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Fisheries Assessment for the Sto:Lo First
Nation
Sto:Lo First Nation
The Fraser River has one of the largest sockeye
salmon fisheries in the world. In some years, fewer sockeye have
arrived on the spawning ground than expected given the estimated
abundance near the mouth of the Fraser River at Mission, British
Columbia. There are many possible reasons for the apparent shortfall
(Alexander 1999). These include unanticipated pre-spawning mortality
due to high temperatures or disease, difficulties in ascending the
Fraser River during high flows, inaccurate estimates of abundance
at Mission and/or on the spawning ground, and inaccurate estimates
of native catch.
The Sto:Lo First Nation retained ESSA to conduct
a summary analysis of these uncertainties, and to make recommendations
on how to reduce them. The Sto:Lo also requested advice from ESSA
on how to develop a better working relationship between First Nations
and the federal government for co-management and co-stewardship
of Pacific salmon fisheries.
More recently in a related project, ESSA was
engaged by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to develop a computerized
tool for the management
and evaluation of river catch information that produces more
statistically defensible estimates of native sockeye and chinook
salmon catches on the Upper and Lower Fraser River.
References:
 Alexander,
C.A.D. 1999. Contradictory data and the application of the precautionary
approach: a case study for setting escapement targets for the Early
Stuart run of Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka),
British Columbia. Rep. No. 237. Master's thesis, School of Resource
and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby,
BC.
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