New report on Nanaimo River Chinook salmon assists with federal rebuilding plan, and offers data-driven solutions to rebuild populations

Jun 6, 2025 | News

BC Conservation Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of a new scientific report by the Aquatic Research and Restoration Center’s Program Manager, Jamieson Atkinson, and Sam James from the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

The report offers a place-based perspective on rebuilding the endangered Nanaimo River summer Chinook salmon. This population has seen fewer than 1,000 adults returning each year since 2014 and was listed as endangered by COSEWIC in 2018, triggering what’s known as a Risk Assessment Method for Salmon (RAMS). Thanks to collaborations with the Snuneymuxw First Nations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Atkinson, a manager of the Bottlenecks to Survival Project, was invited to participate in the RAMS process, as well as a scientific review of the government-led recovery potential assessment. Through his involvement, Atkinson was able to contribute much needed local data and context to the rebuilding planning process.

“What becomes clear is the need for local ground-truthing of data and adaptive strategies that incorporate Indigenous knowledge in research agendas. This has largely been lacking; up until now, on too many peer-reviewed studies,” says Atkinson.

The Bottlenecks to Survival Project, funded by the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, is a large-scale research initiative in partnership with the Pacific Salmon Foundation that utilizes Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags to better understand salmon survival “bottlenecks”. The project is well positioned to offer relevant data to support the recovery of this endangered population, including survival estimates and migration timing, as well as interactions with hatchery salmon, predators, and fisheries.

“We have data on these endangered salmon and they should absolutely be used to guide rebuilding efforts. And these data are accessible – our Nanaimo summer Chinook data dashboard allows everyone in this conversation to explore the data and better understand what’s going on with this population,” says James.

Key findings from preliminary data show very low survival (<1%), highlight broad outmigration and return windows for Chinook salmon and provide preliminary evidence of substantial variability in Chinook survival across habitats and life stages.

Data from the Bottlenecks to Survival Project were used to update existing assessments of limiting factors and life cycle model inputs. Tools, such as the RAMS limiting factors spreadsheet and the CEMPRA model, support recovery planning.

It is hoped that this research can respond to evolving ecological conditions to support a resurgence of Nanaimo's summer Chinook salmon in the coastal waterways of Vancouver Island.

Citation:

Atkinson, J. B., and James, S. 2025. Scientific Briefing: Nanaimo summer Chinook Risk Assessment & Life Cycle Model Updates to Inform a Stock Rebuilding Plan. Can. Contract. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 63: vi + 26 p

BC Conservation Foundation’s Community Conservation Fund Announces 2025 Successful Recipients

Mar 28, 2025 | News

British Columbia Conservation Foundation’s Board of Directors announced five successful recipients for the Community Conservation Fund totaling $25,000.

A diverse range of applications were submitted from across the province, encompassing initiatives focused on community-based environmental education, collaboration, and habitat conservation . The Community Conservation Fund Committee evaluates proposals based on alignment with the BC Conservation Foundation’s mission to support community-based conservation efforts, addressing key needs or knowledge gaps, organizational capacity, and innovation. Collaboration with other groups, particularly with Indigenous communities, and the project's long-term impact are also important.

Successful proposals include the following:

1. Community Lichen Collection and Education Events for Caribou Recovery – Arrow Lakes Caribou Society

The lichen collection and education events project supports recovery of the Central Selkirk Caribou herd. They are working to recover the herd of southern mountain woodland caribou via the Central Selkirk Caribou Maternity Pen project. The maternity pen project is aimed at increasing calf survival and sustaining the herd population.

Tree lichen is collected, dried, and stored until March when caribou are brought into the pen. 300 kg of dried lichen is needed to transition the caribou to a specialized pellet diet during the penning season (March - July annually).

Lichen collection is done by volunteers and Arrow Lakes Caribou Society members and contractors. They host community lichen collection events to educate the general public about caribou recovery efforts, and the importance of immediate recovery action. They host school lichen collection field trips to teach and engage student groups about caribou recovery in BC.

Award – $5,000

2. Got Bats? BC Community Bat Program – British Columbia Conservation Foundation

"Got Bats?" is a network of community bat projects across BC that promotes bat conservation through (1) education and outreach to raise awareness of threats to bats and to recruit local bat stewards, (2) detection, protection and monitoring of bat roosts, (3) province-wide Citizen Science involvement to engage the public and detect population declines due to White-nose Syndrome and other threats, and (4) enhancement of habitat including installation of bat boxes.

