The Tsilhqot'in National Government (TNG) have issued a fisheries closure on all Chinook and Sockeye salmon as a response to the impacts of the Chilcotin River landslide on returning salmon.
After the dam created by a large landslide blocking the flow of the Chilcotin River gave way, a rush of water and debris have been washed downstream and the path of the river has changed significantly.
Chief Joe Alphonse, chair of TNG and chief of Tl'etinqox-t'in, who took a look at the river on Tuesday, Aug. 6, said it will create a significant barrier for returning salmon.
"You fly over and you don't have to be a biologist to tell you it's very concerning," he said, noting there is currently a waterfall in one section.
"We're very concerned and we will be monitoring that," he said.
The closure issued on Aug. 8, states the council of chiefs is requesting all members do not harvest Jas (Chinook) and Ts'eman (Sockeye) due to "severe impacts" on low 2024 salmon returns.
This is the first cycle of returning salmon after the Big Bar landslide in 2019, a river blockage on the Fraser River which created a five-metre barrier for returning salmon when it occurred.
Typically, salmon can leap up over waterfalls and other barriers up to about two meters high, depending on surrounding conditions and water levels. Salmon were trucked up past the barrier as an emergency measure at the time.
The goal of the closure to fishing is to maximize the spawning success of these populations to aid in their recovery and long-term sustainability.
"We can all help protect severely impacted Jas and Ts'eman for the future by allowing them to safely return to their spawning grounds," states the notice.
Safety of people dipnetting along the banks will also be an ongoing issue and further reason for the closure, noted Alphonse.
He said during flights in the area, other areas of instability have been noted, and two smaller slides had already taken place upstream of the larger slide.
According to the Pacific Salmon Foundation, female salmon which successfully return to their home streams to spawn can lay between 2,000 and 10,000 eggs, however, less than one per cent of these eggs survive to the next generation.
Only 15 per cent of eggs survive long enough to hatch, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service.
Low returns mean every salmon able to reach their home stream can be important in the survival of a salmon run.
For more information on the closure to fishing for returning Chilcotin salmon, contact rbillyboy@tsilhqotin.ca or 250-392-3918.
