Thompson Steelhead Working GroupUpdate! November 2018Recovery Potential Assessment CompletedThe Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat has published a Science Advisory Board Report called Recovery Potential Assessment for Chilcotin River and Thompson River Steelhead Trout Designatable Units in response to the recommendation by COSEWIC that Interior Fraser Steelhead be listed as endangered. The assessment summary (pages 2-3) concludes: “Given the declining and very low abundances of both the Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead DUs, any harm will inhibit or delay potential recovery and potentially result in further declines in abundance. Allowable harm should not be permitted to exceed current levels and should be reduced to the maximum extent possible. Preventing and mitigating habitat destruction, restoring damaged habitat, and reducing exploitation rates, to the extent possible, are immediate actions that will increase the likelihood that allowable harm will not exceed current levels and promote recovery if productivity increases.” September 2018DFO Invites Consultation on Potential Emergency SARA Listing of Thompson and Chilcotin SteelheadOn February 13, 2018 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) concluded that two populations of sea‐going Steelhead Trout breeding in the Thompson and Chilcotin river systems in British Columbia were at imminent risk of extinction. Both populations were assessed as Endangered, and COSEWIC has recommended an emergency listing order under the federal Species at Risk Act.: see 2018 COSEWIC Listing. On September 18 Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced consultations respecting potential listings for Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead Trout under the federal Species at Risk Act. The consultations follow on a COSWIC assessment of these populations as Endangered and a recommendation for an emergency listing. Learn more about the consultations.
About the Thompson Steelhead Working GroupThe Thompson Steelhead Working Group is a multi-governmental collaborative initiative formed in 2014 to bring together representatives of the Nlaka’pamux and Secwepemc First Nations, the Province of BC and the Government of Canada (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) to develop a recovery and management plan for Thompson Steelhead. The Thompson Steelhead Working Group is now:
The five steps associated with the planning framework are to:
Thompson Steelhead Population Trends
Although the abundance of Thompson Steelhead varies year to year, populations have declined overall since the 1990s. In 2015 numbers were low, with an estimated 440 fish returning to spawn. These returns were considerably less than the pre-season forecast of 1,300 spawners and in-season forecast of 850 spawners. The numbers have continued to fall. In 2016, there was an estimated 380 fish returning to spawn and in 2017 an estimated 290. In 2017, the spawning population forecast for the Thompson watershed is 177 and the current spawning population forecast for the Chilcotin watershed is 58.
Thompson Steelhead pre-fishery abundance is shown in red above; spawner abundance is shown in blue: 1984-2016. 2018 Update: COSEWIC ListingOn February 13, 2018 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) concluded that two populations of sea‐going Steelhead Trout breeding in BC's Thompson and Chilcotin river systems (Oncorhynchus mykiss, TRS and CRS respectively) are at imminent risk of extinction. Both populations were assessed as Endangered, and COSEWIC recommended an emergency listing order under the federal Species at Risk Act. A mere 177 fish returned from the sea to the Thompson River in late fall 2017, and only 58 returned to the Chilcotin River. This is an all‐time low since records began in 1978, and the endpoints of downward trends that started over a decade ago. The main threats include inadvertent bycatch of adults by net fisheries targeting Pacific salmon and poor ocean conditions.C COSEWIC has asked Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change to issue emergency listings of these populations as Endangered. See:
Steelhead Management Initiative
The Nkala’pamux and Secwepemc First Nations are working to protect and restore the Thompson Steelhead through habitat enhancements and management agreements between the three orders of government to ensure the sustainable abundance of Steelhead for the future. The Province of BC is also taking steps most notably through the Provincial Framework for Steelhead Management and provincial designations aimed at protecting key habitat. Fisheries and Oceans Canada leads the annual development of the Southern BC Integrated Fisheries Management Plan. The working group plans to coordinate efforts to support Steelhead within the Thompson region. Learn MoreLearn more about: Contact UsThe Fraser Basin Council serves as secretariat for the working group. You can reach the working group at: Thompson Steelhead Working Group
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Status of Steelhead
The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat flagged in its 2018 Recovery Potential Assessment that the number of mature Steelhead that returned to fresh water from the sea in the fall of 2017 and spawned in the spring of 2018 was 150 for the Thompson DU and 77 for the Chilcotin DU. The estimated decline of Steelhead Trout spawners over the last three generations has been 79% (over 15 years) for the Thompson DU, and 81% (over 18 years) for the Chilcotin DU. Meetings with Forest Industry Reps
With financial support from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Thompson Steelhead Working Group held meetings with West Fraser, BC Timber Sales and Stuwix Joint Venture, which conduct forestry operations in the Nicola, Bonaparte and Deadman watersheds. The meetings provided an opportunity to share First Nations values and the current status of Thompson Steelhead, discuss existing forest management commitments and identify modified forest management practices that could help reverse the decline of Thompson steelhead. A funding application was submitted in October 2017 for a three-year funded project, with the forest industry as partners, to monitor water temperatures and identify linkages with enhanced retention during logging. A project with financial support from:
Steelhead Assembly A synopsis of the discussion at the Thompson Steelhead Assembly is available: see Thompson Steelhead Assembly | December 2, 2016. Thompson River Steelhead are in decline, and action is needed. In 2016 the multi-governmental Thompson Steelhead Working Group released a draft Thompson Steelhead Recovery and Management Plan for public comment through an online survey and for discussion across multiple sectors. In December over 80 people from First Nations, provincial, federal and local governments, sport fishing organizations, the commercial fishing sector, small business interests in Spence’s Bridge, and the agriculture, mining and forestry sectors participated in a one-day meeting to discuss the declining populations of Thompson Steelhead, share perspectives and look at opportunities for improvement under the proposed Thompson Steelhead Recovery and Management Plan. For more background, see the Working Group's December 5 media release as well as the synopsis of the Thompson Steelhead Assembly. Working Group Members
Dean Allan Rob Bison Michael Burwash Ashley Dobko Pat Matthew Brigid Payne David Walkem |
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