It all started over a decade ago. In 2012, Chris Bos, Christopher Miller and Terry Anderson sat down in a local coffee shop and jointly conceived a plan to challenge DFO on their worsening Chinook salmon fishing restrictions around the South Island.
They developed a plan to create a nonprofit society, comprised mostly of local anglers impacted by the increased fishing restrictions, that would advocate for recreational anglers to minimize impacts on our salmon fishery.
In July 2012, the South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition Society (SVIAC) was created. In the face of DFO seeking to close the Chinook fishery in the Spring and early Summer, the society fought to maintain their fishery and held government to account for their fisheries management. To broaden the society’s scope and pre-emptively address potential low Chinook stocks locally, Chris Bos sought approval from then DFO Regional Director General Sue Farlinger to launch the Sooke Chinook Enhancement Initiative.
Having successfully navigated through the DFO bureaucracy, SVIAC’s efforts were rewarded, and they finally received their first delivery of 200,000 healthy Chinook smolts from the Nitinat Hatchery in April 2017.
Since then, over the last 8 years, SVIAC has successfully transplanted over 4.8 million healthy Chinook salmon smolts into the Sooke Basin, with a notable increase in Chinook returns to the Sooke River. This would not have been possible without the dedication and persistence of those founding members.
Alas, as proclaimed by Greek Philosopher Heraclitus, “The Only Constant in Life is Change.”
Our President and founding member, Chris Bos, has announced his plan to step down as President on December 31st, 2024.
The SVIAC Board of Directors would like to recognize and thank Chris for his efforts in support of salmon conservation and fishing advocacy over the past 12 years. Without his perseverance and tenacity, our saltwater salmon fishery may have been worse today, and we may not have been able to have such a successful Sooke Chinook Salmon Enhancement project over the past 8 years.