Salmon Struggle in Okanagan Waters | Vancouver News

Sockeye salmon returns to B.C.’s Okanagan are plummeting again this year, with scientists and the Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance warning numbers may fall below half of what’s needed to sustain spawning. Warmer rivers and dropping water levels are forcing fish to abandon their historic journey—nearly 1,000 km from the ocean, past nine dams—to find cooler refuge. With no fishing allowed this season, the crisis hits especially hard for the Syilx, whose culture and spirituality are deeply tied to the salmon, ntytyix. A watershed emergency declared last May underscores the urgency, as decades of logging have stripped riverbanks of vital tree cover, raising water temps and endangering even juvenile fish, which struggle more in warm water while swimming. Protecting riparian forests is now seen as the critical, simple fix to cool the rivers and save the salmon’s future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7e0f7c829fbd406b