Kitsumkalum Fisheries Department KITSUMKALUM FISHERIES DEPARTMENT FINAL REPORT ON 2010 SURVEY OF EULACHON ADULT SPAWNER AND EGG DISTRIBUTION IN THE LOWER SKEENA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES Report Document Prepared by David Rolston, BSc. Report Contact: Kitsumkalum Fisheries Department Attn: Steve Roberts Band Manager P.O. Box 544 Terrace, BC 250-635-6177
[email protected] Co-Funder of Project: Co-Funder of Project: 2010 Skeena River Eulachon Study Final Report Cover Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Eulachon, Thaleichthys pacificus (AKA ooligan, oolichan, hooligan, oolachan, uthlecan, ulichan) are an ecological cornerstone for regional coastal ecosystems (Marston et al. 2002), and a culturally important species to many First Nations on the British Columbia coast. Starting in 1994, there was a sudden simultaneous drop in returns to many rivers, most notably in the Fraser, Columbia and Klinaklini Rivers (Hay 1996). Since then, many First Nations have reported that fish are absent or at very low levels in many British Columbia eulachon spawning rivers including: the Kemano, Kitimat, Wannock, Bella Coola, Nass, Skeena, Chilcoot, Unuk, Kitlope and Stikine (Moody 2007, Hay 2007). In past few years, due to these declines in populations coast-wide; Canadian researchers have requested that COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) evualuate the eulachon's status; while in the USA, NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), has recently listed the southern population of eulachon as threatened as of May 17, 2010. under the US Endangered Species Act since their scientific review found that this stock is indeed declining throughout its range. The reasons for this decline are unknown, but may in part, be due to impacts to critical spawning habitat in some watersheds.