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Recovery Potential Assessment for the Okanagan Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

author Mahony et. al.
published year 2019
document type report
species Chinook
location Columbia River, British Columbia
subjects Okanagan, recovery potential assessment
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Okanagan Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are the only Columbia River population in Canada and are genetically distinct from all other Canadian Chinook Salmon populations. Okanagan Chinook (Ntytix) are considered a “first food” and of high importance to the Syilx Okanagan Nation. These fish were formerly the subject of an important First Nations food fishery and commercial trade, but today few persist in the wild. The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) has been actively involved in the study and conservation of Okanagan Chinook Salmon, and has been enhancing Chinook Salmon spawning habitat by installing spawning beds at Oliver and Penticton, and by working to remove migration barriers at dams and in tributaries.