The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF), and other partners are looking for volunteers to participate in their 2020/21 Avid Anglers program. They are looking for experienced saltwater salmon sportfishers who have their own boats to undertake targeted sampling and tagging efforts in the Salish Sea.
The capture technique that will be utilized is called microtrolling, as such, no rods will be used, and the target fish size is 140 mm – 300 mm. Microtrolling is similar to commercial trolling, but with smaller gear. Up to six gear setups (clip, rubber snubber, small flasher (dodger) and a small Dick-Nite spoon) are deployed on each downrigger line. One fishing set is completed when six pieces of gear are attached directly to the downrigger line, spaced ~2.5 m apart, and fishing in 5 minutes intervals. When the gear is retrieved, the fish captured will be measured, tagged with a Passive Integrated Transponder Tag, DNA clip (Caudal), and released.
The sampling will occur in two periods, Aug to October 2020 and January to March 2021. The program is hoping for a commitment of ten days fishing per angler, five days in each period. They are looking for one or two volunteer anglers in each of the DFO management areas in the Salish Sea, allowing anglers to fish close to home and in familiar waters. A program biologist or technician will accompany the anglers on their sample days to oversee tag application and data collection. There will be a small stipend to cover fuel and all fishing and data collection equipment will be provided.
If volunteering for this program is of interest to you, contact Jamieson Atkinson at BCCF for additional information at jatkinson@bccf.com