SkeenaWild provides scientific support to First Nations fisheries programs – including Wet’suwet’en, Gitxan, Gitanyow, and Ned’u’ten – with the shared goal of bringing more fish back to the river by advancing rebuilding plans for diminished salmon populations across the Skeena watershed. Working in partnership with Indigenous governments, our research helps identify limiting factors, quantify recovery potential, and prioritize actions required to rebuild depleted populations.

Our collaboration with Wet’suwet’en Fisheries has resulted in the implementation of priority research initiatives identified in the Rebuilding Plan for the Morice Sockeye Recovery Unit, which focuses on addressing key knowledge gaps for recovery. In parallel, we are supporting the Wet’suwet’en in the development of a rebuilding plan for Chinook in the Widzin Kwa, extending this approach to another culturally- and ecologically-important species in the watershed.

We’re investigating long-term changes in genetic diversity in salmon by analyzing biological material spanning more than 1,000 years. In collaboration with the University of Northern British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, our work examines salmon bones recovered from the ancient processing site of Smokehouse Island in the Babine watershed – samples that date back a millenium – to understand historical patterns of genetic diversity prior to industrial development and modern fisheries.

Preliminary results indicate a substantial decline in genetic diversity of sockeye salmon over the past 1,000 years. To better understand when and how this loss has occurred, the program compares genetic data from three time periods: ancient salmon bones, archived scales from commercial fisheries collected a century ago, and tissue samples from fish returning to spawn in recent years. Together, these comparisons provide a rare, long-term perspective on genetic change.

This research also explores whether large-scale artificial production – such as the long-term operation of spawning channels in the Babine watershed – may have influenced the genetic composition of wild sockeye populations. By placing contemporary genetic patterns in a deep historical context, this program aims to inform conservation strategies that safeguard the genetic resilience necessary for salmon populations to adapt to future environmental change.

We evaluate how salmon conservation policy is implemented in practice, with particular attention to Canada’s Wild Salmon Policy. Through applied research, synthesis, and collaboration with partners, SkeenaWild works to strengthen the connection between policy commitments and on-the-ground conservation outcomes for wild salmon.

A core component of our work has been a broad, collaborative effort to reflect on two decades of experience implementing the Wild Salmon Policy. Dr. Michael Price and Dr Brendan Connors (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) recently initiated a special collection of peer-reviewed papers published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences to mark the 20^th anniversary of the Policy’s adoption. This collection hosts a diverse range of perspective that examine the successes, limitations, and future directions of the Policy. Building on this collection, SkeenaWild is supporting an upcoming workshop that will bring together scientists, conservation practitioners, Indigenous leaders, and managers to identify practical pathways for improving policy implementation over the next 20 years.

Central to this program is a focus on salmon monitoring – how populations are assessed, how information is used in decision-making, and how monitoring priorities have evolved over time. SkeenaWild’s research examines changes in salmon monitoring and assessment practices over the past 75 years, evaluating how shifts in methods, coverage, and objectives influence our ability to detect population trends, assess status, and support recovery. Read our recent publication here. By identifying where monitoring has improved, where gaps remain, and how current efforts align with policy goals, this work seeks to ensure that conservation policy is translated into effective, evidence-based management of wild salmon.