Concern about the declining populations of the Thompson and Chilcotin River Steelhead Trout has been ongoing for several years. Now, following a seldom-used fast-track process, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has concluded that these two populations of sea-going Steelhead Trout, which breed in the Thompson and Chilcotin River systems, are at imminent risk of extinction.

Both populations were assessed as Endangered, and COSEWIC has recommended an emergency listing order under the federal Species at Risk Act.

A graph in the COSEWIC report shows the alarming reduction in the number of Thompson Steelhead returning to the river each year since 1978. In 1985, 3,510 fish returned to spawn; but since 2009, only three years show more than 1,000 returning, and since 2015 that number has been below 500 each year.

In 2016 fewer than 400 fish returned to the Thompson, and only 177 fish returned from the ocean to the Thompson River and its tributaries, such as the Bonaparte and Deadman Rivers, in late fall 2017; an all-time low since records began in 1978.

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乌鸦传媒淚f this rate of decline persists for three generations [one generation equals five years], we乌鸦传媒檒l see a decline to 37 spawning fish,乌鸦传媒� says Dr. John Neilson, Co-chair of the Marine Fishes Subcommittee. 乌鸦传媒淓ven now it乌鸦传媒檚 a really desperate situation. With these returns we乌鸦传媒檙e getting to the stage of fish finding it difficult to find a mate.乌鸦传媒�

Steve Rice乌鸦传媒擳hompson-Nicola Regional District Area 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒� director and a long-time Spences Bridge resident乌鸦传媒攕ays that the decline of the Thompson Steelhead is an emotional issue for him. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e done everything I feel I can. I乌鸦传媒檝e had ministers乌鸦传媒� meetings, written letters, knocked on doors, discussed the issue with the province, sat on the Regional Advisory Committee. I乌鸦传媒檓 on the Spences Bridge Steelhead Advisory Committee and the Fraser Basin Council, where I got the Thompson Steelhead on the radar.

乌鸦传媒淲e have a resource [in the Thompson Steelhead] that乌鸦传媒檚 the best of its class in the world. If it was in Vancouver or Victoria we wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 be having this discussion. But we乌鸦传媒檙e strangling in red tape and government roadblocks.乌鸦传媒�

COSEWIC has concluded that the main threats to the Steelhead include the inadvertent bycatch of adults by net fisheries targeting Pacific salmon, and poor ocean conditions. Neilson agrees that bycatch is a main threat, with marine survival rates of the fish in the Pacific Ocean not good. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e not doing as well in the ocean as they used to.乌鸦传媒�

He adds that with climate change, water temperature will get warmer. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 another potential stress on top of a suite of other issues.乌鸦传媒�

Rice says he has raised concerns regarding the commercial interception of the Thompson Steelhead in the Pacific Ocean. 乌鸦传媒淏ut conversations haven乌鸦传媒檛 come to fruition about the federal government addressing the commercial fishery impact on the Steelhead. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has control over the chum salmon fishery. Where commercial fishermen who go out to catch chum put their nets down is where the Thompson Steelhead are. They say there is a 40 per cent mortality rate [of Thompson Steelhead], but they don乌鸦传媒檛 give the number of fish.乌鸦传媒�

He points out that people come from all over the world to fish for Thompson Steelhead, which can only be done on a catch and release basis (which has a mortality rate of one to three per cent). 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e not just any fish. The fishermen spend money all the way from Vancouver to Spences Bridge, but we see fewer and fewer fishermen come.乌鸦传媒�

Rice notes that the Indigenous community has done a good job trying to manage the Steelhead. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e backing off, but that乌鸦传媒檚 not helping. The Steelhead is a traditional food and ceremonial fish for First Nations, and they乌鸦传媒檝e sacrificed that.乌鸦传媒�

Two recently submitted citizens乌鸦传媒� applications to COSEWIC precipitated the emergency assessment of the Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead. COSEWIC only rarely decides that the gravity of a situation necessitates a fast-track process; the last time was in early 2012, when the committee recommended that three bat species decimated by fungal disease in Eastern Canada should be listed as Endangered under an emergency order. The bats eventually received legal protection in late 2014.

乌鸦传媒淎round the year 2000 things were ticking along quite well, with about 1,500 Thompson Steelhead returning,乌鸦传媒� says Neilson. 乌鸦传媒淭hen it went downhill, with a gradual decrease in the number of spawners. The fast-track process taken by COSEWIC absolutely shows the gravity of the situation.乌鸦传媒�

Rice agrees that the Steelhead situation is grave. 乌鸦传媒淟ots of people are trying, but funding should be a priority. The government looks for great new ideas, but maybe they need to fix what乌鸦传媒檚 broken. The chum fishery could be moved to another zone. It乌鸦传媒檚 not going to be an easy fix, and would mean heavy lifting from the federal government, but it乌鸦传媒檚 possible.乌鸦传媒�

The Steelhead fishery on the Thompson River is currently open from June 1 to October 1, with the provincial government having the option of keeping it open until October 31 if there are at least 850 fish in the annual run. Rice says that when returning numbers were higher, the Steelhead fishery went through to the end of March, and more recently went until the end of December.

乌鸦传媒淭he Steelhead fishery brings a bundle of fishing tourist dollars. Those extra months were bread and butter for this community. Now we乌鸦传媒檙e cut back to one extra month [October], and I乌鸦传媒檓 guessing they won乌鸦传媒檛 be opening the fishery in October this year. But we need that certainty. Fishermen need to know if the fishery will be open in October.

乌鸦传媒淲hen you have something that乌鸦传媒檚 the best of its class in the world, you do what you can and don乌鸦传媒檛 fool around. Once it乌鸦传媒檚 gone, it乌鸦传媒檚 not coming back.乌鸦传媒�

The new COSEWIC assessments have been forwarded to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, The Honourable Catherine McKenna, who will now make a decision on the recommendations for Emergency Listings of the two wildlife species.

editorial@accjournal.ca
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