The B.C. Wildlife Federation supports a sockeye fishery as returns are massively exceeding projections on multiple runs.
DFO has opened a sockeye fishery for much of the south coast excluding the Fraser River and the mouth of the Fraser.
For management purposes, sockeye salmon are divided up into four stock groupings, including the Early Stuart, Early Summer, Summer and Late run fish. There is an opportunity for a responsible and sustainable Summer-run stock sockeye fishery with minimal impact to weaker Late runs.
This year’s Early Stuart sockeye run is the largest since 1997 and approximates productivity levels from the 1970s. The Pacific Salmon Commission has updated its in-season estimate for this run from 116,000 to 725,000 fish, more than six times higher than forecast.
Early Summer run fish are returning at nearly double the early projections, with the Summer-run sockeye at 2.2 times higher.
The projection for Late runs headed to the Weaver, Birkinhead, Sushwap and Adams River have been increased from pre-season projections of 468,000 to 700,000.
Since 2018, recreational fisheries on the Fraser have been increasingly rare, dropping to zero days in 2024 for Chinook and sockeye with limited opportunities for other species.
However, BCWF believes there is a harvestable surplus more than adequate for First Nations, commercial, and public fisheries.
Based on earlier historical analyses, a sustainable rod-and-reel fishery would have yielded 72,000 sockeye. But this year is likely to be constrained by DFO if a sockeye opening takes place. A comparable year, which was 2022, and using its DFO creel survey data the ballpark number for harvest in 2025 is likely to be 10,000 to 30,000 fish. However, this estimate is subject to angler interest, DFO’s decision surrounding length of time allowed to fish, and the continuing strength of the run size.
It is likely that a recreational fishery for pinks will be announced in the days to come. A Fraser River sockeye opening is also justified by the strength of returns observed to date. Angler interest will be high, so remember to be respectful and courteous to fellow anglers and First Nations harvesters.
A big thanks for our members for their support as we advocate for public access to public resources.
View the Fishery Notice on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website here.