Three killer whales swimming near the surface of the water.

Letter in Science identifies the contradiction between protecting economic growth and biodiversity in Canada’s Fraser River Estuary 

The letter, asking whether Canada will permit killer whale extinction, identifies Canada’s conflicting aspirations and obligations to protect biodiversity while continuing to permit megaprojects that destroy the critical habitat of threatened and endangered species.

Aerial view of a Fraser Estuary breach and two tiny little humans standing below on the side of the water.

100 years later: Reconnecting the Fraser River with its estuary

As we move into 2022, our Fraser River Estuary restoration efforts move towards the next target, the North Arm jetty. In late 2021, we finished our Coastal Restoration Fund project, a five year multi-million dollar initiative to restore connectivity between the main arm of the Fraser River and the marsh on Lulu Island’s Sturgeon Bank….

Single salmon smolt underwater.

An opportunity to learn about the importance of improved connectivity in the Fraser River Estuary

Join Dave Scott, Raincoast’s Lower Fraser Salmon Program Research and Restoration Coordinator, for an online information session about the upcoming North Arm Jetty Breaches Project and the importance of improved connectivity in the Fraser River Estuary. The session will include an opportunity for participants to ask questions and provide input on the project.

Lia Chalifour walks through the tall grass of the Fraser Estuary hauling her equipment for the salmon ear bone study.

Unpacking new research on the Fraser Estuary’s importance to Chinook salmon

A new paper, “Chinook salmon exhibit long-term rearing and early marine growth in the Fraser River, B.C., a large urban estuary,” has highlighted the importance of the Fraser estuary as critical habitat for Chinook salmon. The researchers used salmon ear bones, or otoliths, to study how juvenile salmon were using the Fraser estuary, and found…

An expansive view of a Raincoast scientist working in the field in the Fraser River estuary.

Habitat use by juvenile salmon, other migratory fish, and resident fish species underscores the importance of estuarine habitat mosaics

Pacific salmon, especially Chinook and Chum, reside and feed in estuaries during downstream migrations. But the extent to which they rely on estuaries, and which habitats within estuaries, is not well understood. We need to understand this complexity if we are going to enact effective conservation policies. This is especially important in urban systems where habitat loss is ongoing, and at different rates across the estuarine mosaic. The Fraser River estuary, for example, supports a multitude of fish species…