As we set sail into the new year, we hope the winds are at your back. With Alaska’s overfishing threat unresolved, Pacific Salmon Treaty talks, which got underway in Portland last week, will take on outsized significance. However, that’s not the only reason 2026 will be a pivotal year for salmon. With looming federal budget cuts, less than favourable ocean conditions, and a worrying amount of political uncertainty, there is a significant amount of work ahead. Our salmon need champions like never before.

We will be attending the Pacific Salmon Commission’s General Meeting in Vancouver next month and will report back to you.

Meanwhile, DFO’s in-season Harvest Management plans will be drawn up. We’ll be there advocating for transparent monitoring, conservation, and selective fishing.

Fisheries Advisor David Mills

Furthermore, we’re launching new campaigns with new tools to ramp up the pressure on Alaska’s unsustainable interception fisheries. We will continue challenging decision-makers to stand up for salmon throughout 2026.

Advocacy in Action: Holding DFO Accountable

Before we look further ahead, we want to recognize Member of Parliament Mel Arnold, who recently held Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson’s feet to the fire regarding DFO cuts to stock assessment and monitoring.

During the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, the MP for Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies pushed the Minister on her response to an open letter signed by 35 representatives from across British Columbia—including academic scientists, fishers, Indigenous organizations, and conservationists.

In the letter, which Mr. Arnold hand-delivered, we raised our collective opposition to the slashing of salmon stock assessment budgets. Counting spawning salmon as they return to their home rivers is the foundation of effective management, yet annual monitoring by the DFO has fallen by half since the 1980s. Canada’s most important fishery deserves a Minister who acts as a true champion for B.C.’s wild salmon.

Watch the exchange here: https://youtu.be/aekf_IPwA4g?si=Bbrbysopso27a5q1

Fighting for Fair Fisheries

This brings us to the renegotiation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Our salmon and fishing communities will remain at risk until we renegotiate a fair Pacific Salmon Treaty that prioritizes conservation while curtailing Alaska’s interception fisheries. To secure this, we are pursuing two parallel strategies.

First, we must ensure Canada brings the strongest possible negotiating position to the talks beginning in Portland this Monday. We are meeting with salmon commissioners, attending the negotiations in-person, and ensuring both the public and politicians understand that a robust treaty is vital for the survival of at-risk salmon populations.

The second is to make sure the consumers of Alaskan seafood know what’s really going on in the southeast where non-Alaskan salmon are deliberately targeted in interception fisheries placed on migration corridors, even though it goes against the spirit of the Treaty. 

Watch our latest video: Is Alaska’s Seafood Really Sustainable? 

A New Era of Collaboration: Salmon United

We are also excited to announce a major step forward in our coordination: SkeenaWild and Watershed Watch have joined forces with Raincoast Conservation Foundation to campaign together during this critical year.

Our new collaborative platform, Salmon United, is nearly ready for launch. We are working to strengthen public engagement in B.C. and build bridges with allies in Washington and Oregon, connecting salmon communities across the Pacific Northwest who share our values and face these same challenges.

Join Us in 2026

The fight for a future where fishing communities and salmon-dependent ecosystems can thrive continues. We invite you to join us in standing up for salmon in 2026.