Canadian experts decry continuation of Alaska study on parasite afflicting Yukon River chinook salmon | 24CA News

Alaska researchers will proceed a controversial research this yr on a parasite in Yukon River chinook salmon that requires killing tons of of fish — a transfer that is drawn sharp criticism from Canadian consultants. 

The research, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, is making an attempt to find out the prevalence and affect of disease-causing ichthyophonus in migrating chinook. It was launched final yr within the wake of main discrepancies between the numbers of salmon counted close to the mouth of the Yukon River in comparison with the Alaska-Yukon border, suggesting 1000’s of fish had been dying mid-migration.

There’s presently no non-lethal option to take a look at for ichthyophonus; researchers should study a fish’s flesh and organs. Researchers killed 452 chinook for the research in 2022, triggering blowback as a result of record-low run measurement — roughly 12,000 salmon made it to Canada — and closures on even subsistence harvest. 

This yr’s run is forecasted to be bigger however nonetheless 1000’s of fish brief of conservation objectives. 

Both Canada and U.S. officers say they’ll seemingly prohibit harvest once more, however in a presentation on the Yukon River Panel’s pre-season assembly final week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Yukon River fisheries supervisor mentioned researchers plan to take 720 chinook for the ichthyophonus research. 

“We believe this project is necessary so we can quantify the biological impact of this disease and provide responsible and actionable advice to fishery managers,” Holly Carroll mentioned.

‘It goes to push our fish into extinction’

Several Canadian Yukon River Panel members strongly disagreed. 

“We need to get every fish we can to the spawning ground, every single one, and this project is not helping that … I think Canadians are unified in this approach, that this project should not happen,” panel member Elizabeth MacDonald mentioned throughout the questions and feedback interval.

“It is going to push our fish into extinction, more than they currently are, and we cannot have it.”

Panel member and Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost additionally questioned why the research was mandatory when there are already not sufficient fish returning, and when communities like hers have sacrificed conventional harvest in hope of defending the salmon who do present up. 

“Maybe this year isn’t a good year to be doing the study, when there’s no fish to study,” she mentioned.

While preliminary outcomes from the testing of 2022 chinook indicated a excessive prevalence of ichthyophonus — round 40 per cent, the very best ever detected — Carroll mentioned the information was inconclusive how the parasite impacted in-river mortality, partially as a result of researchers collected far fewer fish than deliberate.

Last yr’s venture was to incorporate 200 fish every from 4 websites: Pilot Station, Raids, Fort Yukon and Eagle. However, the Fort Yukon web site did not open as a consequence of employees shortages and the chinook sampling at Eagle was diminished to 50 as a result of poor run.

Study ‘upsetting’ to some, supervisor acknowledges

Carroll mentioned this yr, researchers decided they solely want 180 chinook from every of the 4 websites, however that a number of years of sampling throughout various environmental circumstances are required to supply dependable information and findings.

While she mentioned there’s assist and encouragement for the research, she additionally acknowledged the “elephant in the room” and that some would think about it “upsetting” that chinook are being killed at a time when run sizes are already effectively under common. 

However, Carroll mentioned researchers can solely research the impacts of ichthyophonus when it is current within the inhabitants — it is cyclical, and there are years-long stretches the place it does not seem in any respect. She mentioned it was essential to know if ichthyophonus actually is the wrongdoer behind tens of 1000’s of fish “disappearing” between the mouth of the river and the border lately, and if that’s the case, find out how to deal with the difficulty. 

“As a biologist, my number one goal in order to fight for salmon is to understand them,” Carroll mentioned.

“Right now, there is something that is making them very sick, and I need to understand what that is, and I really hope this study gets usable, actionable answers because we cannot manage fishing until we understand how many are dying.”

Her rationalization did not win over panel member Dennis Zimmerman. 

“I look at it in a completely different way, and I guess my perspective is that I don’t see how we ethically [or] respectfully … can be killing fish right now,” Zimmerman mentioned.

“I want to be on the right side of history on this one and I want my kids to know that I did everything I could to make sure that we did everything we possibly could for Canadian-origin chinook,” he continued. 

“I cannot stand by and support this project as a panel member from Canada in any way, shape or form.”