By Grant Warkentin
What do Chinook salmon eat? Whatever’s on the menu, it turns out.
A study by a University of Victoria PhD student and Pacific Salmon Foundation scientists published this spring shows Chinook salmon aren’t picky eaters, and will eat whatever’s in front of them. Thanks to data collected from anglers, researchers were able to analyze stomach contents of Chinook salmon caught throughout the Salish Sea.
They showed that while Chinook caught near Campbell River were eating a lot of lanternfish, salmon caught in Howe Sound were consuming more anchovy.
The data showed herring was the most important food source for all Chinook.
“The boundaries that we found between different fish communities align closely with oceanographic features that divide the Salish Sea,” said lead author Wesley Greentree in a news release from UVic. “For example, we suspect anchovy are taking advantage of freshwater from the Fraser and Squamish rivers flowing into the Strait of Georgia, and strong tides near Campbell River and Victoria are pulling lanternfish closer to the surface, where salmon can eat them.”
The data was collected between 2017 and 2022, from more than 2,500 Chinook salmon caught from Campbell River south to Victoria.
The research comes from an ongoing program set up to learn more about what wild salmon eat.
“The Adult Salmon Diet Program is fascinating to me,” said Rick Hackinen, owner of Brightfish Charters in Campbell River and long-time contributor to the study. “I’m glad to help out with the research and as a long-time fishing guide it feels good to contribute to the knowledge base of the fish that have been good to me and the fishing community.”
Anglers interested in participating in the Adult Salmon Diet Program can email uvicsalmondiet@gmail.com to receive a free sampling kit.
The Adult Salmon Diet Program is funded by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, along with contributions from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Comox Valley Project Watershed Society, AP Tackleworks, Island Fisherman Magazine, and Islander Precision Reels. Greentree’s research was also supported by Mitacs and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
Featured image from Steve Veloso, Island Pursuit Sport Fishing
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