Implemented by local, established stewardship organizations with direct landowner contacts, the importance of this initiative has been widely recognized by the BC Government and BC Bat Action Team, and support for the program is a high priority action item in the current BC Bat Action Plan.

Award – $5,000

3. Dart Creek Ecosystem Restoration Prescribed Fire Project – Golden District Rod and Gun Club

The Golden District Rod and Gun Club is proposing to reintroduce fire into dry ingrown habitats. The prescribed fire for ecosystem restoration and habitat enhancement would cover approximately 600 ha encompassing important habitats for rocky mountain bighorn sheep, mule deer, and mountain goats.

The intent of restoring conifer-encroached habitats is to increase forage availability and sightlines with larger goals of attracting ungulates (particularly sheep) to the treatment area, away from the habitat currently being used along the TransCanada Highway corridor. This will in turn aim to minimize losses from highway collisions and promote habitat connectivity between winter ranges and traditionally used summer habitats.

In addition to creating wildlife habitat, this project will support community security by reducing wildfire risk within the Wildfire Urban Interface (WUI) around Golden.

Award – $5,000

4. Wagg Creek Water Quality Improvement Project – North Shore Streamkeepers Society

Addressing non-point pollution is critical for urban salmon conservation. The funds will be used for laboratory testing phase of a community-based water quality project to inform restoration and water quality remediation. Wagg Creek has good cutthroat and coho salmon habitat. Yet it may receive the North Shore's most concentrated urban runoff due to intense densification. As a major tributary of Mosquito Creek, a salmon rearing/migration corridor to which salmonids are returning in large numbers, Wagg’s toxicity has profound downstream impacts.

Since August 2024, the organisation has been monitoring Wagg's stormwater outfalls to prioritize catchment(s) with the highest potential pollutant loading, but characterizing pollutants is essential to implement remediation. 15 local volunteers are engaged, and they are leveraging industry expertise.

Award – $5,000

5. Tsilhqot'in National Government Small Mammals Program – Tsilhqot'in National Government

The Tsilhqot'in National Government Small Mammal Program is commencing with the pilot year of small mammal surveying in three different areas of the Chilcotin to begin collecting baseline information regarding current species presence and distribution. This pilot year will help to inform any expansion of the surveys for long-term monitoring across various habitats and habitat management methodologies including logging, habitat enhancement projects, access management restoration projects, and changes over time.

Small mammals are a significant part of the nature habitat yet are largely ignored. This program will start looking at small mammals to feed Chilcotin specific information into a number of planning processes that are commencing in the area ranging from forestry planning to non-game animal management planning. Without current information on small mammals their ability to properly and adequately manage habitats for both these species and their predators will be limited.

Award – $5,000

Media Contact:

David Hendrickson
Executive Director
604-576-1433 x 315
dhendrickson@bccf.com

About us: The BC Conservation Foundation promotes thriving fish and wildlife populations through education, collaboration and habitat conservation. We do this by managing projects and initiatives on behalf of key stakeholders and running our own signature programs, such as the Community Conservation Fund. For more information, please visit www.bccf.com.

BC Conservation Foundation Announces Community Conservation Fund Intake 

Nov 7, 2024 | News

Grant Applications Open Until November 30, 2024 

Are you passionate about conserving British Columbia’s rich and diverse natural environment? Do you have an idea for a community project that can help enhance fish, wildlife and habitat in your community?  

BC Conservation Foundation’s Board of Directors are pleased to announce that the Community Conservation Fund Grants Intake is open. 

BC Conservation Foundation believes that impactful conservation work begins with community groups working towards enhancing BC’s fish, wildlife and habitat. The Community Conservation Fund helps empower community-based groups to take action and support locally driven conservation initiatives.  

This is your chance to make a real impact towards conserving BC’s biodiversity. 

Indigenous communities, nonprofits, and community-based groups based in BC are eligible to apply to the Fund to create positive change for BC’s wildlife and ecosystems. 

Eligible projects should demonstrate community-based approaches, collaboration, applied knowledge and/or education to enhance fish and wildlife populations and habitats. 

