There are seven species of wild Pacific salmon in B.C. waters including — Sockeye, Chinook, Coho, Pink, Chum, Steelhead Trout, and Cutthroat Trout.
Under these primary species of Pacific salmon, there are more than 9,000 distinct salmon populations (species and stream combinations) in B.C., organized into roughly 450 conservation units that are applied in resource management.
As a result of 150 years of development coupled with the growing impacts of climate change, Pacific salmon in B.C. face unprecedented pressures.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), an independent advisory panel, has assessed Sakinaw Sockeye Salmon as endangered (2016), Interior Fraser Coho as threatened (2016), Okanagan Chinook as endangered (2017), and of 24 units of Fraser Sockeye 8 as endangered; 2 as threatened; 5 of special concern; 9 not at risk (2017).
Pacific salmon encounter myriad challenges during their unique lifecycles involving seasonal migrations through both freshwater and marine environments. Factors negatively impacting Pacific salmon include: climate change, habitat degradation, land and water pressures, pollution and major events such as the landslide at Big Bar along the Fraser River.
Yet, Pacific salmon are resilient by nature. They’ve been adapting for millennia.
Humans can tackle many of these challenges facing our iconic salmon right now. Through a shared vision, major funding, communication, and coordinated action, Pacific salmon can recover.
“We must take every step in our control now as many climate-change related trends will make things more difficult for many salmon populations in the years ahead. There is still time to moderate and mitigate the effects to advance ongoing Pacific salmon recovery. This demands urgency for Pacific salmon and for the 130+ species, including grizzlies, orcas and eagles, that depend on Pacific salmon that we cannot lose on our watch.“
PSF believes there are three major areas humans can leverage right now to positively impact salmon: Habitat, Harvest/Fishing and Hatcheries.
Vital salmon habitat from freshwater streams to the open ocean has been impacted by 150 years of industrial development. These impacts are now being compounded by climate change.
Salmon that spend a longer amount of time in freshwater are struggling. PSF is actively funding community partners who are restoring spawning habitat, replanting native vegetation along key salmon streams and undertaking research into migration impediments. We must advance this work, prioritizing habitat for high-risk species and introducing coordinated land-water management plans that include salmon.
Warming ocean temperatures are amplifying pressures on Pacific salmon in marine habitat. Ocean temperature are rising, and warmer waters are not good for the food web that salmon rely upon for survival. While we can’t actively change conditions in the open ocean, there are actions we can take to support adaptation. Major investment is needed to restore estuaries and critical kelp and eelgrass habitats, along with “greening” shorelines to nurture habitat for juvenile salmon and forage fish like herring.
During the past 20 years British Columbians have experienced increasing fisheries restrictions based on conservation objectives, yet the state of Pacific salmon has not improved. This has been a source of loss and frustration for people and communities that depend on fisheries.
We need more collaborative research and catch monitoring programs with fisheries, exploration of more traditional selective fishing practices, and engagement with stewards in First Nations communities, to support a sustainable future of salmon harvest. Enhanced data collection and monitoring will ensure we have reliable information across all salmon populations to better inform harvest practice. Fisheries entities like the Sport Fishing Institute, Sport Fishing Advisory Board, and First Nations Fisheries Council are essential contributors in plans to restore Pacific salmon.
Although 86% of B.C. residents are highly concerned about declining Pacific salmon stocks, less than half of British Columbians are concerned with hatcheries (48%). Hatcheries can have positive benefits, including helping rebuild weak populations, supporting salmon stock assessment programs, producing fish for harvest, and supporting education and awareness in local communities. However, hatcheries can also introduce risks such as changes to natural genetics, increased harvest pressure on weak stocks, and increased competition for food and habitat in the natural ecosystem.
The enormous number of hatchery fish that are now entering the Pacific Ocean from all international hatchery production is an area of serious concern that requires focused study and coordinated, global action. Hatchery-produced salmon from Canada represent only 6% of hatchery salmon in the Pacific Ocean. But enormous production of pink and chum salmon by Alaska, Russia and Japan are potentially contributing to major food competition for Canadian wild and hatchery-reared salmon.
Research is underway by PSF to determine optimal hatchery effectiveness, allowing for continued conservation and enhancement of stocks while maintaining genetic diversity of wild stocks and minimal competition for survival.
