2023 Skeena Steelhead Returns Disappoint

Photo: Tom Hart/Flickr

Steelhead returns haven’t been great in 2023, and that trend is unfortunately showing itself on the legendary Skeena River. In an open letter on Steelhead Voices, Bob Hooton (a retired fisheries biologist who worked on the Skeena River) laments the current state of Skeena steelhead.

“The 2023 Skeena steelhead return is anything but stellar,” Hooton writes. “It is the latest in a continuing downturn that those paying attention see as alarming.”

Hooton also posts the full content of a letter sent by himself and other highly respected fisheries biologists to the powers that be in British Columbia, urging action on the Skeena steelhead. You can read the full contents of the letter, and learn how to get involved to help these fish, here.