British Columbia salmon populations and habitats see significant activity

Various salmon-related conservation and management activities are underway across British Columbia. In the Discovery Islands, pink salmon numbers are rebounding by the millions, a surge some researchers and First Nations attribute to the reduction of open-net pen salmon farms and a subsequent 96% decline in sea lice on juvenile fish between 2020 and 2022.

Habitat restoration projects are also progressing. In Saanich, Peninsula Streams & Shorelines and the District of Saanich have rehabilitated 400 square metres of the Colquitz River using natural rock, gravel, and woody debris to support returning coho salmon. Near Cawston, the final phase of a decade-long effort to restore Ginty’s Pond is nearing completion, involving the Southern Interior Land Trust, the BC Wildlife Federation, and the Lower Similkameen Indian Band to revitalize wetland and riparian habitats.

Additionally, the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. has continued its fall stocking program, recently releasing 250 rainbow trout into Poirier Lake near Sooke. In Maple Ridge, the Alouette River Management Society is hosting educational events at the ALLCO Fish Hatchery to highlight salmon conservation and the importance of the Alouette Watershed ecosystem.