The eulachon

The eulachon was first recorded from British Columbia waters in 1866 by A. Günther on the basis of 4 specimens 8 to 9 inches in length, collected near Vancouver Island by C.B. Wood, surgeon on H.M.S. Plumper, and presented to the British Museum. The eulachon is common along the whole coast of British Columbia, particularly in the larger inlets, and enters large rivers during March, April and May to spawn… The eulachon is taken in considerable numbers in gill nets for the fresh-fish market and is a very choice fish because of its flavour and richness. In recent years a considerable portion of the catch has been utilized as food for animals on fur farms. It is used extensively by the Indians for food and the production of oil for cooking. Previous to the advent of manufactured candles and other lighting devices these fish were dried, fitted with a wick and used as candles, hence the frequently used name candlefish. In 1877 a factory was built on the Nass River for the manufacture of eulachon oil which for the most part was sold to the local Indians although a small amount was shipped to England. The eulachon fishery reached a maximum production in 1903 of about 600 tons and has declined since then to one of minor importance. The Chinook jargon name eulachon is most frequently used as the common name for this fish and the above spelling should be adopted in preference to such variants as: oolachon, oolichan, oulachon and ulchen.

W.A. Clemens and G.V. Wilby, Fishes of the Pacific coast of Canada (Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 68, 1961).