Image: Carey Island along the Fraser River near Chilliwack. / Fernando Lessa

By Fraser Valley Today Staff

Environment

Nature Conservancy of Canada secures Chilliwack area island to protect salmon habitat on the Fraser

Jul 8, 2024 | 5:55 AM

CHILLIWACK — Salmon now have more protected spawning habitat in the lower Fraser River, thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) acquisition of Carey Island.

Located near Chilliwack, Carey Island and its gravel channels offer calm and important spawning and rearing habitat for the river’s fish and aquatic species. The 613-acre island is one of the few remaining privately held lands in the region that has not been altered by diking or ditching, making it a vital piece of natural habitat.

NCC raised the necessary funds for the purchase with contributions from Environment and Climate Change Canada through the Canada Nature Fund, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Sitka Foundation, Aqueduct Foundation, Collings Stevens Family Foundation, Rudy North, and numerous other individual and anonymous donors.

“Carey Island is the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s first project in the lower Fraser River, and it is an incredible opportunity to support salmon and other wildlife that rely on this ecosystem,” said Steven Godfrey, the West Coast Program Director for the NCC. “The Fraser is such an iconic river in BC, and we’re really excited to be able to contribute to the ongoing work and vision to protect fish habitat in this important region.”

Over 90 per cent of the Fraser River’s shoreline between Hope and the Salish Sea has been modified, leaving little natural habitat for fish. Carey Island’s side channels and gravel bars fill with water during the spring snowmelt, providing essential spawning grounds for Chinook, pink, and sockeye salmon, as well as the threatened white sturgeon.

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“British Columbia’s iconic salmon now have crucial spawning habitat safeguarded in the lower Fraser River, thanks to the protection of 248 hectares of island and riverbed habitat. Carey Island, located in the Heart of the Fraser, provides essential calm gravel channels for spawning and rearing and helps protect species at risk, like the White Sturgeon,” said Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

The NCC says the Lower Mainland is under immense pressure from development as the most populous region in BC. Officials believe conserving Carey Island will prevent further land conversion and help to keep shorelines intact for the many species that rely on the habitat.

The conservation of Carey Island has been a priority for supporters of the lower Fraser River’s salmon runs, including the Heart of the Fraser coalition. The Pelólxw Tribe, encompassing the Cheam, Skwá, and Kwaw-kwaw-a-pilt First Nations, is actively working to restore aquatic habitat resilience within this stretch of the river.

“We, the Pelólxw People, are moving forward to fulfill our stewardship duties and responsibilities to restore, conserve and preserve this area of our traditional territory, revitalize our Halq’emeylem language and live our culture. In the spirit of reconciliation, we have a golden opportunity to collaborate with others to undertake this work for the benefit of current and future generations in honour of our ancestors,” said Eddie Gardner, T’it’elem Spath, Pelólxw representative for the Gill Bar project with the S’ólh téméxw Stewardship Alliance.

NCC says it is exploring opportunities to collaborate with the Pelólxw Tribe, supporting its vision for stewardship that prioritizes both ecological and cultural values.