If you don’t know what a forage fish is (or if you do) but you like the idea of salmon and whales in local waters, sign-up for Monday’s Forage Fish Survey workshop with the Sea Watch Society’s Executive Director, Ramona de Graaf (otherwise known as the Queen of Smelts).
Forage fish include in their ranks herring, sand lance, capelin and surf smelt. While herring spawn in the intertidal and subtidal zones on eelgrass, seaweed and other submerged vegetation, the other three species of forage fish use beaches themselves as spawning grounds.
A lack of knowledge on this topic as well as a general understanding of proper shoreline management has led to the destruction of much of this critical spawning habitat. With fewer places to spawn, the forage fish numbers are dropping - and goes a major food source for wild salmon, upon which other marine species - such as whales - are dependent.
Ramona de Graaf is working with people throughout coastal communities to identify beaches that still function as spawning habitat for forage fish. Her workshop on Monday will take place in the Bill Rush Memorial classroom at the Terminal Creek Hatchery as well as at a nearby beach.
If we can identify forage fish spawning habitats, we can work to protect them!
To register for this free workshop, email the Bowen Island Conservancy at [email protected]. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
