ABOUT

About The Report

The State of Salmon 2026 Report is a broad-scale evaluation of the state of all six species of Pacific salmon found in British Columbia and the Yukon. This flagship publication from the Pacific Salmon Foundation takes a data-driven approach to summarizing the state and trends in abundance for each species of salmon in nine major salmon-bearing regions. The report also explores key factors that are influencing salmon abundance and identifies pathways towards salmon recovery and resilience.

Our approach to assessing the state of salmon is based in Western science and offers a data-driven perspective on broad-scale state and trends. For many regions and species, the scientific record is relatively short and may not adequately represent changes in abundance that have undoubtedly occurred over centuries of colonization, settlement, and human development. However, these data represent a type of information that can be relatively easily compiled, analysed, and compared across broad spatial scales. We encourage readers to seek out additional sources of information about salmon in their area, in particular from local First Nations who often have deep intergenerational knowledge and relationships with salmon.

The suggested citation for the State of Salmon 2026 Report is:

Pacific Salmon Foundation (2026). State of Salmon 2026 Report. Pacific Salmon Foundation, Vancouver, BC, Canada. https://doi.org/10.60740/stateofsalmon.2026

Why the Pacific Salmon Foundation?

The Pacific Salmon Foundation, founded in 1987, is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to making transformational change for the benefit of Pacific salmon at every scale – from the smallest streams to the open ocean. We work with First Nations, Government, ENGO partners, industry, and all salmon supporters to achieve our vision of healthy, sustainable, and naturally diverse populations of Pacific salmon for the benefit of ecosystems and people for generations to come. By bringing together diverse representatives, we embolden big ideas and support long-term positive changes for salmon. We operate at the nexus of science and action, and this is where the State of Salmon Report fits in: raising public awareness and political will for salmon to influence evidence-based decision making.

Download the Report

State of Salmon 2026 Report

Past Reports

See Download Report page for PDF copies of all current and past State of Salmon reports.

Acknowledgments

We thank the Province of British Columbia and the Sitka Foundation for providing funding towards the development of this report. We are grateful for the ongoing work of staff at Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Secretariat Staff at the Pacific Salmon Commission to collect and share the data that we used. In particular, we thank Nicholas Brown, Charmaine Carr-Harris, Aaron Foos, Fiona Martens, Mark Spoljaric, Patrick Thompson, Howard Stiff, Lauren Weir, Brittany Jenewein, Tanya Vivian, Sean Everitt, Athena Ogden, Katherine Fegan, and Teresa Wallace for providing data.

Project Management: Paulina Salinas-Ruiz

Writing: Hannah Hunter, Stephanie Peacock, Paulina Salinas-Ruiz, Katrina Connors, Braela Kwan

Analysis: Hannah Hunter, Stephanie Peacock

Production Support: Paulina Salinas-Ruiz, Sopia Lee, Braela Kwan, Allison Colina, Connal McNamara, Katy Bryan 

Web and Print Design: Tactica Interactive, Sopia Lee

Photo Credits

Overview page: Fernando Lessa
Yukon Region: Peter Mather, Peter Mather
Northern Transboundary Region: Peter Mather, Fernando Lessa, Manu Keggenhoff
Haida Gwaii Region: Brandon Deepwell, Fernando Lessa, Jason V
Nass Region: Fernando Lessa, Jason Ching, Paul Colangelo
Skeena Region: Thomas Kline, Eiko Jones, Tavish Campbell
Central Coast Region: Conor McCracken, Chase White
Fraser Region: Andrew Wright, Fernando Lessa, Canvan Images
East Vancouver Island & Mainland Inlets Region: Eiko Jones, Eiko Jones, Fernando Lessa
West Vancouver Island Region: Eiko Jones, Fernando Lessa, Chris Donaldson
Columbia Region: Chase White, Eiko Jones, Chase White