5.3.3 Salmon / Tr’ojà’

Photo: Government of Yukon

The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in have a sacred agreement with salmon that goes back to a time when their ancestors were salmon (3). They honour this bond through ceremonies, songs like “Łuk Cho Anay” (“Salmon, Come Back”), international advocacy, and abstaining from fishing when salmon numbers are low.

Historically, salmon fishing season was a time of abundance for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. Even when other food was scarce, people could rely on the salmon runs, making predictable periods of socializing, trade, and celebration within and among Nations all along the Yukon River and its tributaries. The seasonal excitement continued even as colonization disrupted longstanding practices.

Salmon fed fur-traders, gold rush stampeders, their sled dogs and, eventually, global markets through a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in-owned fish plant. Because salmon numbers have declined over recent decades, people have stopped salmon fishing entirely. Fish camps now focus on holding ceremony to maintain and strengthen relationships with salmon.

During the fur trade and gold rush, salmon fed the growing sled dog population as well as people. By 1898, commercial fisheries were present in the Region. The Chinook population has been declining since the 1980s, and by 1998, returns were too low to sustain populations. Commercial harvesting ceased in 2008 . Multiple factors have contributed to the decline of salmon: bycatch mortality, increased predation, increased mortality from parasites, and changing ocean conditions. Industrial development can disrupt migration and habitats, while boats can harm eggs and juveniles. Climate change brings mixed effects, some aiding survival, others increasing stress and disease.

In 2024, a bipartite agreement between Canada and Alaska set out objectives to address the decline of Yukon River salmon, including: a seven-year moratorium on Chinook fishing (2024 to 2031); recognition of the importance of Chinook salmon for ceremonial use and the transmission of cultural knowledge; and investigating the causes of low runs and identifying solutions.

The Plan falls within the jurisdiction of both Parties, and therefore, both Parties must take an active role in the next steps of addressing the salmon crisis. The Parties’ leadership is essential to ensuring that salmon recovery efforts are locally grounded, culturally informed, and ecologically effective. By working together, the Parties can demonstrate a shared commitment to stewardship, uphold their responsibilities under the Final Agreements, and help shape a future where salmon and their habitats are protected for generations to come.

This Plan can only direct the actions of the Parties. Two crucial players in salmon management and recovery in the Yukon – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Yukon River Panel (YRP) – are outside the scope of this Plan and the direction of the Parties. However, the Parties are encouraged to play their roles to the fullest, including their participation on the YRP, and to continue advocating for salmon and their habitat.

Who Plays a Role in Salmon Stewardship in the Region?

There are many actors responsible for salmon and salmon habitat stewardship in the Region, and many more with mandates that affect salmon and salmon habitat indirectly. Overlapping authorities and gaps caused by insufficient or ineffective coordination between these actors, and between multiple management systems, can result in harm to salmon and their habitat. The main actors and management systems are described below, followed by some examples of gaps and overlaps, and potential paths forward.

Plan Parties

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in

• Responsibility rests in their ancestral stewardship obligations to
• Management Role:
  • Leads salmon stewardship, restoration, and monitoring within their Traditional Territory.
  • Has decision-making authority over activities on Settlement Lands, and co-management responsibilities throughout their Traditional Territory.
  • Creates and implements ecological and land use monitoring plans that include culturally significant species and habitats, including salmon.
  • Participates in land use planning and YESAB
  • Contributes to the broader governance of salmon through their role on the Yukon River Panel.
• Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Salmon Management Goals:
  • Protect salmon-bearing streams.
  • Ensure cumulative effects thresholds are respected, and continue to develop salmon- and water-specific cumulative effects thresholds.
  • Revitalize salmon populations through stock restoration and monitoring initiatives.
  • Integrate cultural values and Traditional Knowledge into habitat management.

Government of Yukon

• Responsibility rests in decision-making powers for activities and development that indirectly affect salmon habitat.
• Management Role:
  • Manages freshwater fisheries in the Yukon.
  • Manages the landscapes salmon depend on.
  • Regulates placer and quartz mining, which directly affects salmon habitat.
  • Has varying roles in management and direction of land use, water licensing, and mining regulation.
• Government of Yukon goals related to salmon management:
  • Support sustainable development while balancing environmental protection.
  • Facilitate mining and resource development under updated regulations.
  • Collaborate with First Nations on land use planning and salmon restoration.

Plan Partners

This list is not exhaustive, but it highlights some of the larger groups that have a role in salmon advocacy, stewardship, and management in the Region and beyond.

Yukon River Panel

The Yukon River Panel is a bilateral (Canada–USA) advisory body that oversees conservation and management of Canadian-origin Yukon River salmon. It sets goals for how many fish need to reach the Canadian border, recommends management actions to DFO and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and administers funding for salmon and salmon habitat restoration and enhancement.

