Forage Fish

The Friends of Semiahmoo Bay (FoSBS) is currently working in the Savenye Environmentally Sensitive Area in Blackie Spit, Crescent Beach, Surrey to improve forage fish spawning habitat along the high intertidal shore by improving the riparian shoreline vegetation and beach habitat. FoSBS is working in partnership with a student from the University of Victoria, Community Volunteers, Surrey Parks, Environment Canada and Department of Fisheries and Oceans to carry out this year-long project. The Savenye Environmentally Sensitive Area is an important stopover site for migrating birds, and forage fish provide an important food source for them, as well as for other marine species like salmon and whales. The site is part of the Fraser River delta Important Bird Area, the top-rated of 597 designated sites in Canada.

Activities to date have included removing the invasive english cork elm, scotch broom, tansy and daphne from the shoreline and replacing them with shade-providing native trees and shrubs including willows, alder, oceanspray, elderberry, roses and currant and perennials such as dunegrass, canada golden rod and yarrow. Ouellette Bros. Excavating donated and delivered 24 tons of fish grade, small sized, spawning gravel to the site. The Surrey Parks SNAP team and community volunteers hauled and spread the gravel along the high intertidal zone.

Monitoring for forage fish activity has commenced.  Monitoring and maintenance of the site will be ongoing in future years.

We'd like to acknowledge with appreciation our funders and project partners for the restoration project: Leeann Graham; Surrey Parks and SNAP; Environment Canada, Environmental Damages Fund; Nature Canada; Wildlife Habitat Canada; BC Nature, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Ouellette Bros. Excavating; Art Knapp, Linnaea & Little Campbell River Nurseries and especially our community volunteers. Thank you!

We'd also like to thank the Ocean and Marine Fisheries Branch, BC Ministry of Environment for their support in surveying and removing the creosote logs on the site and at Crescent Beach.

 

Click here to read a copy of the Boundary Bay Intertidal Forage Fish Spawning Habitat Project Report, July 2006 - October 2007

2006 Forage Fish Training Workshop Photo Gallery

Sunday, June 25, 2006
 

Click on the image to enlarge.

Photo credits:  E. Kaarsemaker