The intake deadline for applications is November 30, 2024.  

Executive Director, David Hendrickson, is excited about the array of groups and initiatives that apply: 

This initiative illustrates how small groups can come together and create innovative and tangible solutions for the growing challenges facing fish, wildlife and biodiversity. Apply for this opportunity to create a lasting impact for BC’s environment.

Successful recipients will be announced in March 2025.  

For more details, please visit our Community Conservation Fund page.

Educational Scholarships Recipients 2024

Jun 25, 2024 | News

John. B Hold stock Scholarship

We are thrilled to announce Ally Truscott as the recipient of the 2024 John B. Holdstock Scholarship. This award is a testament to Ally’s dedication and academic excellence, particularly in the field of environmental sciences.

As Ally embarks on her academic journey at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), this scholarship will provide support in her pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries. We are confident that her studies will be greatly enriched by this opportunity, and we look forward to the contributions she will make to our understanding and stewardship of wildlife and fisheries.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Dr. Ian & Joyce McTaggart-Cowan Scholarship in Environmental Studies

UVIC Scholarship Award

Congratulations to Alina Fisher as the recipient for the 2024 UVIC’s Dr. Ian & Joyce McTaggart-Cowan Scholarship in Environmental Studies, a recognition that not only honors her commitment to academia as a mature student and parent but also celebrates her passion for wildlife conservation. This scholarship is a stepping stone towards her PhD and a tribute to her dedication to preserving Canada’s rich biodiversity.

New Report Highlights Devastating Impact of Log Boom Operations in Cowichan Estuary

Jun 11, 2024 | News

Cowichan Tribes, BC Conservation Foundation, and Pacific Salmon Foundation year six study results demonstrate need for more to be done to save salmon populations.

DUNCAN, BC - Today, Cowichan Tribes, in collaboration with the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) and the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), released a Year Six Report, outlining the detrimental impacts of log boom storage on wild Pacific salmon populations in the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary. The report, part of a joint eight-year study, emphasizes the need for best practices to be implemented to support the survival and recovery of Chinook salmon and estuary ecosystems.

More than 100 years of log boom handling operations in the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary have littered the sea bed with anoxic zones of cut logs, bark, and sticks, causing widespread damage to salmon dependant eelgrass beds and forage fish populations. This multi-year study clearly indicates that the booms’ current positioning in crucial salmon migration corridors facilitates seal predation, which is one of the key factors in the correlation between declining Pacific salmon populations and burgeoning harbour seal density.

"Stseelhtun (salmon) are an integral part of our spiritual and cultural identity and they have been hit hard by the loss of marsh habitat, climate change, logging, and log boom operations in our territory," said Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels (Sulsulxumaat). "I commend our Luxumexun (Lands and Self Governance) department, BC Conservation Foundation and Pacific Salmon Foundation for their long- term commitment to this study which has delivered concrete data demonstrating the level of crisis our relatives, the salmon, are experiencing. With these results, we look forward to working with government, industry, and partners to take actions to reverse these impacts before it is too late," added Daniels.

Results from the study indicate that the presence of log booms has a statistically significant negative impact on adult Chinook terminal survival. The mechanism is altering predator-prey dynamics between harbour seals and salmon by enhancing predation efficiency. Further, this impact is exacerbated by low flows, preventing adult Chinook from migrating into the river and away from predation pressures in the lower river and estuary. As climate impacts become more severe, the negative impacts of log booms in key migration corridors and low river flows will increase.

Based on the study results, BCCF has developed a series of best management practices specific to the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary designed to limit, restrict, and offset damage to fish and fish habitat. Such listed strategies include: situating the booms in deeper water where ocean-going ships already anchor and onshore log limbing and cleaning practices.

“Indigenous knowledge and Western science both indicate that the current log booming operations in the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary are degrading the estuarine environment physically, chemically,

biologically, and ecologically,” said Jamieson Atkinson, Program Manager, Aquatic Research and Restoration Centre, BC Conservation Foundation. “With climate forecasts calling for increasing drought periods, this study’s findings highlight the urgent need for effective management strategies to ensure the survival and recovery of wild Pacific salmon stocks.”

