Chum salmon typically spend the summer and fall spawning in the lower reaches of medium-sized coastal streams and rivers within 100 km of the ocean. They are the latest of the salmon species to enter rivers to spawn. In the shorter streams, Chum emerge from gravel spawning beds in the spring as fry and then move onwards directly to the sea, a migration that is accomplished in just a day or two. In larger river systems, the young remain in fresh water up to several months before heading for the ocean. Either way, most Chum spend two or three years – although some spend up to seven years – at sea before returning to their home streams to spawn. Spawning Chum salmon are easily recognizable by the dark purplish horizontal stripe running down their sides, the canine-like teeth of the large males and their checkerboard or calico colouration.
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Dog salmon Calico salmon Sake (sushi) |
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Chums are commonly referred to as “dog salmon” courtesy of the canine-like teeth and pronounced hooked snout that appear in mature spawning males. These salmon hatch in fresh water, spend part of their life feeding in the ocean and then “run” back to their natal rivers to spawn and die. They range from Oregon around the Pacific Rim to the Russian Far East and Japan.
Chums are identifiable by silver streaks in their tail. Indeed, fish caught in the ocean are called “silverbrights” because of their bright silver bodies. On average, Chum weigh 8 pounds (3.5 kg) and their fillets are coloured from light pink to orange.
This fishery uses hooks, lures and lines, trailed behind vessels at low speed, to catch salmon. Each salmon is individually hooked and hauled aboard by hand.
Seine fishermen encircle a large wall of netting around schools of salmon and pull the bottom of the netting closed, like a drawstring purse, to capture the fish.
Fish harvesters encircle a large wall of netting around schools of salmon and pull the bottom of the netting closed, like a drawstring purse, to capture the fish.
This fishery uses curtains of netting suspended by a system of floats and weights to catch salmon. The fine netting is almost invisible so salmon unwittingly get caught in the mesh.
This fishery uses hooks, lures and lines, trailed behind vessels at low speed, to catch salmon. Each salmon is individually hooked and hauled aboard by hand.
Mangrove Crab Harvester
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