Salmon

Sockeye salmon struggle to get upstream in historically low water levels in Weaver Creek near the Harrison River north of Chilliwack on Oct. 20, 2022. (Submitted by a Watershed Watch Salmon Society volunteer)

OPINION w/VIDEO: Salmon die and people lose their water as B.C. sleepwalks into yet another crisis

‘It’s time those responsible for protecting B.C.s environment spent a little more time out here with us’

  • Oct 25, 2022
Sockeye salmon struggle to get upstream in historically low water levels in Weaver Creek near the Harrison River north of Chilliwack on Oct. 20, 2022. (Submitted by a Watershed Watch Salmon Society volunteer)
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

Vancouver Island First Nations worry feds flip-flopping on B.C. fish farms transition

BC Salmon Farmers Association ‘heartened’ after its round of meetings with Fisheries minister

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. The executive director of British Columbia’s salmon farmers association says a formalized consultation process for the future of the industry is welcome after several years of “ad hoc” discussions stemming from the Liberal government’s pledge in 2019 to end open-net pen salmon aquaculture off B.C.’s coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
The Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society is looking for volunteers to assist with seining chinook on Saturday (Oct. 15). (Contributed – SSES)

Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society in search of female salmon

Group will take another crack at seining the Sooke River on Saturday

The Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society is looking for volunteers to assist with seining chinook on Saturday (Oct. 15). (Contributed – SSES)
(Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press)
(Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press)
The Heiltsuk Nation have witnessed that salmon are dying by the 1,000s in the Neekas River on the mainland 20 kilometres north of Bella Bella. (Sarah Mund photo)

‘Flabbergasting’ lack of rain has returning salmon dying in droves on B.C. central coast

Heiltsuk conservation manager says tens of thousands of salmon have died

The Heiltsuk Nation have witnessed that salmon are dying by the 1,000s in the Neekas River on the mainland 20 kilometres north of Bella Bella. (Sarah Mund photo)
Salmon at Goldstream Provincial Park in Langford. (Black Press Media file photo)

See B.C.’s salmon run in action this fall with a new interactive online map

Spotting map includes over 70 family-friendly locations across province

Salmon at Goldstream Provincial Park in Langford. (Black Press Media file photo)
A landslide beside the Ecstall River was first seen during an overflight on Sept. 12. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) do not know the exact date the landslide occurred. (Photo: SkeenaWild Conservation Trust/Facebook)

Landslide in northwestern B.C. threatens up to 100,000 spawning salmon

The Ecstall River is an important spawning ground for coho, chum and chinook salmon

A landslide beside the Ecstall River was first seen during an overflight on Sept. 12. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) do not know the exact date the landslide occurred. (Photo: SkeenaWild Conservation Trust/Facebook)
Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu

Poaching fears as Fraser River salmon are dumped to rot, even as returns slump

DFO says it needs buyers to do their part to stop black-market sales

Sockeye salmon carcasses are shown discarded along the shores of the Fraser River in B.C. in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Rodney Hsu
Sarah Holmes De Castro shovels big gravel into a wheelbarrow as volunteers haul the rock into the stream to make a bed for eggs to incubate late this winter. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

Greater Victoria groups build a better bed to incubate salmon eggs in Bowker Creek

Severe rain storms nearly thwarted the chum project last year

Sarah Holmes De Castro shovels big gravel into a wheelbarrow as volunteers haul the rock into the stream to make a bed for eggs to incubate late this winter. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)

Rotting sockeye salmon dumped along Fraser River signals ‘rampant’ illegal sales

B.C. Wildlife Federation says the dumping involves thousands, possibly tens of thousands of fish

B.C. Wildlife Federation emailed this photo of rotting sockeye salmon to news outlets on Thursday, Sept. 8. (Submitted photo)
Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Concern for B.C. sockeye salmon as Fraser River return estimates drop by millions

Pre-season estimate of 9.8 million returning fish down to 5.5 million

Spawning sockeye salmon are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. Optimism over an expected bumper season for wild British Columbia sockeye salmon has turned to distress, after a regulatory body’s estimate of returns to the Fraser River dropped by nearly half this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward

DFO set begin public consultation on B.C. fish farming transition plan

First Nations and other stakeholder meetings scheduled to begin this month for North Island

An Atlantic salmon is seen during a Department of Fisheries and Oceans fish health audit at the Okisollo fish farm near Campbell River, B.C. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward
Medicinal plants used by members of the Yakama Nation grow near the Klickitat River, a tributary of the Columbia River, on Sunday, June 19, 2022, in Lyle, Wash. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Columbia River salmon are at the core of ancient religion

Pollution and climate change threatening river’s health, Indigenous spiritual traditions

Medicinal plants used by members of the Yakama Nation grow near the Klickitat River, a tributary of the Columbia River, on Sunday, June 19, 2022, in Lyle, Wash. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
An excavator working on ‘unplugging’ the Nanaimo Estuary on Aug. 12 as part of a restoration project facilitated by the Nature Trust of B.C. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)

Nature Trust of B.C. works to enhance freshwater flow in Nanaimo Estuary

Site seen as top priority due to plugging created by historical land uses

An excavator working on ‘unplugging’ the Nanaimo Estuary on Aug. 12 as part of a restoration project facilitated by the Nature Trust of B.C. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)
DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)

Trans Mountain construction was green-lit with permit, despite early salmon run near Hope

Advocacy group Protect the Planet discovered and raised the alarm about the dead salmon near Hope

DFO were aware in November that Trans Mountain work in the Coquihalla River would permanently alter salmon and trout spawning grounds. (Submitted photo)
Kris Dudoward is shown aboard the commercial fishing vessel Irenda earlier this week with catch of sockeye salmon on B.C.’s Skeena River near Prince Rupert. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mitch Dudoward

Commercial fishers and wild salmon advocates cheer large returns to B.C. waters

Sockeye populations returning to a number of areas in British Columbia better than forecast

Kris Dudoward is shown aboard the commercial fishing vessel Irenda earlier this week with catch of sockeye salmon on B.C.’s Skeena River near Prince Rupert. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mitch Dudoward
The entrance to the Elk Falls Canyon on the Campbell River as pink salmon school in the thousands on Aug. 5, 2022. Photo by Alistair Taylor/Campbell River Mirror

Pink salmon schooling by the thousands in the Campbell River

Natural phenomena visible from the beginning of the Canyon View Trail

The entrance to the Elk Falls Canyon on the Campbell River as pink salmon school in the thousands on Aug. 5, 2022. Photo by Alistair Taylor/Campbell River Mirror
Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Councillor Darryl Coon speaks out against DFO during the live-streamed public event back on March 25. (North Island Gazette file photo)

Licensing decision disappoints but does not deter North Island First Nation

Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw Nation intends to enact its own standard of pursuing sustainable aquaculture

Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Councillor Darryl Coon speaks out against DFO during the live-streamed public event back on March 25. (North Island Gazette file photo)
Chum salmon at the end of their life cycle in Fish Creek. (Andrea Reid photo)

B.C. salmon abundance ‘a sixth’ of what it was half-a-century ago: study

48 Indigenous knowledge keepers from 18 Nations spoke to UBC researchers about the decline in salmon

Chum salmon at the end of their life cycle in Fish Creek. (Andrea Reid photo)
Willows elementary students release chum fry into Bowker Creek near the Glenn Atkinson outdoor classroom behind Oak Bay High. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

VIDEO: Oak Bay elementary students send chum fry down the creek

Willows kids release nearly 200 small salmon into Bowker Creek

Willows elementary students release chum fry into Bowker Creek near the Glenn Atkinson outdoor classroom behind Oak Bay High. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)