Uchucklesaht Tribe Exploring Solutions to Rebuild Hucuktlis Lake Sockeye
For generations, Hucuktlis sockeye salmon have sustained the Uchucklesaht Tribe. Salmon have long supported the Nation’s food systems, culture and connection to the land and water. In recent years, however, sockeye returns to the Hucuktlis watershed have been poor, prompting concerns from the Nation. Although the Maa-Nulth Treaty grants the Uchucklesaht Tribe the right to harvest these fish, the Nation voluntarily paused directed commercial harvesting in 2012 to support conservation and help rebuild the population.
Hucuktlis Lake sockeye returns are now at historically low levels. (Photo Credit: Uchucklesaht Tribe Government)
Understanding What Is Limiting Sockeye Recovery
Several factors have contributed to the decline of Hucuktlis sockeye. Hucuktlis Lake has extremely low nutrient levels, which limits the growth of tiny plant and animal life in water that supports the whole aquatic food chain (plankton production). Plankton are a key food source for young sockeye salmon, and limited food can result in smaller fish and lower survival rates.
Mixed-stock commercial fisheries in Barkley Sound have also contributed to the decline. In these fisheries, salmon from different rivers and populations are caught together in the same fishing area. When fisheries target more abundant sockeye populations, smaller stocks such as Hucuktlis sockeye can be unintentionally overharvested. DNA analysis can help identify when and where Hucuktlis sockeye are present in mixed-stock fisheries, but results from the only existing federal laboratory may be delayed by a few weeks, making it difficult to adjust fisheries management during the season.
Another challenge is accurately counting the returning salmon. Current snorkel surveys rely on divers to count fish underwater, but they do not always capture sockeye that spawn along the lake shoreline, at depths greater than can be visibly seen from the surface. As a result, existing methods may underestimate the total number of returning fish.
Supporting Sockeye Recovery
To address these challenges, ISF’s Salmon Resiliency Grant Program provided $101,000 to support the Uchucklesaht Tribe Government’s “Hucuktlis Lake Sockeye Assessment and Rebuilding Program”.
The project focuses on three key activities:
- Assessing lake fertilization options to increase nutrients in the lake and improve food availability for juvenile sockeye.
- Expanding DNA sampling and analysis with expedited results to support more responsive fisheries management.
- Lake spawning surveys using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an underwater robot used to observe and count returning sockeye
Together, these efforts aim to improve monitoring, reduce unintended harvest, and strengthen the conditions needed for sockeye to recover. With better information and management tools, the Uchucklesaht Tribe Government is working toward rebuilding the Hucuktlis sockeye population for future generations.
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.
