OFFICIAL FISH: PACIFIC SALMON

The newest addition to the provincial symbols, the Pacific salmon has been a staple on the West Coast for hundreds of years.

“Salmon are almost a spiritual thing. It’s part of the West Coast experience,” said Peter McCully, the technical adviser to the Goldstream fish hatchery.

The Pacific salmon was officially adopted as a symbol in April 2013, after a push by the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Founded in 1987, the foundation works to protect and rebuild the wild Pacific salmon stocks along the B.C. coastline.

“We have so many rivers and streams, we have such a beautiful wilderness that is our home, and salmon are so important across the province,” said Michael Meneer, vicepresident of communications for the foundation. “We call Pacific salmon a keystone species for our environment.”

The designation extends to the sockeye, chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon as well as the steelhead trout and cutthroat trout.

The trout are part of the salmon family and were included to ensure all B.C. salmon were represented in the symbol.

Meneer estimates about 190 different plants and animals across the province rely on salmon for nutrients.

The foundation gets about $1 million a year, collected from the purchase of sustainable fishing licences, to help rebuild stream habitats.

The biggest population of salmon in the capital region can be found in the Goldstream River. About 40,000 chum salmon travelled through the river last year.

Tom Davis, owner of Rhys Davis, a company that designs fishing tackle, has been fishing for more than 50 years and hopes the adoption of the symbol encourages more local interest in the fish.

“If we lose them, it would be a devastating loss for our entire province,” he said.

(Adopted: 2013)