Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1182504
10 FALL/WINTER 2019 PSF.CA By Jason Hwang, VP, Salmon, Pacific Salmon Foundation S tudies that forecast the ever-shifting circumstances of salmon stocks provide us with vital information. Yet it is critical to not only gather these statistics, but also to use them to develop concrete action plans that give salmon their very best chance for future survival. With that in mind, the Pacific Salmon Foundation is creating a Climate Action Plan for B.C. salmon by exploring complications that are a result of climate change and that will give PSF a blueprint for moving forward. CONCEPT #1: ASSESS OBSTACLES TO SALMON MIGRATION What: Assess key fish passage facilities and other locations where impediments to salmon migration have been observed or suggested, particularly within the Fraser drainage. Then recommend an updated fish passage plan adjusted to climate change and optimized for migration so salmon can avoid obstacles, conserve energy and spawn successfully. Salmon tend to burn energy faster in warmer waters. Why: Over the past century, fish ladders and other fish passage facilities have been constructed in the Fraser River and other major river systems throughout B.C. Many of these facilities may not be operating optimally given that they were built just CLIMATE The reality of climate change is that what has worked well in the past may not in the future Below: Crews seined salmon that were trapped in the Fraser near Lillooet at the Big Bar Landslide, then loaded them into heli-buckets to be flown over the obstruction. The landslide blocked part of a migratory route for four species of salmon, including Sockeye and Chinook, highlighting the importance of effective fish passage. GOVERNMENT OF B.C. WHILE PSF IS PRIORITIZING IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS, OTHER STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER FOR FUTURE CLIMATE ACTION INCLUDE: • Water strategies that include monitoring of minimum flows needed for salmon, and better storage to prepare for drought; • Designating key salmon habitat as "Ecologically Significant Areas" under the Fisheries Act to prohibit damaging activities; • Prevention, monitoring and treatment for invasive species. Developing a Climate