Fraser River sockeye fishery to stay closed – Times Colonist
July 22, 2020
Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Tuesday that it does not expect to allow any commercial or recreational fishery for Fraser River sockeye this year due to concerns about the stocks.
The department said in a notice Tuesday that Fraser River sockeye forecasts are “highly uncertain” at this time.
Salmon watchers are concerned about the variability in annual survival rates for returning fish and uncertainty over how the salmon fared due to changing ocean conditions. The sockeye spend the majority of their lives in the Pacific before returning to spawn in their home rivers and streams.
Fraser River sockeye returns from 2015 and 2016 were forecast at 941,000 in total.
Last year, the returns of 485,900 were the lowest since record keeping began in 1893.
