Monitoring for fisheries or for fish? Declines in monitoring of salmon spawners continue despite a conservation crisis
Emma M. Atkinson, Bruno Carturan, Clare P. Atkinson, Andrew W. Bateman, Katrina Connors, Eric Hertz, Stephanie J. Peacock
Abstract
Monitoring of salmon in Pacific Canada has been declining for decades. Counts of spawning salmon enable researchers to quantify stressor impacts, identify where management interventions are required, and evaluate recovery effort efficacy. These data are critical now, as uniquely adapted populations underlie salmon resilience (e.g., to climate change), and fine-scale data informs sustainable fishing opportunities including revitalizing terminal fisheries. We revisit the state of Pacific salmon spawner data from the Yukon to southern BC. Almost two-thirds of historically monitored salmon populations have no reported estimates in 2014–2023—the worst decade for data since broadscale surveys began in the 1950s. We found positive associations between the number of populations monitored and landed value for three of the five Pacific salmon species, suggesting that monitoring is, in part, motivated by the information needs of commercial fisheries management. We recommend aligning objectives and strategic investments to improve monitoring outcomes for salmon, ecosystems, and communities depending on them. We emphasize data stewardship, as ensuring access to these baseline data are a cornerstone for rebuilding wild Pacific salmon.