Expanded fishing closures and size restrictions are part of new actions announced by the federal government to protect threatened Fraser River chinook salmon. He says they're taking the unprecedented action because of historic low populations of chinook salmon, which are the favoured food of endangered southern resident killer whales. Big Bar landslide updateFisheries and Oceans Canada acted last year to protect Fraser River chinook stocks, including efforts to clear a massive landslide in the river which further threatened the species. Beech says of the 13 Fraser River chinook salmon populations, 12 are considered to be at risk. Fisheries and Oceans estimates chinook productivity declined between 25 and 40 per cent since the early 1980s across many B.C.

Source: CBC News June 20, 2020 00:56 UTC