Trout Unlimited Canada 2018 Fish Rescue-Trout Unlimited Canada would like to thank Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) and all of the amazing volunteers for making this year’s 20th Anniversary Fish Rescue possible. Without the support of the numerous volunteers who came out to help at each of the rescues, we would not have been able to conduct an effort of this scale or impact.
A special thanks to our long-standing volunteers, some of whom have been helping with the annual Fish Rescue for 20 years! Thanks also to Trans Canada Pipelines for choosing the 2018 Western Headworks Fish Rescue for their corporate volunteer workday, and Plains Midstream Canada for choosing the 2018 Lethbridge Northern Headworks Fish Rescue for their corporate workday. Special thanks to Lassonde Western Canada for supplying the volunteers with juice boxes to keep everyone hydrated and blood glucose levels high!
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS In 2018, TUC conducted a fish rescue at the Western Headworks Canal, Carseland Bow River Headworks Canal, Lethbridge Northern Headworks Canal, and Waterton Belly Diversion Canal. During 8 days of fieldwork and with the help of more than 125 volunteers, 15,523 fish were rescued from these 4 canals and released back into their home waters where they can complete their life cycle.
This year, sportfish made up 32% of the total fish rescued. This is up from last year (30%), and higher than the 10-year average of around 25%. Mountain Whitefish was the most abundant sportfish captured, making up 20% of the total catch with 3,113 captured in total. Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout comprised 6% and 3% of the catch, respectively. White Sucker and Longnose Sucker were the most abundant non-sport fish species representing 29% and 20% of the total catch, respectively. Longnose Dace and Lake Chub get an honorable mention as the next highest percentages of non-sport species caught, making up 8% and 6% of the catch, respectively.
With this year’s rescued fish taken into account, the running total of fish rescued since the project began in 1998 is now 913,616!
FEATURED FISH The largest fish caught during the 2018 Fish Rescue was an enormous Brown Trout measuring 781 mm (>30 inches)! The next largest fish was a Bull Trout, Alberta’s Provincial Fish, measuring 655 mm, which was rescued from the Lethbridge Northern Headworks Canal and returned home to the Oldman River. Two Prussian Carp were found in the Carseland Bow River Headworks Canal this year; Prussian Carp are known to occur in the Bow Basin but had not previously been found during a Fish Rescue.
VOLUNTEER ABUNDANCE! Once again, there was phenomenal interest in volunteering for the Fish Rescue events, with 125 volunteers contributing more than 1000 hours of volunteer effort. TUC is truly grateful for everyone who came out to help with the 2018 Fish Rescue!
The table below shows the species composition of fish captured from each canal during the 2018 Fish Rescue. Species totals include fish captured at supplemental sites.
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