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Okanagan Sockeye Salmon The Dream of Returning Home Comes True

Jennifer Schell · September 5, 2012 ·

Did you know that once upon a time we had salmon living in Okanagan Lake?  With the annual Sockeye Salmon run now en route to Osoyoos, I sat down with Jon Crofts from Codfathers Seafood Market in Kelowna for a history lesson on this incredible fish and the efforts being made to  stabilize and rebuild the declining wild Okanagan Sockeye population and to revitalize the Okanagan Nation salmon fishery. The salmon would currently be mid-way through their 1200 km journey up the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean to their spawning grounds in the Okanagan River. So what happened to the Sockeye Salmon in Okanagan Lake? 

In the mid-1800’s, the Sockeye fishery began to change dramatically with the arrival of European traders and ranchers.  Settlement along the river, the building of dams, channelization, commercial fishing, irrigation and domestic water use damaged salmon habitat, interrupted migration routes, reduced stocks entering the rivers to spawn, increased competition for the resource and destroyed traditional fishing sites. The Okanagan River is the largest of three remaining Columbia River Sockeye runs.  Of the total Sockeye return to the Columbia Basin, over 80% are Okanagan stock.  Since the 1990’s, the Okanagan Sockeye escapement has fluctuated between 5,000 and 210,000.  Years when only a few thousand Sockeye returned to the spawning grounds had conservationists fearing for its extinction. Now for the good news!  Through the conservation work of the ONA (Okanagan Nation  Alliance) and favourable environmental conditions – a record Sockeye Salmon run of up to 500,000 fish is expected to return this year!

The ONA has been working with many agencies in Canada and the US to restore the Okanagan River to its natural state and reopen the historical migration route for salmon and other native fish species.  The Okanagan Sockeye Reintroduction Program, initiated under the guidance of Okanagan elders, is currently in Year 8 of 12 of stocking marked Sockeye fry into Skaha Lake to determine the feasibility of reintroduction.  The goal is to continue this work allowing the salmon population back in to Skaha Lake and then hopefully Okanagan Lake.  Can you imagine?  One day we may be able to enjoy Sockeye Salmon in Okanagan Lake! Jon and Anne-Marie Crofts of Codfathers Seafood Market in Kelowna have become involved with this conservation work and have signed an agreement with the ONA allowing Jon to process and distribute the salmon in the valley.  They are working on setting up a direct sales site in Osoyoos and Jon has trained a new staff of fishmongers to work there. 

They will also be have a special processing room at the back of the Codfathers current shop operation set up to exclusively handle these local fish.  Jon is thrilled to be a part of this exciting project, “This is a really good thing for the Valley. It’s not very often that you get to see such a dramatic effect following conservation efforts”.  Jon wants “to make sure that the fish are respected, taken care of and managed locally”, and comments that this initiative will also “secure local this food source for the Valley for years to come” Interesting Fact:  Did you know that Kokanee found in Okanagan Lake are the same species as Sockeye Salmon? 

Once upon a time, perhaps blocked by ice, some of the salmon became landlocked in Okanagan Lake and could not leave for the run.  These fish then evolved into Kokanee.

Celebrate the Salmon at the Okanagan Nation Salmon Feast!

The Okanagan Nation Alliance is pleased to host the Annual Syilx (Okanagan Nation) Salmon Feast and Celebration. The gathering will be held September 14-16, 2012 at Okanagan Falls Provincial Park. The purpose of this event is to preserve the traditions and culture of the Syilx people, while raising awareness about the environmental issues that are impacting fish stocks in the Okanagan watershed. These ecological issues impact the community at large, as we collectively struggle to manage and become good stewards of the environment. With your support, the Syilx (Okanagan) people will be able to continue this ancient cultural practice of honoring the sacredness of the river, welcoming the salmon back to the territory and raising awareness of these important environmental issues.For more Information, Please Contact:
Dominique Alexis, ONA Events Planner
T: (250) 707-0095 ext 106 

~ Jennifer Schell

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Filed Under: Features Tagged With: feast, fish, OK Falls Park, okanagan, Okanagan Nation, salmon, stocks, Syilx, traditions

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