wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Chinook, coho, and pink salmon are above average, while other species are below with concerning recent declines
Pink and coho salmon are showing promising signs of recovery, with spawner and total abundances currently well-above the long-term average. Coho are at levels not seen since before the crash of the 1990s, suggesting that reductions in harvest implemented as part of recovery planning for Interior Fraser coho may be paying off†. There was an exceptionally high return of Chinook to the Fraser in 2023, but time will tell if this was an anomaly or part of a positive trend.
Monitoring of Fraser sockeye dates back to 1893, and this 130-year record emphasizes how salmon abundance fluctuates through time. Despite an uptick in sockeye spawners in the early 2010s, the most recent spawner and total abundances are below the devastating returns in 2009 that triggered a federal inquiry†. Two of the last four years are the lowest total abundance on record, highlighting the persistent conservation concerns despite major reductions in fisheries.
Steelhead are well-below the long-term average and many populations face an imminent risk of extinction. Interior steelhead (Chilcotin and Thompson River populations) are listed as Endangered† by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Fraser State of Salmon, 2024 Report
Chinook, coho, and pink salmon are above average while other species are below average with concerning recent declines.
Vancouver Island & Mainland Inlets
Chum and steelhead are well-below average, while Chinook are above average
Vancouver Island & Mainland Inlets is one of two regions where Chinook are above the long-term average. Many Chinook populations are doing exceptionally well in this region, including in the Cowichan River where record numbers are returning after near extinction in 2009. However, some populations are experiencing concerning declines and three Vancouver Island Chinook populations were recently assessed as Threatened or Endangered† by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Our assessment in this region is based on spawner abundances only, due to challenges compiling spawner and catch data that reflect the same populations and are representative of the entire region. Indices of regional spawner abundances draw on data from hundreds of stream surveys, but still don't represent the absolute abundance of salmon returning to spawn due to the multitude of unsurveyed streams. Salmon catch cannot be reliably divided into fish destined for surveyed versus unsurveyed streams, meaning the spawner and catch estimates cannot be added to yield total abundance for the region.
The outlook for pink salmon is very positive, which reflects broader changes in the North Pacific, where pink salmon are the most abundant species of Pacific salmon†. However, pink salmon abundance tends to fluctuate more than other species and can change dramatically from year to year.
All other species are below or well-below the long-term average, with chum salmon and steelhead having experienced the most severe declines. Chum spawners have declined dramatically over the short-term, with 2022 spawner abundance reaching lows not seen since the 1960s.
