B.C. First Nation to develop salmon hatchery with Fisheries Department

Coho salmon swim at the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Capilano River Hatchery, in North Vancouver, on Friday July 5, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

The Tsilhqot’in National Government in British Columbia says it has formed a "historic partnership" with the federal Fisheries Department to develop a permanent salmon conservation hatchery in its territory.

It says the hatchery will be managed by the nation, which is host to three salmon-bearing watersheds: the Chilcotin, the Chilko, and the Taseko rivers.

The First Nation says the recovery of fish stocks has been a "long-standing nation-wide priority" and a larger, permanent hatchery will help bring back wild stocks, while supporting traditional fishing practices.

It says its lands are home to spawning and nursery grounds for a sockeye run, noting that the salmon have faced significant challenges resulting in low returns.

Joe Alphonse, Tsilhqot'in National Government's tribal chair, says in a news release that a landslide this summer that blocked the Chilcotin River stopped his people from harvesting fish.

He says the nation is hopeful the hatchery will help rebuild vulnerable salmon populations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.