Early sockeye salmon counts in Johnstone Strait are raising hopes for a strong run this season. On July 31, the test fishery recorded a staggering 14,550 sockeye—the highest single-day total for July since monitoring began.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has tallied over 700,000 early sockeye so far, far surpassing the pre-season forecast of 160,000. While the exact cause remains unclear, DFO spokesperson Leri Davies credited collaborative conservation efforts by First Nations and government agencies.
This resurgence comes six years after a devastating landslide blocked access to key spawning grounds. Davies said commercial and recreational fisheries may reopen later this season, but for now, First Nations fisheries remain the priority under conservation protocols.
On August 1, ʼNa̱mǥis Nation fishers joined others for a four-day food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) fishery. A second FSC window opened August 6 and runs through August 9. The ʼNa̱mǥis have been allocated a 5,000-sockeye quota, which hereditary chief and retired fisherman Don Svanvik said could mean about a dozen fish per household if the full quota is caught.
Svanvik reflected on the scarcity of sockeye in recent years, noting that the ʼNa̱mǥis have only fished for sockeye in four of the past 15 years—2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. “It’s gotten to the point where some people think sockeye only return every four years,” he said. But this year’s run feels different.
He recalled a time when his family would catch 100 to 150 sockeye annually. Known locally as “sliders” for their signature half-circle leaps, sockeye are once again a familiar sight. “Right now, everybody on Johnstone Strait is seeing those fins flash across the water,” he said.
Both Svanvik and Morton believe the closure of Atlantic salmon farms in 2021 off Vancouver Island’s east coast may be playing a role. “This is the first year and last year where we’re starting to see returns of fish that weren’t exposed to salmon farms as juveniles,” Morton explained. “People are wondering—could that be why the numbers are so high?”
Kwakiutl hereditary chief and elected councillor David Knox echoed that the rebound likely has multiple causes. He also warned that salmon face ongoing threats beyond fish farms, including logging, mining, and deep-sea trawling. Knox, who spent five years on trawl boats, emphasized the need for broader protections.
He also voiced frustration over restrictions that prevent Indigenous communities from fishing for economic gain. Knox plans to launch a “pre-confederation” fishery outside DFO regulations, citing rights under the 1851 Fort Rupert Douglas treaties.
Meanwhile, commercial salmon fishing remains closed in Johnstone Strait-area waters on both sides of the Canada–U.S. border.
