Article Category: BC Fisheries

BC Government Spends Millions on Restoring Habitat; Harvesters Say They’re Awaiting Results

BC Government Spends Millions on Restoring Habitat; Harvesters Say They’re Awaiting Results

Pacific salmon are fundamental to the livelihoods, culture and spiritual lives of thousands of British Columbians, as they are in America’s Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Sadly, climate change, habitat degradation and foreign market competition are leaving them exceedingly vulnerable.  “Many key Pacific salmon stocks are declining to historic lows, facing persistent and severe challenges at every stage of their lifecycle due to the negative impacts of climate change, habitat degradation, land and water use, acute events like toxic spills and landslides and harvest pressure,” Lara Sloan, communications adviser to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), told Fishermen’s News. “The planet is warming, and the most recent years have been the warmest on record,” Sloan noted. “In Canada, the rate o...
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British Columbia Fisheries: Status Update

British Columbia Fisheries: Status Update

The salmon fisheries of BC remain threatened and take center stage in the region’s fisheries dialogue. It’s a new year, which merits a review of British Columbia commercial fisheries in anticipation of the 2023 Salmon Integrated Fishery Management Plans, which are expected to be released for stakeholder consultation in February. A myriad of challenges face B.C. fisheries, with the threatened Pacific salmon stocks taking center stage. When reached for comment, Fisheries and Oceans BC summarized the sentiment. “Pacific salmon is fundamental to the livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians, and central to the cultural and spiritual lives of the Indigenous peoples of our country,” the federal agency said in a statement. “Unfortunately,” the statement continued, “many key Pacific...
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