Due to the extreme decline of mature spawning Thompson and Chilcotin River Steelhead Trout, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has conducted an emergency threat assessment which concluded today that the two populations of sea-going Steelhead Trout are at imminent risk of extinction. Both populations were assessed as Endangered following the seldom-used fast-track emergency assessment process. BCWF President Harvey Andrusak said, “We fully support the call for emergency listing of the Thompson Chilcotin river system’s breeding steelhead under the federal Species At Risk Act (SARA). We are pleased that an independent committee has confirmed that the species need to have all the protection afforded by the SARA in order to save these fish from extinction.”
Read the full release Here.
Read our submission requesting an Examination of Canada’s Failure to Protect Endangered Pacific Salmon and Anadromous Trout Species under the Species at Risk Act here.