With runs hovering in the hundreds, British Columbia’s Thompson River steelhead have been in steady decline since the ’90s. The imperiled stock hit a record low last fall, when returns were estimated at less than 200 fish. Despite the numbers, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (“DFO”) permitted commercial and First Nations gillnet chum salmon fisheries during peak steelhead migration.
The Wild Steelhead Coalition’s “Save Thompson River Steelhead” shirts (get yours here) are part of a new campaign designed to help save a fish that’s become as iconic as Lord Stanley’s Cup. All proceeds have been earmarked for the cause.
“At this point, it is too late to reverse the devastating decisions made in 2017. However, we can ensure that we do not repeat these mistakes in 2018 and that we do everything possible to improve the fortunes of this critical wild steelhead population.”
Please take a minute and tell the Canadian Government to take the requisite steps to protect the Thompson’s imperiled wild steelhead.
Tom Bie is the founder, editor, and publisher of The Drake. He started the magazine in 1998 as an annual newsprint publication based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He then moved it to Steamboat, Colorado (1999), Boulder, Colorado (2001), and San Clemente, California (2004), as he took jobs as managing editor at Paddler, Senior Editor at Skiing, and Editor-in-Chief at Powder, respectively. Tom and The Drake are now both based in Denver, Colorado, where The Drake is finally all grows up(Swingers, 1996) to a quarterly magazine.