Chinook Salmon in the Seton and Anderson watersheds were designated as Endangered by COSEWIC in 2018. Subsequently, DFO began a hatchery program in 2019 to support the conservation of the species. St’át’imc Government Services (SGS) partnered with InStream Fisheries Research (IFR) in 2022 and implanted hatchery juveniles with 12- and 14-mm PIT tags prior to their release to assess the efficacy of the hatchery program and produce high precision estimates of the returning Chinook Salmon. With funding through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund secured in 2023, the program has continued annually and expanded to include a PIT array in Portage Creek and Seton River. Furthermore, additional PIT arrays operated by BC Hydro BRGMON-9 in the fishway of Seton Dam and the Seton Spawning Channels support the program and allow for detailed movement summaries of tagged Chinook Salmon. Returning PIT tagged Chinook data from carcass surveys and antenna detections will be used to apply a novel mark recapture model to estimate spawner abundance.
With the collaboration of numerous organizations and communities, the Portage Chinook Recovery Program stands as a prime example of how collective efforts can lead to success using PIT technology. This program highlights the value of connecting communities, people, and fish for conservation efforts.