The Chum return to Basil Creek

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Chum started returning to Basil Creek a week ago. To an inexperienced eye, the water levels seemed too low on the 16th, but dozens of large salmon were progressing upstream beyond the culvert. Christine Robinson said that she and her husband Cec had seen them the previous day. That was when we agreed to do this interview. 

“We know it's the big year in their four year cycle. Chum primarily have a four year cycle, a few of them three, and a few of them five, but the majority have a four year cycle.  In 2020, four years ago, approximately 1100 fish came back to Basil Creek. Four years prior to that, in 2016, there were about 1100. We're not alone in this. All the creeks are in a similar cycle. Basil Creek, of course, is the main stream on Cortes for salmon return. So we're optimistic that it should be a big year this time,” explained Cec Robinson, one of the principal Streamkeepers on Cortes Island.

“Just a few weeks ago, Fisheries was anticipating a very poor return, based on their test fishery.  They couldn't find them and they thought that they weren't there, but the Chum pulled a lovely surprise. They were somewhere, and here they come. Lots of Chum have been spotted.” 

“They are so full of energy when they first come in, they're all excited. They're above average size this year, too. Beautiful, strong, big fish, nicest we've ever seen. That's also encouraging because the larger fish have more eggs and, also, larger fish eggs. It bodes well for the survivability  of their offspring.”