Shrimp boats moving down Okanagan Lake
North Okanagan shrimp vessels are heading downstream.
Fishing vessels currently investigating the shrimp fishery in Okanagan Lake near Vernon are moving south to Squally Point near Peachland.
The vessels are part of a provincial study of the experimental freshwater shrimp fishery established in the northern part of Okanagan Lake.
The fishery was created in 2000 to help recover the Okanagan Lake kokanee population as the shrimp, or Mysis diluviana, is known to compete with kokanee for food.
The province believes the shrimp population may be shifting to southerly parts of the lake and will be conducting experimental hauls to collect data for approximately two weeks.
Two companies harvest the shrimp for use in pet food, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. The annual harvest of freshwater shrimp takes place between May and October and has averaged 40 metric tons a year between 2000 and 2010.
Freshwater anglers spend $480 million every year, supporting 7,500 direct jobs.
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