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Gillnet Fleet 2022

A big return for sockeye: At Sea Observing the Commercial Gillnet Fleet

Gillnet Fleet 2022

In 2022, sockeye returns to the Skeena River were estimated at 3,300,000, the best the North Coast has seen here in almost 15 years. The strong return allowed for a commercial sockeye salmon opening off the coast of Prince Rupert, on Coast Ts’msyen territory, and fish harvesters flocked to the run.

Ecotrust Canada was hired to conduct four at-sea observing trips for the Catch Monitoring Program. Observers spent the day hopping from one gillnet boat to another, recording data on the catch. During our short stays on these boats, we saw how hard fish harvesters work to bring salmon to seafood lovers.

(July-August 2022)