Haida Nation is Leading New Ways to Count Salmon Using Camera-based Monitoring
On Haida Gwaii, many salmon streams are naturally dark. Dense forests, deep channels and low light make it difficult to see fish clearly in the water, especially during peak salmon runs.
For generations, the Haida Nation has monitored returning salmon using traditional methods such as walking streams and counting fish by sight. While these methods are deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge and stewardship, the low visibility in many northern streams makes accurate counting challenging.
As a result, estimates for coho and pink salmon returning to spawn have often been incomplete. These gaps in information make it harder to fully understand salmon abundance and to plan harvests and conservation actions with confidence.
A Clearer Way to Count Salmon
To address this challenge, the Haida Nation received funding from the Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) to execute the Haida Nation’s Copper River Coho Camera Project.
The project upgrades an existing salmon weir by:
- Installing a camera-based monitoring system
- Modifying weir panels so every fish passing upstream can be recorded
This approach allows salmon to be counted consistently and accurately, regardless of water clarity or light conditions. Fish are recorded as they move through the weir, creating a reliable record of how many salmon return to spawn.
A camera-based monitoring system helps track salmon movement through the weir, supporting more consistent and accurate counts of returning Coho. (Photo credit: Council of the Haida Nation’s Fisheries Program)
Why better counts matter
By improving estimates of how many salmon make it back to their spawning grounds, the project strengthens decision-making for salmon stewardship, supports sustainable harvest planning and helps protect salmon populations for future generations. Most importantly, this work supports Indigenous-led management, combining traditional stewardship with tools that respond to today’s environmental realities.
Through projects like this, ISF is proud to support Indigenous Nations as they lead the stewardship of salmon, rivers and the ecosystems that sustain communities and future generations.
“The aspects of ISF’s support that have been most valuable are the relative rapidity of the process from application to approval to receiving the funds. I would also commend the flexibility of the funding which allowed us to adapt our budget to the changing needs of the project.”
— Mark Spoljaric, Project Lead (ISF Grantee), Council of the Haida Nation Fisheries Program
Learn more about this project in the media
The Council of the Haida Nation’s Fisheries Program, Copper River Coho Camera Project, was also recently featured in an article by Saltwater News.
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.
