VANCOUVER—There seems to be a never-ending stream of obstacles facing the Fraser River salmon returning to spawn this year as well as the young preparing to make their own ocean-going journey. On top of warm water, habitat degradation and fishing pressure came the “near misses” of the last week. Spill response workers at the scene where a tug boat sank on the Fraser River between Vancouver and Richmond on Tuesday. “Those adult salmon really have a gauntlet to get through to make it to their streams to spawn successfully,” said Dave Scott, a biologist with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation focused on Fraser River salmon. The pollution resulting from those accidents certainly isn’t going to help matters,” Hill said of the tug boat sinking and barge fire.

Source: thestar August 18, 2018 02:15 UTC