There once was a time when waters of the upper Yukon River ran red with tens of thousands of Chinook Salmon returning annually to their natal streams. These salmon have always had immense cultural and subsistence values for Indigenous Peoples living along the Yukon River. Many species of wildlife have also evolved with Chinook as a key food source. Unfortunately, some of the worst runs in recorded history have occurred recently. As a result, the future of subsistence Chinook harvest and related Indigenous ways of life, in addition to the ecological communities that depend on Chinook, are jeopardized. Far fewer Chinook are returning to the upper Yukon River and the ones that do are younger, smaller, and have fewer eggs than their ancestors. The reasons for these declines are a complicated mix of climate change impacts, habitat degradation, pollution, and disease, among others. The impacts of these factors during early life stages are particularly bad for survival and spawning success as salmon reach maturity. An extremely long distance migration between freshwater and saltwater that crosses invisible political borders, further challenges life for these salmon. International treaties necessitate ongoing co-management of Yukon River salmon but there is no single, obvious cause for declines and there will be no easy solutions for sustainability.

From 2017 to 2020 a research project led by Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the Canadian Wildlife Federation focused on Chinook Salmon in the upper reaches of the Yukon River. It involved tagging salmon with acoustic and radio transmitters to study their migration and passage through barriers (i.e., the Whitehorse hydro plant and Whitehorse fish ladder) as well as to determine terminal spawning locations and spawning success. These salmon will have travelled approx. 2800 km from the Bearing Sea to Whitehorse. There were many important components of this project, but ultimately the goal was to better understand an iconic fish that is facing an uncertain future. Going forward, collaboration among individuals, governments, and Nations will be key to developing and acting on successful recovery strategies for this ecological and cultural keystone species.