Fisheries & Habitat
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The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has shared this information and poster:
Big Bar Monitoring will be applying radio tags, focusing on Sockeye and Chinook for the month of July. These tags will be applied exclusively in Matsqui. Fishers may encounter these tags prior to any fishery taking place. The information collected will be used to help understand the impacts of the Big Bar landslide and improve the understanding of salmon migration biology. Even tags recovered below the slide will provide valuable information.
Please see the attached notice with photos of the radio tags that may be in use.
Any fishers that come across these tags are asked to record the tag frequency, serial number, and code along with date, location of capture, and species. Photos showing the tag on the fish would be greatly appreciated.
Recoveries of tags /encounters with tagged fish should be reported using the e-mail address BigBarTag@gmail.com . The tags can be turned off by affixing a magnet to them. Please return the tags to your local catch monitoring program so they can be returned to the Big Bar Team.
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LFFA Job Opportunities
Click on images to read FULL Job description
Mariah Slough Restoration Project
The Mariah Slough is an important spawning area for a unique population of Chinook salmon, assessed by COSEWIC as Endangered. This subspecies is limited by low water levels and declining water quality. Presently, flow in the slough typically increases in the late spring with Fraser River-driven groundwater inflow during freshet and in the winter due to precipitation and local runoff. In recent decades, habitat conditions and fish abundance at the slough have been degraded through the combined effects of residential and agricultural development, linear infrastructure, and events such as the November 2021 atmospheric river. In the upper section of the slough (upstream of Kamp Road), organic deposits and vegetation growth including invasive reed canary grass, have resulted in a discontinuous series of ponds and channel segments. Findings from a baseline assessment conducted in 2022 identified significant groundwater resources and potential for high quality salmonid habitat restoration in the upper slough (opportunity site #7 in photo). The objective of this restoration project is to selectively cut channels between the presently isolated open water reaches and excavate additional deep pits into the underlying gravel for spawning and cold-water refuges. Connectivity for fish passage throughout the year is the key objective. The proposed habitat enhancement project will restore approximately 1400 meters of channel, improve hydraulic connection, and increase seasonal groundwater flow. The outcome of this work will be a year-round supply of cold, clean water in the slough, and accessible pools of refugia with the added complexity of large woody debris cover beneficial for rearing salmonids. This work will take place beginning April 2023 through to Winter 2023.
Learn With Us
Enrollment information coming soon!
Certificate of Ecological Restoration College Program
The Certificate of Ecological Restoration is a practical training program with a focus on restoring ecosystems damaged by industrial activities, urban sprawl, and climate change. The program will take place Monday through Friday (9:00AM to 4:00PM) at Seabird College and will include a large field component and some online coursework. Field work will take place in and around Seabird Island and the Fraser Valley, with a heavy focus on local ecosystem restoration.Β The program is sponsored for First Nations students, and as such, transportation, raingear, and lunches will be provided for days on site and in the field.
The Certificate Program consists of six courses, totalling 18 undergraduate credits. Courses include:
1) Field Fundamentals, Water and Soil Science, and Resource Assessment Tools
2) Fish Habitat Assessment and Restoration
3) Environmental Monitoring for Natural Resource Projects
4) Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
5) Ecological Restoration β Field-study
6) Foundations of Data Management: Telling Data-driven Stories
In addition to the six courses, this certificate program will also provide students with the opportunity to be placed in an internship where they will apply the skills they learned in the classroom and the field to a real-world restoration project taking place in their own communities. This will allow students to gain valuable experience working in the environmental sector and to learn applicable skills that can be used to advance their career.
To request more information, please contact:
Mia Stratton
Biologist – Fisheries Advocate & Habitat Lead
Phone: (604)796-8051
Email: mia.stratton@seabirdisland.ca