PINK (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)

Buckellachs

Smallest but most abundant of the west coast salmon, pink salmon are known to fishermen as "humpbacks" or "humpies" due to the extremely humped back developed by the males as they return to spawn. The females do not exhibit this same change during spawning.  Because of their fixed two year life span, even-and-odd year pink stocks are effectively isolated from each other.

This species is found in streams and rivers from California north to the Mackenzie River, with their principal spawning areas between Puget Sound, Washington, and Bristol Bay, Alaska. They migrate to their home stream from July to October, and while some go a considerable distance upstream, the majority spawn in waters close to the sea.  During this time both sexes change from the blue and silver colours of the ocean to pale gray on the back with a white to yellowish belly.

When the young 2.5 cm fry emerge from the gravel beds the following spring, they go directly downstream to the ocean. During their first summer in salt water, they stick close to shore, moving offshore in September. Rich ocean feeding in subsequent months induces remarkably rapid growth, bringing their average weight to 2.25 kg at maturity with some reaching a weight of 4.5 kg and a length of 76 cm.

When pinks enter the ocean, they feed at first on plankton, but gradually turn to more active prey.  In spite of their short life span and small size, their migrations are extensive, covering thousands of kilometres from their home streams.  Millions are caught along the coast of B.C. and Alaska as they return to spawn.  This species is fished by gillnets, purse seines and by trolling gear.  They are also caught by sport fishermen using artificial lures. Most pinks are canned; some are sold as fresh fish. Many more, especially of the troll catch have been frozen in recent years.

While young, pinks are silver with no parr markings or spots as seen on other salmon. As they mature, they develop blue backs with heavy oval blotches on the tail and upper body.

The Fraser River, with its 20 lake systems, was one of the world's most productive areas for pink and sockeye salmon prior to 1913. Indeed, in that year the sockeye run alone was more than 27 million fish, providing a catch of 25 million. It was also in that year that railway workers dumped millions of tons of rock into the river at Hell's Gate Canyon, about 200 km upstream from the mouth of the Fraser. The following year gigantic slabs of rock, loosened by blasting, fell into the narrow gorge, blocking the flow and preventing both pinks and sockeye from reaching their spawning areas further upstream. Consequently many stocks of pink salmon either disappeared or drastically declined. Salmon that had formerly gone 1,000 km beyond Hell's Gate Canyon steadily decreased. Installation of fishways in later years has been successful and in the 80's some of the stocks have greatly improved.