Recently both Terrace city council and its Smithers counterpart have thrown support behind SkeenaWild Conservation Trust’s fight against what it calls an increasing rate of Alaskan interception of wild steelhead and salmon bound for the Bulkley River.
The actions follow trust executive director Greg Knox telling the two councils that southeastern Alaskan interception fisheries just north of Prince Rupert are killing an estimated 10 - 50 per cent of Skeena steelhead each year.
“These impacts are made worse in recent years as Skeena steelhead experience more challenging environmental conditions and lower returns,” he explained. “Southeastern Alaskan interception fisheries are pushing Skeena steelhead to levels where fisheries closures were implemented in 2021 and narrowly avoided in 2023. Low steelhead returns are also reducing the number of anglers visiting our local communities.”
He also noted British Columbia’s Pacific salmon resource contributed $358 million to the provincial GDP and employs thousands in B.C.'s coastal communities and beyond.
A 2008 study showed a $52.8 million economic impact from recreational Skeena salmon and steelhead.
“Here in British Columbia, we've taken a lot of actions to try to reduce impacts, and we've suffered a lot of the consequences," Knox added.
"We used to harvest about 24 million salmon a year and we're currently harvesting about two and a half million a year. So that's mostly the commercial industry that's really taking the losses. But also, of course, we've suffered closures in our sport fisheries.”
Our region is known for fishing. And tourism depends on it. Some people live here because of the fishing. First Nations rely on it.
But it begs the question, can we do anything? And who is in charge of the salmon? The fish go through the waters of two different countries and several different First Nations’ territories.
Whose rules apply? It seems like it is currently managed on a first come, first served basis, and unfortunately for us, Alaska is first in line for them.
In Canada, we know what can happen when we overfish.
Look back at the the collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery due to overfishing between 1962-1977. After two billion individual cod were lost to overfishing, only one per cent of the cod population was left in Newfoundland.
It is obvious that we need to work together with our neighbours to the north.
All levels of governments in both Canada and the United States need to work together before it is too late. First Nations also need to be at the table. There needs to be one set of rules for both countries.
Both Terrace and Smithers have agreed to sign a resolution asking the federal and provincial governments to take action at the Pacific Salmon Commission and undertake diplomatic efforts to reduce impacts on Skeena steelhead. This is a good first step, but hopefully the work can happen fast.
