Phillips River Salmon Enhancement

It is that time of year when the salmon return from their ocean voyage to spawn in the river systems all over the coast. This year I have been fortunate enough to help out Greg Barlow and the Gillard Pass Fisheries Association with their annual broodstock collection of Chinook salmon on the Phillips River, a remote watershed that hosts all five species of Pacific salmon in an area of unparalleled beauty. Unfortunately, logging practices of days gone by virtually decimated these runs and now Greg and his crew of volunteers are working to rectify the situation (all with dedication and funds raised from private sources!).
This is truly salmon enhancement guerrilla style with a 300 ft. beach seine net and a large pool in the river directly below Phillips Lake. The goal is to get enough salmon to supply the hatchery with eggs and milt to raise the next generation of fish that will return (about 200,000 smolts which are the yearling fish that move from freshwater to the ocean). A healthy population of Grizzlies depends on it, as do many sport fishermen/women in the area. It was very cool to catch a GIANT spring salmon returning that was born in the hatchery 4 years ago. This work will continue for the better part of September.
Congratulations, Greg, and thank you for this integral work.