The Okanagan Nation Alliance鈥檚 k艂 cp虛蓹lk虛 stim虛 Hatchery has provided sockeye salmon fry for release at 6 Mile Creek, Trout Creek, and Mission Creek. The releases of 230,000 fry are in recognition and celebration of the Syilx peoples鈥� continued successful efforts to bring sockeye salmon back to the Okanagan, and since 2016 to Okanagan Lake.
鈥淭he return of our sc 鈥榳in (sockeye salmon) to Okanagan Lake is our fundamental and inherent right and responsibility as Syilx people,鈥� states Grand Chief Stewart Phillip.
Howie Wright, ONA鈥檚 Fisheries Manager points out that: 鈥淲e now have another cold water lake [after Osoyoos and Skaha Lake] to help us build resilience in sockeye salmon stocks. Based on its size and depth we could see Okanagan Lake with a minimum of 30,000 -100,000 adult spawners per year. On top of that optimistically anywhere from 300,000- 500,000 for fisheries harvest would be coming to the Okanagan Basin to support the historical fishery at Okanagan Falls. It has the significant potential to meet food, social, and ceremonial needs, providing food security for communities, while seeing a surplus extend to a broad range of biological and economic benefits鈥�.
The recent ceremonies are critical given that sockeye salmon were nearly extinct in the Okanagan Basin. In the 1960鈥檚 the Columbia River Treaty and habitat impacts in the Okanagan basin led to the creation of industrial reservoirs, and the building hydro-electric developments on the Columbia River, making it impossible for fish passage, while deeply impacting Syilx cultural and food systems. Years of hard work and political advocacy, particularly in the last decade, have seen the ONA working with provincial, federal and US Tribes and agencies to rebuild this sockeye run from 3000 up to 500,000 salmon returning annually.
