The depletion of salmon in Mid Canterbury’s rivers is concerning to a keen local fisherman.

Manager for Outdoor Access Brett Colgan said the rivers around our district used to be prime fishing spots.

“Back 30 years ago, the fishery was really strong.

“There were many, many generations out enjoying the river.

“Now the salmon’s had a real rapid decline.”

Colgan said the population of the salmon species we have here, Chinook, has decreased substantially in the last three decades.

“We’re down to maybe 1500 fish in our rivers now, compared to say 30,000.”

Salmon are anadromous fish; they spend most of their lives in the ocean, but go into river systems to breed.

Colgan said while “irrigation, fish screens, and a loss of habitat up the top” are small factors, it was more likely ocean conditions were the root issue.

And the fish that were returning from sea were generally smaller than they used to be.

“[Chinook] are native over in Alaska, and they’re facing similar issues, not on a small scale like us.

“We’re both on the trend line to disaster.”

Colgan’s idea is to import more salmon, whether Chinook or another species, into local waters to give the population a boost.

They’ll have an impact on the ecosystem, he acknowledges that, but picking the right fish could mitigate any damage.

“Sockeyes, for example, feed off algae and plankton.

“They’re not invasive of the native species.”

And above all, to him, it’s about making our rivers a community space.

“Having people on the river, they’re guardians of the waterways, they look after the areas.

“We’re a major part of the ecosystem.”

Colgan has fished since he was young, getting “dragged out of bed at 4am in the weekends to go chase a Chinook Salmon in the hope of landing a big one.”

He’s spent his life understand the local rivers and became involved with conservation - he helped raise awareness about the Greenstreet Creek drying up last year.

by Anisha Satya