Achi news desk-
Canada and the United States are suspending all fishing for Yukon River chinook salmon originating in Canada for seven years in an attempt to protect the endangered species.
The agreement covers the length of one life cycle of the fish, and recognizes that the “continued decline of chinook salmon” has led to an inability to meet conservation objectives in both countries.
Dennis Zimmermann, chairman of the Yukon Salmon Subcommittee, an advisory body focused on the salmon, said the agreement was a year in the making and meant having a long-term plan to protect the fish, rather than deciding annually how much fishing there would be. is allowed.
“(Chinook are) the soul of the Yukon River. They’re part of that woven cultural fabric that brought people together. I mean, communities live on rivers because there were so many of the big, mature chinook salmon , full of protein,” he said.
Zimmermann said those on the water watched as the once large and meaty fish, which travel thousands of kilometers to spawn in the Yukon and northern BC rivers, became smaller, sicker and returned in fewer and fewer numbers.
A statement from Fisheries and Oceans Canada said that since the 1980s, the chinook population has declined to less than 10 percent of its historical average of 150,000 full-grown salmon originating in the Canadian portion of the watershed.
He said less than a third of the minimum number of full-grown chinook salmon needed to maintain the population have returned to their spawning grounds in Canada in recent years.
The agreement covers all commercial, recreational and domestic fishing and runs from April 2024 to 2030 with the goal of rebuilding the population to 71,000 chinook salmon originating in Canada.
The governments have agreed to work on habitat and stock restoration activities and support research to better understand the decline in chinook salmon.
The statement said the declines were attributed to “a combination of historic overfishing, increased disease outbreaks and climate change and consequent impacts on survival in marine and freshwater environments.”
The agreement also draws attention to factors including habitat degradation from resource development and hydroelectricity as well as competition from hatchery production.
Zimmermann said he is hopeful the changes do not come too late to protect the species.
“At the end of the day, we have to provide hope. We have to keep salmon in people’s hearts and minds or else they’re less likely to care. And then we’re really in trouble,” he said.
The statement said the commitment is necessary to support the long-term recovery and rebuilding of chinook in the Yukon River.
“Chinook salmon are an integral part of the environment, culture and fabric of Yukon and interior/western Alaska,” said Diane Lebouthillier, federal minister of fisheries and oceans, in the statement.
“International action is needed through collaborative measures in Canada and the United States to ensure that we all work together to protect and restore this vital species for future generations.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 22, 2024.
