Herring Habitat Improvement Project

News Realease 1. January 2014

 Historically, herring had spawned in abundance in numerous places along the shorelines and estuaries of the Salish Sea including the Cowichan Estuary. But those numbers plummeted in the mid-20th century as a result of industrial pollution and incompatible use of estuaries and shoreline habitat that killed herring eggs before they had a chance to hatch.Recognizing the need to provide more suitable spawning habitat for herring the Squamish Stream-keepers Association discovered a unique and highly successful technique utilizing dock pilings wrapped in material that prevents creosote from killing herring eggs attached to the pilings. This technique has been successfully utilized now since 2007 with proven remarkable results in Howe Sound and other places including False Creek. Egg and juvenile survival of herring is increasing dramatically with significant visible impacts on the entire marine food chain in the Howe Sound.Encouraged by the positive results CERCA would like to apply this technique on a trial basis in Cowichan Bay which historically has been a herring spawning site.  Meanwhile we have discussed all technical details with the Squamish Stream-keepers Association and are confident to carry out one of the pilot projects on the Cowichan Bay Fisherman’s Warf.Research on the biological cycle of herring in our waters appears to indicate that the optimum window for spawning would be between January and March. CERCA has aimed at this window for the first trial wrapping 40 pilings at the year’s lowest tide at 9:30pm on January 3, Saturday night. We have an enthusiastic crew standing by to carry out the work which financially has been supported by Sidney Anglers Association. In a second trial later in January CERCA will join forces with Sidney Anglers to jointly apply this technique to the Mill Bay- and Brentwood Ferry Terminals.We look forward to working with Fisherman’s Warf Association and if all goes according to plan, herring should begin using the new surfaces at the trial site(s) as a spawning ground in February or March 2015.Dr. Goetz SchuerholzChair CERCA