The Panel includes six members from each country: Canada’s representatives include one member from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and one from the Government of Yukon. Given these formal roles on the YRP, both Parties contribute to decisions that affect salmon management and habitat restoration. The Panel integrates Western scientific and Traditional Knowledge through its Joint Technical Committee and Traditional Knowledge Committee.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the lead federal agency responsible for salmon management in Canada, including habitat protection under the Fisheries Act (RSC, 1985, c.F-14) and Species at Risk Act (SC 2002, c.29). Its responsibilities include habitat protection, stock assessment, and regulation of activities that may harm salmon or their habitat. DFO oversees salmon stock assessments (for example, Eagle sonar), regulates habitat impacts (including placer mining), and funds local initiatives in the Region. It also supports the Yukon Salmon Subcommittee (YSSC) and collaborates with the Parties on habitat and restoration efforts.

The Yukon Salmon Subcommittee (YSSC)

The Yukon Salmon Subcommittee (YSSC, established under 16.7.17 of the UFA) is the primary salmon advisory body in the Yukon. It provides formal recommendations to DFO, the Government of Yukon, and Yukon First Nations on salmon and habitat issues. Members of the YSSC form the majority of Canadian representatives on the Yukon River Panel, giving the YSSC direct influence over salmon management decisions in the Dawson Region (and beyond).

Dawson District Renewable Resources Council (DDRRC)

The Dawson District Renewable Resources Council (DDRRC, established under 16.6.1.1 of the THFA) collaborates with both the Government of Yukon and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in to support local stewardship and conservation. It makes recommendations on fish, wildlife, and habitat management to the Minister of Environment, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, YSSC, and Yukon First Nations, and plays a direct role in salmon and habitat issues in the Region.

Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) and YFNSSA

The Council of Yukon First Nations, as a political advocacy body, represents Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and other Yukon First Nations in policy discussions and nominations to key advisory boards like the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and YSSC. A sub-organization of CYFN, the Yukon First Nations Salmon Stewardship Alliance (YFNSSA), strengthens technical capacity and on-the-ground salmon initiatives.

Yukon Water Board

The Yukon Water Board regulates the use of water or the deposit of waste into water. The Board issues authorizations for water use, including in salmon-bearing streams.

Management Systems

DFO, the Government of Yukon, and CYFN co-developed the Fish Habitat Management System for Yukon Placer Mining (FHMS) under the Fisheries Act (RSC, 1985, c. F-14). It is the primary system for managing salmon habitat in the Region. The FHMS aims to balance a sustainable placer industry with the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat to support fisheries. The FHMS has been reviewed many times. These reviews identified key gaps and provided recommendations for improvement. These recommendations should be integrated into future updates of the FHMS to better protect salmon populations and their habitats.

A Framework for Land Stewardship in Support of Salmon

Given the number of actors, overlapping jurisdictions, and gaps in stewardship or management, the following framework outlines how the Parties can collaborate to support salmon stewardship throughout the Region.

1. Governance Integration
   • The roles and responsibilities of all organizations must be clearly defined and agreed to from the outset.
   • Jointly develop and implement salmon-related management plans and salmon habitat protection measures identified in the Plan.
   • Mandate and embrace the integration of Traditional Knowledge into all technical and policy decisions and processes.
   • Prioritize YESAB recommendations related to salmon habitat.
2. Stakeholder Engagement
   • Empower underutilized actors such as YFNSSA, local fish camps, and youth educators.
   • Expand community-based monitoring programs and fish camp revitalization.
   • Include non-governmental organizations and cultural educators in conservation and restoration planning.
3. Habitat Protection
   • Strengthen enforcement of habitat regulations in placer mining zones.
   • Though it may require work, the FHMS exists and has been agreed to by the Parties and other Apply the recommendations for improvement to the FHMS and ensure stricter compliance, through enforcement, with its requirements.
   • Implement integrated watershed planning across jurisdictions.
   • Fund restoration projects, including through existing projects where support is available – for example, Yukon River Panel Restoration and Enhancement Fund.
4. Cultural Stewardship
   • Support programs like First Fish camps and Salmon in the If required, based on the salmon populations, be prepared to adapt these programs to ensure ongoing connections to salmon.
   • Support Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in-led initiatives that combine cultural revitalization with ecological monitoring.
   • Ensure salmon management decisions reflect cultural values and treaty rights.
   • Promote intergenerational knowledge transfer through ceremonies and land-based education.
5. Implementation Strategy
• Where management gaps are identified, develop salmon management plans, with input from all Where existing plans exist or are in progress (for example, Chinook and chum rebuilding plans, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in salmon rebuilding plan), provide sustained support and strategic coordination to help these plans achieve their intended outcomes.
• Host annual salmon summits to review progress and update strategies.
• Contribute to shared data platforms for habitat, harvest, and restoration metrics.
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes using adaptive management principles.

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