By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News A recent study suggests the historical decrease in salmon populations in Metro Vancouver waters from infrastructure developments is impacting səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) fishing and cultural practices. Using archaeological data, Indigenous oral histories and traditional use studies, researchers documented salmon populations like sockeye and chum from pre-colonization times to the mid-20th century. Researchers found since the 1860s, salmon in water bodies like the Fraser River and rivers and streams draining into Burrard Inlet have decreased 85 and 99 per cent, respectively, compared to pre-contact levels. “It’s just a huge reduction in simply the amount of fish that were out there,” said co-author Jesse Morin, adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Oceans and Fisheries Institute. “And all those other things…
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