As go Cowichan Chinook , so go Southern Resident Orcas

BC's foremost steelhead biologist warns CVRD about re-zoning

Chinook conservation is obviously a very big deal for the federal and even the provincial government these days. As go chinook, so go the southern resident orcas. The Cowichan is the only bright spot I see in terms of the status of its chinook stock. The fact it is doing well relative to virtually any other chinook stock in southwestern BC has been much trumpeted by DFO and others in recent months. The interesting thing about those Cowichan fish is they tend to stay near their home waters during much of their ocean life history rather than head off to the west coast and north as do so many other chinook stocks. In other words they are a potentially important contributor to orcas conservation and recovery.Beyond that issue we have the premier extolling the virtues of his Wild Salmon Advisory Council's recommendations and we have DFO Minister Wilkinson talking about the importance of habitat. As expected, both governments are “shovelling- money-off-the-back-of-the-truck” in that respect. Meanwhile we have a proposal to rezone Cowichan Terminal into a marine metal manufacturing centre in the middle of the estuary that can do nothing but harm to some of the most important salmon bearing habitat we have in the only major chinook producer still on its feet. What sense does that make?Robert S. HootonRetired BC Fisheries Biologist and author.