“Pacific salmon need us to take actions within our control to support their recovery. This study, led by Cowichan Tribes and BC Conservation Foundation, presents us with a clear path forward to collaborate with industry and crown government to update log boom storage practices. The recommendations set out in this report will have immediate and long-term benefits for recovery and resilience of Pacific salmon who depend on healthy estuaries during their migration,” says Michael Meneer, President and CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Additional Information:

• Year 6 Report: Understanding the impact of Anthropogenic and Environmental Conditions on Adult Chinook Salmon
• Technical Backgrounder (Attached)

Media Contacts:

Tara Zwaan, Communications Manager Cowichan Tribes
(250) 732-7502 | Public.Relations@cowichantribes.com

Jamieson Atkinson, R.P. Bio, Program Manager, ARRC BC Conservation Foundation
(250) 390-2525, ext. 103 | jatkinson@bccf.com

Oscar Beardmore-Gray, Communications Coordinator Pacific Salmon Foundation
(778) 522-4413 | obeardmore-gray@psf.ca

Technical Analysis of Year Six Report Findings - Log Boom Operations in the Cowichan Estuary Date: June 11, 2024

This project, led by Cowichan Tribes together with the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF), the University of Victoria (UVic), and the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), involves assessing how industrial and environmental factors affect the survival of adult Chinook salmon in Cowichan Bay, its estuary, and the lower river.

At its peak, log boom operations in the Cowichan Estuary occupied 49% of the area. While the current License of Occupation for Cowichan Bay covers just 5.9% of the estuary, the Year Six Report highlights the need for changes in industrial practices and legislation to restore a healthy ecosystem and mitigate the effects of more than a century of log booming operations.

Methodology

Since 2017, researchers from Cowichan Tribes, BCCF, and UVic have been tagging adult Chinook salmon in Cowichan Bay with Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) to monitor survival to return rates. Adult Chinook are deemed a ‘survivor’ if detected on the mainstem PIT array at river kilometre 7. In 2019, 2020, and 2022, a subset of Chinook was also tagged with acoustic devices to track their location, depth, and acceleration. PIT antennas and acoustic listening receivers were installed extensively throughout the Cowichan River, the estuary, and Cowichan Bay. Using PIT and acoustic tags informs the research team about Chinook behaviours in the bay and lower river environments in relation to human-caused disturbances such as log booms and underwater boat noise – including daytime and nighttime behaviours, staging depths, and potential predation events.

Findings

In short, log booms in the Cowichan Bay reduce Cowichan Chinook survival (see graph below). Log booms were present for five of the six study years (log booms were absent in 2019). Survival was highly variable between study years, ranging from 24% in 2023 to 65% in 2021. Results from the study indicate that log booms have a statistically significant negative impact on adult Chinook terminal survival. The mechanism (i.e. log booms) alters the predator-prey dynamics between harbour seals and salmon by enhancing predation efficiency through log booms. Prolonged staging time in estuaries makes salmon more vulnerable to predation from seals, who rest on booms and prey on the salmon that have to migrate past or underneath them to enter the river.

Further, this impact is exacerbated by low flows, preventing adult Chinook from migrating into the river and away from predation pressures in the lower river and estuary. The study results suggest that climate  change will likely exacerbate poor survival rates. Low flows in the Cowichan River result in longer staging in the lower river and estuary, as Chinook wait for the opportune time to journey upstream to spawn.

As the frequency of summer drought periods increases, the terminal survival of Chinook will likely decrease. Removing barriers to survival, such as log booms, will help facilitate safer migration corridors for salmonids. With the increasing frequency of summer droughts, it is likely that the survival rate of Chinook salmon will decline. By eliminating obstacles to survival, such as log booms, we can help create safer migration pathways for salmon species.

This bar graph represents Chinook terminal survival in high, average, and low river discharge levels. It depicts survival when log booms are present in blue and are absent in gold. The black lines represent the 95% confidence interval bars. They cover a range of values that we are 95% certain contain the true mean of the population.

Next Steps

Cowichan Tribes is working with BCCF to propose alternative log boom operations in the Cowichan Bay region based on current estuarine literature and study data.

Suggestions include:

• Using dryland sorting
• Moving existing log booms to deeper
• Expanding log boom operations to other locations with less critical habitat for