Good Luck or Good Planning?

“Wow! You guys have been really lucky collecting broodstock this year!”

That’s what a former supervisor said to me after I told him that we had just collected our target number of Atlantic salmon from one of the rivers we were enhancing. I agreed, though I must confess I was a little disappointed in his remark about “luck”.

A year previously I had developed this enhancement program in consultation with sportfishing and conservation groups, the federal government, and provincial fisheries. Finally I was given the green light from senior government levels to proceed. In the first year we had modest success, made some mistakes, learned a lot, and made the requisite improvements the following year. We used a large beach seine to collect adult Atlantic salmon, prior to their spawning, from a pool in the river in late summer then transported them to one of our hatcheries. At the hatchery the fish were spawned and the eggs were raised to “swim-up” fry. These infant fish were then distributed back to their natal rivers. The program was designed to bypass the very high natural mortality of young salmon by removing predation, disease, starvation, and floods by raising them in the hatchery then releasing them to the river. We hoped that this limited hatchery exposure would dramatically increase survival without domesticating the young salmon.

Safety has always been a concern of mine, in addition to a responsibility, so I had all staff take a Swiftwater Rescue course. During the three days we took the course, I had a special request for our instructor and asked him to set aside the last afternoon for a demonstration. After all, a fast current, large, swiftly moving net, ropes under tension, multiple staff and volunteers, possible net entanglement, foot entrapment – what could go wrong? We had brought all the equipment we use for broodstock collection and at the end of the course I asked the instructor to observe our technique and provide advice on how we could do the job safely. That was an invaluable exercise as many of the instructors’ suggestions were incorporated into the Safe Work Practice for broodstock seining.

So, was this success good luck as my former supervisor exclaimed, or was it good planning? Lady Luck always has her say, and sometimes she is the deciding factor in mishaps in the field. I would like to think our meticulous planning and attention to detail, not to mention learning from mistakes and adapting, was the reason those salmon made it to the hatchery. And most important of all, everyone felt safe and no incidents occurred.

As a former Scout Leader, I always remember the decree for risk management: “Am I in the right place at the right time with the right people and the right equipment?” This is good advice for any field activity. If it is part of your job to plan or participate in field work, or if you want to make a big impression on your boss and make yourself an invaluable employee, here are a few tried and true tips for success in planning:

  1. Make a list – it may sound old-school, but a list of gear, permits, safety items, and all other things you will need will ensure nothing gets left behind. It’s not a great feeling when you arrive at the work site with all your colleagues, volunteers, contractors, etc. and you forgot a key item. And sometimes that key item is a key (to a boat, a locker, a toolbox, a gate for access, etc.)
  2. As a corollary to making your list, ensure all the equipment is functioning and ready for the field. Ideally this gear check is done long before the time it is needed – usually at the end of the previous season, so repairs can be made, spare parts or new equipment is ordered. Good practice is also to repeat the check in late winter or early spring before breaking the gear out.
  3. Communicate well. Create an email or text group specific for the task and use it to share equipment lists – who is responsible for what, meeting time and location, etc. Be aware that you may not have internet or cellular coverage where you will be working, so everyone needs to know the important details ahead of time. Who is responsible for bringing a VHS or satellite phone if that is required? Are the batteries fully charged on mobile devices? Does your organisation have a remote communications plan? Make sure everyone knows it.
  4. Contingency planning. Stuff happens. Expect the unexpected. Having spare parts, extra batteries, and an alternate location or work to do if weather, nature, or human exigence conspires to foil your work plan. A contingency plan can save the day.
  5. Reconnaissance. This may or may not be possible, but it can be an invaluable help. Do you have eyes on the ground in the area where you are going to be working to provide intelligence on water levels, local weather, road conditions, mudslide or avalanche risks? Is your work the subject of some controversy? Are there protesters in the area? What about allies? Are there local conservation or public service clubs that support your work and can help you?
  6. When the work is done, THANK everyone involved. Share your gratitude with their superiors. People really appreciate it when their work is valued. I like to take pictures or ask someone to take pictures to later share with everyone involved.
  7. Keep everyone informed. Many times, the only information staff or volunteers have about a project is the part that involved them. What happened after the field work? Did we get the permit or contract? Was the collection successful? Did the data support our assumptions? Is there an interim or final report? Keeping people up-to-date and informed means keeping them engaged, and your effort here will be appreciated. Keep that email group active; if it is going to be a long time before a project is deemed a success, or a report is published, periodic short email updates keep everyone in the loop.

So, were we lucky or did we do everything we could to ensure our success before we even left the home or office? Louis Pasteur, the French biochemist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, fermentation and, of course, pasteurization, spent a lot of time in the lab and no doubt learned a lot from many trials. Pasteur is credited with the expression “Chance favours the prepared”. Good advice for technicians and biologists. Leave as little as possible to chance and you will prepare yourself for success in whatever you do.

Photo Credit: Sabrina Wolthers

Guest blog writer: Alan MacNeill

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