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(Editors note: DNA testing has confirmed that the two female sockeye spotted at the end of September and early October are kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye. This story has been updated to reflect those findings.)

It’s seemingly the perfect match.

Recent DNA tests have confirmed a pair of fish recently spotted below the Coquitlam dam are kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye, a species that is native to the Coquitlam Watershed. The sockeye, one male and one female, will be used to jumpstart the production of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye at the Nation’s hatchery when they are both sexually mature.

“We are excited, this is what we need,” said Rodney Lee, project coordinator of fisheries and hatchery.

The female sockeye was first seen in August, when a pair of fish were captured in a trap below the dam and transported to the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm t́ák̓ʷ Hatchery, a Nation-led hatchery that opened last year.

The female was confirmed as a kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye after DNA testing, while it was determined the male originated from the Upper Pitt River.

A second male sockeye returned to the trap on Sep. 19 — DNA testing over the following days quickly confirmed it as a kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye. It’s too early to determine the age of each fish but most sockeye become sexually mature around the age of four or five.

Building off a strong year

The recent return of two kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye comes one year after a record number of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye (13) were observedin the Coquitlam River.

Those figures “provided hope” that large numbers of fish could return in a single year, Lee said, adding that the recent return is a piggyback off last year’s success and positive reinforcement that kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye are returning.

Both fish are also anadromous, meaning they originated in freshwater like the Coquitlam River before migrating to the ocean for more food options. (Those kinds of fish can grow in size with greater and richer food sources, which is important when it comes to survival and reproduction rates, according to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.)

Anadromous fish then return to the freshwater environment to spawn.

A female sockeye was spotted just below the trap at the end of September. Photo via Rodney Lee. 

It’s an important marker since it shows that both fish carry a trait where they leave for the ocean after birth before returning home. Not all Pacific salmon carry that trait, making it difficult to predict whether offspring will show a willingness to leave, grow in the ocean, and come back.

The process of leaving and returning is also helpful for the environment, Lee said.

Salmon are a keystone species that are interconnected with the health of the whole ecosystem. In the Coquitlam Watershed, for example, rain and waterflow wash nutrients out of the area. Salmon leave their home waters as a very small fish to go and feed in the ocean.

When salmon return from the ocean and pass away, their bodies — filled with nutrients from things they have eaten in the ocean — can serve as a food source for wildlife, and the forest floor. A strong forest helps stabilize the banks of the stream and prevent soil erosion. All that can lead to a healthier ecosystem: thriving trees filled with nutrients may lead to more shade, leading to cooler water temperatures for the next generation of fish. 

The two kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye are currently swimming in tanks at the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm t́ák̓ʷ Hatchery.

They are expected to be fully mature later in the fall.

A late push

Another two sockeye were also spotted outside the hatchery at the end of September and early October, bringing the total number of returns to five (including the Upper Pitt River fish) this year.

The fish — both female — were then confirmed as kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye, following DNA testing in mid-October. There are currently four kʷikʷəƛ̓əm sockeye in the hatchery. The Nation's fisheries and hatchery team is expecting to start collecting broodstock, adult fish that are spawned for eggs and milt to create the next generation of fish. Stay tuned for new updates.