirds, seals, and salmon. Local knowledge is incredibly important for helping us guide our sampling planning, exploring restoration options, and monitoring changes in spawning habitat use over time.

How can you help?

Fill in the Local Ecological Knowledge Questionnaire – online using google forms or using this pdf
Send photos of beaches where you have seen forage fish in the past
Share local knowledge over casual conversation and send the stories to Project Watershed (student.projectwatershed@gmail.com)
Call Virginia East – Project Watershed’s Forage Fish Field and Research Assistant: 250-703-2871

Who can help us?

Community members and elders from First Nations communities across Vancouver Island
Local persons involved with the fishing industry (past or present)
Local residents – are there beaches you like to walk where you notice particular activities at various times of the year (i.e. bird sightings)?
Anyone interested in sharing knowledge on forage fish is welcome to contribute to our ongoing collection of local forage fish knowledge!

Forage Fish | News | Volunteer

Forage Fish Field Day

This video follows a forage fish field day, from sampling to the counting of eggs, in the late fall of 2019.

Project Watershed’s 2020 Annual Report

This Annual Report summarizes Project Watershed`s activities over the 2019 – 2020 period.

Forage Fish Project Needs Volunteers

While many citizen science groups have begun conducting spring/summer forage fish spawning surveys, we still need a few more volunteers to cover some of the beaches in our area. Specifically we need volunteers for Quadra Island and Campbell River.

Quality Hand Made Cotton Masks for Kus-kus-sum!

One of our wonderful supporters is sewing face masks and donating the proceeds to Kus-kus-sum. They are quality hand made cotton masks with a filter pocket and non-woven filter provided, pleated front, and a wire inserted over the nose piece for a better fit.

Coastline Restoration in Fanny Bay

On June 17-19, 2020 Project Watershed organized a planting session to restore the vulnerable coastline in the Fanny Bay area. During the three days, our staff and 19 volunteers helped plant almost 2500 individual plants, comprised of Salicornia, Distichilis and dune grass species. This planting compliments another coastal restoration project where the shoreline was revegetated to protect the area from erosion.

Karate is helping unpave paradise at Kus-kus-sum

On June 30, the students and instructors of Toshikan Traditional Karate and Kobudo, in Courtenay, completed 108 kata (kata is a series of self-defence techniques combined in a traditional form) as fundraiser for the Kus-Kus-Sum project, in appreciation of Project Watershed’s good work for natural habitat of the valley and the estuary.

Kus-kus-sum Helps Tackle Climate Change – Unpave Paradise

A variety of native plants, shrubs and trees will be established at Kus-kus-sum as part of the restoration process. This will not only provide food, shelter and habitat for fish and wildlife but also help mitigate climate change. Check out this video to find out more.

Kus-kus-sum Supports the Salish Sea – Unpave Paradise

Project Watershed’s Kus-kus-sum project is important for supporting the broader Salish Sea Ecosystem. The project will restore habitat for fish and wildlife, attenuate flooding, and create habitat connectivity to adjacent conservation lands in the estuary. Kus-kus-sum provides habitat for mobile species, such as salmon, that utilize the broader Salish Sea ecosystem in their lives.