Protecting the Fraser River sockeye

It’s no secret that Fraser River sockeye salmon are in trouble.

In light of the unexpectedly low returns of salmon to the river system, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn did the right thing in implementing closures and other measures to protect the salmon. But his statement on August 19 that those measures will be enough to meet conservation goals is overly optimistic.

The number of Fraser sockeye expected to reach spawning grounds is about half of the target set before the season opened.

Many of these stocks have already suffered from sharp declines and some are at levels that could trigger listing as either threatened or endangered under Canadian species-at-risk legislation. Poor returns this year put them in even worse shape and severely compromise the ability to meet First Nations food requirements.

Three primary impacts have contributed to the decline: habitat loss, fishing (including some enhancement activities), and climate change.

The poor return of all Fraser sockeye in 2007 strongly indicates abnormal ocean conditions as the young sockeye went out to sea in 2005. Warm ocean conditions mean the salmon have less food available and are at increased risk from predators normally found further south. Although conditions in 2005 cannot be directly linked to climate change, evidence suggests that such conditions will become more common and severe in the future.

Climate change will also significantly increase the frequency and severity of high temperatures in the Fraser River. Sockeye begin to face migration challenges at freshwater temperatures above 16°C, and suffer significant losses at sustained temperatures above 18°C or short-term events at 20°C and above. Although freshwater conditions are relatively good for sockeye returning this year, temperatures during recent years, including 2003, 2004, and 2006, have reached higher than 20°C for at least part of the migration period, resulting in the loss of sockeye before they spawn.

Freshwater and coastal habitat loss have also affected Fraser sockeye, from logging around their spawning habitat to aquatic plants invading their rearing lakes. Freshwater habitat loss is difficult to reverse and reduces the overall potential for both sockeye diversity and abundance.

Most commercial fisheries catch Fraser sockeye in ocean waters, where stocks are still mixed together. The different stocks vary over time in their relative strength and susceptibility to fisheries. This variability is further increased by freshwater habitat loss and enhancement (e.g., hatcheries or spawning channels). If harvest rates are too high, weak stocks will decline and their ability to recover will be reduced.

Although the relative contribution of each of these impacts may change from year to year, the combined impacts must be addressed to maintain sockeye—and all other Pacific salmon. The diversity of salmon and their habitats must be protected to ensure their resilience and provide for future abundance. The current scenario of habitat loss, climate-change threats, and already degraded stocks requires a better way to manage fisheries, habitat protection, and salmon research.

The federal government’s Wild Salmon Policy, released in 2005, laid out an ecosystem-based approach with admirable objectives to protect salmon diversity and salmon habitat and provides a path for developing more selective and sustainable fishing opportunities for the future.

But the policy requires significantly more political and financial support. Existing management has yet to adopt many of the objectives and performance measures of the policy. Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff are significantly limited in the use of existing or additional funds to support the necessary work to implement the policy.

A commitment to maintaining salmon diversity, protecting and restoring salmon habitat, and developing new approaches to salmon fishing is needed. The policy is our best available tool for meeting this commitment. But whether we use this tool, some future government policy, or simply the effort of individuals who care about salmon, as Hearn states, “Ultimately, the survival of sockeye will depend on all groups—First Nations, commercial harvesters, recreational fishermen, governments and environmentalists—working together and acting in the best interests of the species.”

David Suzuki Foundation aquatic biologist Jeffery Young represents the Pacific Marine Conservation Caucus on the Salmon Integrated Harvest Planning Committee.

Richmond Review
September 14, 2007