Life skills training and the effect of predator conditioning on the post-release survival and return-to- spawn rates of hatchery-reared Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

One important strategy that is helping to prevent collapse of salmon stocks is the use of hatcheries. Hatchery raised salmon are released into streams to help supplement the wild population. An impediment to hatchery efforts is that for the first two weeks after their release, hatchery-reared salmon often show high rates of mortality due to predators. This is because hatchery-raised fish are naïve to predators, and it takes time to learn about the risk that they pose. This project seeks to identify ways to increase the post-release survival of hatchery-reared Coho salmon. Our goal is to determine if exposing juvenile salmon to predators before release will bolster their survival after they are released. Knowledge of how we can increase post-release survival of Coho salmon can be combined with habitat restoration efforts and allow us to return salmon runs to their historic sustainable levels.

Faculty Supervisor:

Francis Juanes

Student:

Partner:

Peninsula Streams Society

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program: