The federal government has laid out new commercial and recreational fishing restrictions for chinook salmon in B.C. 's Fraser River, in an effort to restore and protect dwindling stocks there. Chinook populations in British Columbia have been on the decline as a result of climate change and habitat destruction, according to the DFO, and Fraser River chinook are particularly vulnerable because of increased sedimentation into the river systems. Debris accumulation from two back-to-back years of smoke and wildfires, logging and development along the Fraser River has added to the problem. "The science is clear: Pacific chinook salmon are in a critical state," read a statement from Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

Source: CBC News April 16, 2019 23:02 UTC