Frustrated Commercial Fishers Are Hungry for More Sockeye – The Tyee

This year’s huge Fraser salmon return is lifting spirits. And raising questions about how DFO sets catch limits.

Good vibes abound on the Fraser River right now as the Canada-U.S. Pacific Salmon Commission predicts the largest sockeye return since 2018 — but not everyone is singing a happy tune.

Even as recreational and First Nations fishers pull sockeye from the river, commercial harvesters and their allies have continued to criticize the amount of fish B.C.’s salmon industry is allowed to catch.

That debate, which has now led to the resignation of a longtime Canadian representative to a cross-border salmon commission, turns on questions about whether Canada’s fishing policies may be too risk-averse — and whether an overabundance of returning fish could be bad for future salmon populations.

Read More: https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/08/26/Frustrated-Commercial-Fishers-Hungry-Sockeye/