Research Document 2019/011

Pre-COSEWIC review of southern British Columbia Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) conservation units, Part I: Background

By Brown, G.S., Baillie, S.J., Thiess, M.E., Bailey, R.E., Candy, J.R., Parken, C.K., and Willis, D.M.

Abstract

A majority of Chinook Salmon populations (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from southern British Columbia (entering the ocean south of Cape Caution) have experienced repeated years of low spawner escapements. There is also a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the longer term trends in abundance and productivity of all populations of southern British Columbia Chinook Salmon. These populations are currently being assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Concurrently, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is undertaking several initiatives to assess the current status of these populations and to guide implementation of Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon (also called the Wild Salmon Policy, WSP) for southern BC Chinook Salmon.

As the primary generator and archivist of information related to southern BC Chinook Salmon, and in order to fulfill the data needs of the ongoing initiatives, DFO is responsible for reviewing available data and information held by the department and providing it to COSEWIC prior to their assessment.

Following the initial Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat review in March 2013, and owing partly to the large volume of data and information to be covered by this report, the original terms of reference were split into two research documents, with the second part (primarily focusing on the data analyses) undergoing additional review in November 2013.

Part 1 (Background) addresses general discussions of designatable units, life history characteristics, key habitat requirements, identification of threats to habitat, whether the species has a residence (as defined by SARA) and identification of other threats and limiting factors that could impact the species’ risk of extinction.

Part 2 (Data, Analysis and Synthesis) focuses on the data sources and methods used to assemble and prepare time series of escapement data, and presents other data relevant to the quantitative assessment of COSEWIC criteria of abundance and distribution for southern BC Chinook Salmon conservation units.

Research Document 2019/011 (PDF, 2,140 KB)

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