A Day on the Land with the Tŝilhqot'in Fisheries Team

Dec 16

Back in May, the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative (IWI) team spent a day on the land with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) Fisheries team, learning about the work they are doing across their territory. At the time, the TNG team was completing their first full year at their newly established Tŝilhqot’in Conservation Hatchery, preparing to release their first cohort of Chilko fry. The TNG team also shared about their territory-wide aquatic habitat monitoring programs, including hydrometric stations to track water quality and quantity.

Their work has become even more urgent since the July Tŝilhqox landslide, which caused sediment and debris to severely impact Jaŝ (Chinook) and Ts’eman (sockeye) populations, which were already facing record-low returns.

As stated in a primer about the Tŝilhqox Landslide and the Emergency Salmon Task Force (November 2024), “The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is in the best position to lead a collaborative approach to salmon governance. Deep place-based knowledge, technical sophistication, and a values-based approach to fisheries flowing from Tŝilhqot’in law and jurisdiction allowed the Nation to quickly mobilize technical experts and government partners to prioritize the survival and recovery of the salmon.” To learn more about TNG’s efforts and responses to the landslide, check out their Weekly Fisheries Bulletins and updates on their website.

Here are some photos from the time the IWI spent with the fisheries team on their traditional territories.