The Pacific Salmon Commission is forecasting only a small fraction of last year's incredible sockeye run will return to the Fraser River this year, signaling a tough season for fisherman – and an expensive one for salmon lovers.
West Coast fisherman enjoyed a banner year in 2010, which saw roughly 35-million sockeye on the Fraser. This year, the PSC is expecting a mere three to five million.
An abundance of large pink salmon is expected, but commercial fisherman Bob Rezansoff said that could be of little consolation. "The question is, how do you get at them?" Rezansoff said. "You might affect the sockeye."
Alanna Karitakis of The Salmon Shop said the drought could impact seafood diners as well. Families can now buy a whole fish for less than $30, Karitakis said, with enough meat to feed six to eight people – but that will change if this year's predictions prove accurate.
"It will definitely drive the price up if it isn't the same as it was last year," she said.
Long-term sockeye numbers are also grim; poor returns are expected for two more years, at least.
Declining salmon populations have been under investigation since the 2009 collapse, when only a tenth of anticipated sockeye returned to spawn. The Cohen Commission, a federal inquiry into the phenomenon, is looking into possible diseases and ecological factors affecting salmon on the West Coast.
It will release its findings in a final report in June 2012.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Brent Shearer
