While there have been challenges in some areas, Snuneymuxw First Nation's marine division is reporting some wins which they say are largely due to better stock management.
"The health of Nanaimo River in terms of flows and salmon health is recovering," said John White, Snuneymuxw marine division director. "It's not healthy, but some species are recovering."
White said both the pink salmon and chum runs came in strong through their escapement data. The division recorded 54,092 chum, exceeding the target of 40,000, while pink salmon was recorded at 10,790 fish. Unfortunately, chinook salmon was recorded at only 834 fish returning for the summer and spring run, making it an area of concern. The fall chinook run had 3,430 fish, additionally coho salmon was recorded at only 1,421 fish.
For catch data, 326 anglers reported 405 chinook; 265 anglers reported 380 coho; 153 anglers reported 324 chum and 96 anglers reported 86 pink.
"I think the biggest factors for the reduction of Pacific salmon in the Nanaimo River system has to be man-made cumulative effects that has to do with fishing, that has to do with environmental impacts, that has to do with marine shipping, that has to do with predation. Predation isn't actually man-made, but we are seeing higher levels of predation," White said, adding that climate change is also a factor.
Snuneymuxw's marine division has undertaken several projects at the river to aid in recovery efforts, with a major one this past year being the opening and widening the channel at the end of Raines Road with the Nature Trust of B.C.
"The purpose of that channel was to redirect migrating salmon from the ocean, away from the industrial side of the Nanaimo River estuary and start bringing them in on the more eastern side. So that was a big project we did this last year as well as inventory and monitoring the health of the salmon coming in from surveys."
Additional efforts included building an oyster reef in the Nanaimo estuary on the eastern side to increase habitat for migrating fry in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, monitoring the quantity of tire wear toxins present, as well as working with the British Columbia Conservation Federation to tag juvenile migrating salmon. Other projects include kelp reforestation within the water system, predator monitoring, and tree reforestation within the estuary in collaboration with the Nature Trust of B.C.
The lack of trees in the upper reaches has been a challenge for the river, White explained. With a lack of trees there to absorb the water flow, it drains into the river, causing flooding and bringing contaminants, such as salt and tire wear toxins, that can impact the fish.
Over the course of several years, White said there has been a lot of flooding, which is impacting the health of the salmon.
"Last year and this year has been one of the only two years that the Nanaimo River hasn't flooded out..." he said. "That may be in part to some of the work we've done with widening that channel in the estuary."