COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Designatable Units in Southern British Columbia (Part One – Designatable Units with No or Low Levels of Artificial Releases in the Last 12 Years) in Canada Designatable Unit 2: Lower Fraser, Ocean, Fall population - THREATENED Designatable Unit 3: Lower Fraser, Stream, Spring population - SPECIAL CONCERN Designatable Unit 4: Lower Fraser, Stream, Summer (Upper Pitt) population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 5: Lower Fraser, Stream, Summer population - THREATENED Designatable Unit 7: Middle Fraser, Stream, Spring population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 8: Middle Fraser, Stream, Fall population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 9: Middle Fraser, Stream, Spring (MFR+GStr) population - THREATENED Designatable Unit 10: Middle Fraser, Stream, Summer population - THREATENED Designatable Unit 11: Upper Fraser, Stream, Spring population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 12: South Thompson, Ocean, Summer population - NOT AT RISK Designatable Unit 14: South Thompson, Stream, Summer 1.2 population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 16: North Thompson, Stream, Spring population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 17: North Thompson, Stream, Summer population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 19: East Vancouver Island, Stream, Spring population - ENDANGERED Designatable Unit 27: Southern Mainland, Ocean, Summer population - DATA DEFICIENT Designatable Unit 28: Southern Mainland, Stream, Summer population - DATA DEFICIENT 2018 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2018. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Designatable Units in Southern British Columbia (Part One – Designatable Units with no or low levels of artificial releases in the last 12 years), in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xxxi + 283 pp. (http://www.registrelep- sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=en&n=24F7211B-1). Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Brian Ma, Cedar Morton and Diana Abraham formerly of ESSA Technologies Ltd. for writing the status report on Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Designatable Units in Southern British Columbia Part One, prepared under contract with Environment and Climate Change Canada. This report was overseen and edited by Alan Sinclair and John Neilson, Co-chairs of the COSEWIC Marine Fishes Specialist Subcommittee. Many SSC members contributed reviews of this extensive document, and by doing so, materially improved its quality. In particular, Carrie Holt played a lead role in making DFO data available, as well as helping with the analyses, recommendations and review. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-938-4125 Fax: 819-938-3984 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur le Saumon chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), unités désignables du sud de la Colombie Britannique (première partie – unités désignables ayant fait l’objet d’un nombre très faible ou nul de lâchers d’écloseries ces 12 dernières années), au Canada. Cover illustration/photo: Chinook Salmon — Illustration provided by authors. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2018. Catalogue No. CW69-14/469-2019E-PDF ISBN 978-0-660-31323-8 COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 2: Lower Fraser, Ocean, Fall population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Threatened Reason for designation While the calculation of decline rates is complicated by hatchery releases from 1981 to 2004, this fall run of chinook spawning in the lower Fraser River has steadily declined in abundance. The abundance data over all available years was thought to best represent natural spawner abundance. Declines in marine and freshwater habitat quality, harvest and ecosystem modification in the lower Fraser estuary are threats facing this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Threatened in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 3: Lower Fraser, Stream, Spring population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Special Concern Reason for designation This spring run of chinook, which spawns in the lower Fraser River watershed, has declined over the last three generations. Declines in marine and freshwater habitat quality, and harvest, are continuing threats. Should the present low number of mature individuals decline further, this population may become Threatened. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Special Concern in November 2018. iii Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 4: Lower Fraser, Stream, Summer (Upper Pitt) population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Endangered Reason for designation This summer run of chinook spawning in the Pitt River in the lower Fraser River watershed has declined, and is now at its lowest recorded abundance. Declines in freshwater and marine habitat quality, and harvest, are continuing threats to this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Endangered in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 5: , Lower Fraser, Stream, Summer population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Threatened Reason for designation This summer run of chinook spawning in the Lillooet and Harrison Rivers in the Lower Fraser watershed has declined to low levels. Declines in freshwater and marine habitat quality, and harvest, are threats facing this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Threatened in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 7: Middle Fraser, Stream, Spring population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Endangered Reason for designation This population of spring run chinook spawning in the Nahatlatch and Anderson watersheds has declined to very low levels. Declines in freshwater and marine habitat quality, and harvest, are threats facing this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Endangered in November 2018. iv Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 8: Middle Fraser, Stream, Fall population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Endangered Reason for designation This population of fall run chinook spawning in the Seton and Anderson watersheds along the middle Fraser River has declined to very low levels, and decline is anticipated to continue. Declines in freshwater and marine habitat quality, and harvest, are threats facing this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Endangered in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 9: Middle Fraser, Stream, Spring (MFR+GStr) population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Threatened Reason for designation This spring run of chinook spawning in multiple middle Fraser River tributaries has declined in abundance. Declines in marine and freshwater habitat quality, and harvest, and pollution from mining activities are threats to this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Threatened in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 10: Middle Fraser, Stream, Summer population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Threatened Reason for designation This summer run of chinook spawning in multiple middle Fraser River tributaries has declined in abundance. Declines in marine and freshwater habitat quality are threats facing this population. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Threatened in November 2018. v Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 11:Upper Fraser, Stream, Spring population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Endangered Reason for designation This spring run of chinook spawning in the Salmon and Raush Rivers in the upper Fraser watershed has declined in abundance. Declines in marine and freshwater habitat quality, and harvest, are threats facing this population. Anticipated changes to North Pacific weather systems that affect ground water availability, will impact spawning sites and overwinter survival. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Endangered in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 12: South Thompson, Ocean, Summer population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Not at risk Reason for designation This summer run of chinook to the South Thompson River has been steadily increasing in abundance, and the most recent population index is the second highest on record. Occurrence British Columbia, Pacific Ocean Status history Designated Not at risk in November 2018. Assessment Summary – November 2018 Common name Chinook Salmon - Designatable Unit 14: South Thompson, Stream, Summer 1.2 population Scientific name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Status Endangered