By Jared Dick, Central Region Biologist
Every year, fisheries technicians across Nuu-chah-nulth territory begin the important task of counting returning sockeye salmon. Their work helps determine whether enough fish reach the spawning grounds to sustain future generations and informs harvest decisions throughout the fishing season.
West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) sockeye populations exist at varying levels of abundance and health. While some populations support Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC), commercial and recreational fisheries, others are only healthy enough to support FSC harvests, and unfortunately some populations cannot support any harvest at all.
Nations match their monitoring approach to the watershed, the timing of the run, access conditions, and the type of management decision the information needs to support.
Depending on the situation, Nations use different methods to monitor returning sockeye. Each approach has advantages and limitations, but they all share the same objective: estimating the number of sockeye returning to the spawning grounds, known as escapement, to inform fisheries management.
Walking or snorkeling spawning grounds is the most common method used to enumerate sockeye and other salmon species along the west coast of Vancouver Island. These surveys are particularly suitable for remote watersheds with limited access. For example, Ahousaht’s Megin sockeye spawn in the Upper Megin River, which is only accessible by helicopter. Because these surveys occur after fish have reached the spawning grounds, they are less suitable for informing in-season harvest decisions. Instead, they are primarily used to monitor year over year returns to see if there are any trends in sockeye escapements over time. Mowachat/Muchalaht First Nation, monitor their fishers in-season harvest of sockeye returning to the Gold River system. Tracking catch provides the Nation with information on the strength of the run so they can adjust their fisheries if need be.
Other approaches use counting fences or sonar systems to count sockeye as they migrate toward their natal lakes. Uchucklesaht operates a temporary counting fence each year in the Hucuklis (Henderson) River, using mechanical counting tunnels to enumerate migrating sockeye. At Hobiton River, a tributary flowing into Nitinat Lake, Ditidaht operates a echo sounding system that automatically records and counts passing fish. Both systems require regular maintenance to remove debris, repair damage and ensure reliable data collection. Because these methods provide timely estimates throughout the migration, they can be used to inform in-season harvest decisions while also estimating total escapement.
The most intensive Nuu-chah-nulth monitoring system uses fish ladders equipped with counting tunnels that visually record migrating sockeye in real-time. Hupacasath uses this approach at both the Sproat and Stamp rivers to monitor sockeye returning to Sproat Lake and Great Central Lake. Fisheries technicians regularly review the recorded footage to count migrating fish. Each week, a small number of sockeye are also sampled to determine their age and the proportion of females in the run.
Because escapement estimates are updated daily, they provide timely information to support in-season management decisions for the Barkley Sound sockeye fisheries. This information helps guide weekly fishing opportunities discussed by Hupacasath, Tseshaht, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and other fishing sectors through the Area 23 Harvest Roundtable.
This year, the Sproat River experienced record low water flows and warm river temperatures, conditions that hinder sockeye migrating up the Sproat River and into Sproat Lake. The 2026 forecasts indicated that Sproat sockeye would make up a much smaller proportion of the total sockeye return to the Somass system, requiring fisheries managers to adjust fisheries to reduce the catch of Sproat sockeye this fishing season. The daily escapement information has been used by managers to design fisheries to allow more sockeye to make into Sproat Lake. It is an excellent example of how real-time monitoring supports adaptive fisheries management as salmon face increasing challenges from climate change.
Tina Halvorsen of Uchucklesaht working on the Hucuktlis River Sockeye Fence.
Sockeye moving through the fish tunnel and camera monitoring system at the Sproat River fishway.
