The Department of Fisheries and Oceans warns that an invasive species of Asian carp has made its way into the Fraser River near Lillooet and Lytton after several fish were caught during the Aboriginal fishing season.
The silver carp poses a threat because of its tendency to push out local species, including salmon, and are known to jump directly at people when they are disturbed. Many residents along the river worry the fish are travelling into the B.C. Interior where the salmon they rely on for food gather.
John Charlie, a worker on the Lytton cable ferry, spotted a fish while making a crossing.
"I saw one jumping out of the river about 50 feet up the land there. (It) looked like a catfish,” he said.
“But people have been catching them and they've been fairly big, too."
The local First Nations have also issued a warning for people to keep an eye out for carp in the Fraser River.
But Eric Taylor, a leading expert on the topic from the University of British Columbia’s zoology department, told CTV News the sightings may simply be a large example of a common carp.
“The common carp’s been in the Fraser River area, the Lower Fraser, the Thompson-Nicola area for decades,” Taylor said.
“Usually, in more sort of lake type environments or slow backwater, so if they were caught in the main stem Fraser River near Lillooet or Lytton, that’s a bit unusual.”
Although the fish may not be the invasive silver carp, its presence so far up the Fraser River remains a concern and potential threat for salmon.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Kent Molgat
