Vuntut Gwitchin Government says Chinook Salmon count is the "worst on record"

Monday, 2 August 2021 13:58

By Dylan MacNeil

As of July 31, there are only 337.

The Vuntut Gwitchin Government says their Chinook Salmon count for this year is the "worst on record."

Numbers have been dwindling since 2016. That year the Vuntut Gwitchin Government counted just over five thousand Chinook Salmon. The records show numbers dropping by about a thousand each year, and this year, as of July 31, there are only 337.

Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation fishers are being asked not to take Chinook and release any that are accidentally caught. Fishers are also asked to use nets four inches or smaller to avoid catching salmon.

A voluntary closure of the fishery is in effect until August 9^th, or until numbers improve.

A Facebook post by the Vuntut Gwitchin Government says, “we do this so our children and grandchildren can fish for salmon.”

Kwanlin Dün First Nation is also asking Beneficiaries and Citizens not to harvest Chinook this season. They say low spawning numbers and seasonally high waters are endangering the salmon population.

According to the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s website, “salmon populations are threatened by overfishing, habitat fragmentation and climate change, among other factors. Many populations have been lost to extinction, while others are in severe decline.”

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