Thank you for being a Habitat Hero

Pacific salmon are facing increasing pressures year on year from development and climate change, plunging roughly half of Pacific salmon populations into various states of decline. Salmon need people like you now more than ever, so thank you for your commitment to protecting and restoring this incredibly important keystone species.

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$1.3 m project to revive Vancouver Island Chinook

A threatened population of Chinook salmon will get a major boost from significant restoration work in the Nootka Sound region of Vancouver Island. The new project is improving spawning habitat at the outflow area of Muchalat Lake, a remote area about 90 kilometres west of Campbell River.

Restoration efforts aim to recover the local Chinook population, which has suffered from increased flows brought on by heavy logging practices and climate effects that have degraded the Muchalat and Gold River watersheds.

It’s anticipated that improved spawning habitat will significantly increase the number of fish annually spawning at the site to about 1,000 to 2,000 adult Chinook salmon. 

Questions? Ask Krysten!

If you have questions about the impact of your monthly gift or if you’d like to talk to us about any of the work being done by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, please reach out to Krysten Maier, Development Officer, kmaier@psf.ca, 604-664-7664 ext. 1021

Salmon School

  • How many distinct salmon populations are the in B.C.?

    There are more than 9,000 salmon populations (species and stream combinations) in B.C., organized into about 450 conservation units applied in resource management.

  • How many eggs does a female salmon lay?

    Females lay thousands of eggs, usually between 2,000 and 10,000 depending on their size and species. Unfortunately, at present less than one percent of these eggs survive to the next generation.

  • What is the biggest Pacific salmon species?

    Chinook, also known as Tyee (meaning King), generally weigh between 30 and 40 lbs. They live the longest of Pacific salmon (up to eight years) and prefer larger river systems. Their size and splendour make them wonderful catches, but it also contributes to their scarcity relative to other Pacific salmon.

  • How long can a spawning salmon go without eating?

    Once salmon return to freshwater from the marine environment to spawn, they do not eat. Adult spawners can go 6 months without eating, all the while transferring body fats into their gametes for reproduction.

  • What effect does warming water temperatures have on salmon?

    As water temperatures rise, salmon can suffer from decreased swimming performance and early signs of stress and slow migration—it’s like trying to run a marathon in a sauna! With an increase of a couple more degrees, salmon are more prone to pre-spawn disease and even mortality.

  • How many Chinook salmon can an adult killer whale eat each day?

    Chinook salmon makes up at least 80% of Southern Resident Orcas’ diet. An adult must consume between 18-25 salmon to meet its daily energy requirements. The whales’ ability to produce offspring is also highly dependent on salmon availability.

News & Updates

Building salmon resilience in the Nicola River

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Salmon in the Nicola River are caught in a perfect storm of flood, fire, and drought. Some populations in the Nicola are still holding steady or recovering; threatened Chinook are not. Partners are installing engineered log jams (ELJs) to advance salmon recovery.
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Century-old Comox farm sees salmon restoration

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Five years ago, the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society near Comox on Vancouver Island almost shut down for good. That was until they received a $19,850 PSF grant, allowing them to launch and sustain critical restoration efforts in Brooklyn Creek.
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A roadmap to recovery for Upper Fraser Chinook

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Upper Fraser Chinook salmon are integral to B.C.’s cultures and ecosystems. The Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFFCA) and Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) are tackling declines through a solutions-oriented approach.
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Ashes in the current: hope and recovery in B.C.’s most famous salmon river

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Witnessing the sockeye salmon migration at the Adams River is one of Canada’s greatest natural events. Every four years during a ‘dominant’ cycle, millions of bright red sockeye salmon make the 450-kilometre journey from the mouth of Fraser River near Vancouver, all the way into the Interior of British Columbia.
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A red sockeye salmon underwater

State of Salmon: Edition 3.0

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The Pacific Salmon Foundation released its third State of Salmon Report, finding that 51 per cent of populations in B.C. and the Yukon are in long-term decline.
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Salmon come to life in Yukon classrooms

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Rivers to Ridges, a Yukon-based social enterprise, is working to reconnect local youth with salmon and their watersheds through outdoor education. With support from PSF, their educators are collaborating with Indigenous knowledge holders to co-develop three new salmon-focused educational resources.
Read more

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