Written by Zack Kuan
Earlier this fall, massive amounts of sockeye salmon arrived in the Adams River to lay eggs at the end of their lifecycle. The salmon began their journey in the Pacific Ocean before making their way up the Fraser and Thompson Rivers to spawning grounds such as those at Tsútswecw Provincial Park 73 kilometres north-east of Kamloops, B.C.
From September 30 to October 23, Tsútswecw was the site of the 2022 Salute to the Sockeye festival, which is held during the large, dominant salmon runs that occur every four years. This event provided an opportunity for people to spend time in nature and learn about salmon in-person.
A Sight to Behold
This year marked the third occasion that Norman Ellis, from Kelowna, B.C., has come to see the Adams River salmon run. For Ellis, the best part of the salmon run is witnessing “the beautiful colours of the sockeye.”
“Apparently the runs are down, but it is still a spectacle,” he said.
Ellis said it is important for people to witness the salmon run because it is a chance to stay in touch with nature. “It’s just like the canaries in the coal mine,” he said. “How the wildlife is doing is an indication of how well we’re taking care of the earth.”
“Apparently, the numbers are going to be down because of the drought we’ve been having making it tougher for the fish,” he continues. “If the salmon were to disappear it actually has a huge impact on everything. The oceans, the land.”
Another repeat visitor is Dave Davies, a community advisor for the Department of Fisheries and Ocean (DFO) on Vancouver Island. DFO employees can come to the Adams River salmon run as volunteers to assist with the educational programs. Davies said he has volunteered at four straight dominant-year runs at the Adams River, beginning in 2010.
“The record year, the historic record, was 2010 when there was over three million fish in the river,” said Davies. “From what I’ve heard lately, we expect about 600,000 this year, so that’s a far cry from three million.”
As for why this year’s numbers are lower than previous years, Davies listed several potential factors. “I think, probably, climate change is affecting things,” he said “I think probably in the ocean, things have happened in the ocean. [The salmon’s] prey has changed, their predators have changed in the ocean, and their survival is just poorer out in the ocean.”
Despite what Davies described as below average numbers, the salmon run remains a chance for volunteers to help educate visitors on the salmon’s lifecycle. “I like coming down [to the gravel bar] and talking to people and explaining the spawning to people,” he said. “That’s my favourite part by far.”
For people interested in seeing the salmon, Davies had some advice. “Take the time to really see what’s going on and watch the spawning carefully and respectfully,” he said. “Have some respect for the fish and understand that it’s such a long journey they’ve come on… Really appreciate what’s going on here.”
A Unique Learning Experience
Lacey Munden is a grade five and six teacher at R.L. Clemitson Elementary School in Kamloops, B.C. She said she visited the salmon run with her own children before coming with her students in 2018. To Munden, the salmon run is a special learning environment for students. “I think that it’s irreplaceable,” she said. “I think that it takes all the classroom knowledge and really solidifies it.”
“[The best part of taking students to the salmon run] is going through the tent where they show you the salmon and they talk about the lifecycle and it’s very hands-on,” she said. “They’re able to show you the fish and dissect them right in front of you. The kids seem to be most excited about that.”
Munden said that while she noticed there were fewer fish than in previous years, her students’ experiences were not affected. “I think that the kids didn’t really notice because they hadn’t been in a few years, and they kept saying how great it was to see all the fish,” she said.
The Salute to the Sockeye Festival will return to Tsútswecw Provincial Park during the next dominant salmon run in 2026.
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