In June the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced sweeping closures to the commercial salmon fishery coast wide. It amounts to about a 60 per cent reduction in commercial fishing tenures, the most drastic commercial fishing closures ever. The decisions were not made lightly but, as we’ll hear from our featured interview today, DFO felt they had no other choice as Pacific salmon returns continue to trend downward.

Currently there are also major closures for sockeye and chinook sport fishing on the Skeena River and tributaries, as well as the Nass. These will likely remain in place for the remainder of the season with some exceptions. There are limited Pink and Coho openings on some rivers, but majority of the restrictions will not be updated until at least Aug. 15.

According to new research out of Simon Fraser University, Skeena sockeye have seen over all reductions of nearly 90 percent over the last century.

Chinook populations coast wide have been dwindling for years, amid climate change, warmer north pacific waters, which intern means less zooplankton for chinook to feed on.

All of this and more has put major pressure on Pacific salmon over many decades and the commercial fishing industry has taken the biggest hit this year.

On today’s show we’ll discuss what went into the decision to shutdown 60 per cent of the commercial fishing industry in BC, in our conversation with Neil Davis, Acting Regional Director for Fisheries Management for DFO.