Mr. Speaker, each fall, steelhead angling draws visitors from around the world to the Skeena River, supporting dozens of small businesses up and down our watershed. These are businesses like Babine Norlakes, owned by Carrie Collingwood and Billy Labonte, or the Kispiox Bear Claw Lodge, run by the Allen family. However, like so many wild salmon stocks, Skeena steelhead are in trouble. This year, only 5,300 steelhead made it up our river. That is the lowest return on record.
Pandemic border closures killed the 2020 steelhead season. This year, the B.C. government had to close a fishery because of low returns. Skeena steelhead tourism businesses need financial help, but even more, they need concerted efforts to rebuild steelhead stocks.
When Thompson River steelhead took a nosedive, the minister failed to act and now they are almost extinct. We cannot allow Skeena steelhead to go the same way. I hope our new fisheries minister travels soon to Skeena, sits down with those people who are affected and then acts swiftly to ensure that we do not lose our steelhead forever.