Following the Fish: Nuxalk-Led Adaptive Monitoring for Sockeye Recovery
The Atnarko River flows through Nuxalk Ancestral Territory on the Central Coast of British Columbia, connecting five lakes that provide important nursery habitat for sockeye salmon before joining the Talchako River to form the Bella Coola River.
A Population in Need of Recovery
For generations, the Atnarko River supported abundant sockeye returns, with around 30,000 salmon returning each year to reproduce. But in the early 2000s, the population collapsed. Since then, annual returns have remained far below historic levels, at only about 2,500 salmon.
In response, sockeye recovery became a priority for the Nuxalk Nation. The community developed the Atnarko Sockeye Recovery Plan to guide efforts to conserve and rebuild the salmon population. However, there was still limited information about how sockeye use the five nursery lakes throughout their lives—including which lakes they use, how many salmon are present, and how their use of these habitats changes as they grow. Understanding this is important for assessing the health of the population and making informed decisions about future recovery efforts.
Building a Clearer Picture
With funding from the Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF), the Nuxalk Stewardship Office expanded its efforts to gather information about sockeye throughout the Atnarko watershed. Nuxalk staff were trained to use hydroacoustic equipment, which uses underwater sound to detect fish, estimate their abundance and determine their location. Staff then put their training into practice, using the technology to survey juvenile sockeye in the Atnarko nursery lakes. The team also conducted creek walks to count returning adults and collected biological samples to learn more about the different sockeye populations in the watershed.
The monitoring revealed an unexpected finding: sonar surveys detected a high density of juvenile sockeye in Elbow Lake, one of the most remote nursery lakes, even though adult sockeye had not been observed there for several years. The contrast between the presence of many juveniles and the lack of observed adults highlighted an important information gap and the need for further investigation.
A map of the Atnarko Watershed with spawning areas depicted in text (Photo Credit: Nuxalk Stewardship Office, Fish and Wildlife Department)
New Knowledge, New Approaches
The findings led Nuxalk and its science partners to adapt their approach and change how a portion of the project funding would be used. Plans were developed for a remote weir at Elbow Lake equipped with solar-powered cameras and AI technology to help identify and count adult sockeye as they pass through. This new approach could provide more consistent monitoring at this remote location and help determine whether adults are returning to the lake without being detected.
By strengthening Nuxalk’s monitoring capacity and filling critical knowledge gaps, the project is building a stronger foundation for Atnarko sockeye recovery. As new information is collected, Nuxalk can adjust its monitoring and use the findings to inform future sockeye recovery efforts. ISF is proud to support this work and Nuxalk’s ongoing efforts to better understand, protect and rebuild this important salmon population.
The Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) works in close partnership with the First Nations Fisheries Council (FNFC), which serves as a frontline organization for collaboration with First Nations across British Columbia. FNFC leads relationship-building and engagement with more than 200 First Nations across the province, listening to and identifying Nations’ interests, priorities and perspectives. ISF complements this work by serving as the funding mechanism that helps turn those relationships and priorities into action. Together, FNFC and ISF ensure that the leadership, needs and priorities of BC First Nations are met with flexible and accessible resources that support Indigenous-led stewardship, habitat protection and long-term environmental resilience.
