There has been much media attention about the factors responsible for the Fraser sockeye collapse, and whether sea lice from fish farms were a contributor. As an organization on the front lines of this issue, our research plays a pivotal role in finding an answer. In the spring of 2007, Raincoast’s field crew searched the waters…
Fall was in the air and Raincoast’s wolf project was conducting a ten day expedition on our research vessel Achiever to collect genetic samples from areas on B.C.’s north coast in the vast area known as the ‘Great Bear Rainforest.’ Arriving after sunset, we anchored in a system known to us to be a wolf…
Fully protected safe havens would have positive effect on ecosystems By Chris Darimont and Misty MacDuffee Times Colonist The headlines blare across local, regional, and national media: Nine million Fraser River sockeye salmon missing. At the same time, questions have arisen concerning the status of other Pacific salmon runs
Raincoast’s Chris Darimont speaks to CFAX. Adam Sterling of CFAX Radio interviews Raincoast’s Dr. Chris Darimont on coastal wolves and the affect that human interference has had on their breeding behaviours on Vancouver Island. Find the audio source file here (MP3).
How do salmon declines affect coastal bears? And how much salmon biomass is required to sustain terrestrial species? These are questions many people are asking in light of the increasing number of salmon runs that fail to return as expected to fall spawning streams.
By Nicholas Read, Special to the Vancouver Sun A1 September 29, 2009 Scientists working on Vancouver Island have determined for the first time that when you try to eliminate a population of wolves from an area, you run the risk of repopulating that area with what one biologist called “monster wolves.”
Multiple conservation groups concerned about grizzly bears on the BC central coast have sent a letter to Environment Minister Barry Penner requesting a cancellation of the fall grizzly hunt. Anecdotal accounts of very low bear numbers on fall streams warrants an immediate cautionary response by the government. Since no population assessment or annual monitoring is…
The latest publication from the Raincoast carnivore team and collaborators confirms the hybridization of domestic dogs and wild wolves on Vancouver Island.
Raincoast’s Chris Darimont speaks to NPR Ira Flatow, host of NPR’s Science Friday, interviews Raincoast’s Dr. Chris Darimont on the impacts of human predation on the evolution of hunted species. click here for the interview Can humans angling for the prize-winning fish shift the course of evolution? Research published this week in the Proceedings of…
by Chris Genovali Rocky Mountain Outlook September 16, 2009 Re: Is there a need for a bear hunt? (RMO, Sept. 3) It’s mystifying that the province is actually considering lifting the ban on the trophy hunt given the paucity of grizzlies in Alberta.
Williams, R. and L. Thomas. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1):15-28 Marine mammal abundance paper.pdf