Chronology

West Coast peoples have fished salmon for millennia. They are also an integral part of the cultures of many First Nations and are reflected in songs, dances and art.

Pre-1790 to present: First Nations peoples fish for salmon.

1852: The Hudson's Bay Company begins to fish commercially.

1870: Canned salmon, especially sockeye, is in international demand.

Late 1800s: Fishing nets, traps and fishing wheels are widespread. Salmon are thrown away or left to rot if they are not accepted by the canneries.

Late 1800s: Salmon hatcheries are created along the West Coast.

1900s: Sawmill effluent pollutes streams and lakes.

Early 1900s: Miners gouge gravel beds and dam creeks, ruining spawning grounds.

1913-1916: Rock blasting on the Canadian National Railway line from Vancouver to Kamloops causes thousands of tonnes of rock to slide into the Fraser River at Hell's Gate Canyon. The rock blocks part of the channel creating a vertical drop of 5 meters that is impassable to most salmon. Work to remove the rock begins immediately, but from 1913 to 1916 salmon are unable to pass Hell's Gate at some flow levels. The millions of fish kept down river by the blockage have little success at spawning.

1940s: The Japanese Canadian fishing fleet is seized by the RCMP during World War II, changing the ownership of the fishing fleet.

1970s: Aquaculture begins on the BC coast; fish farmers grow Atlantic and Pacific salmon.

Today: Current laws try to minimize over-exploitation, but industrial and urban pollution threaten salmon habitats, and as a result, populations.

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