Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Local species can teach us a lot to about the past, but also the future. More salmon are appearing in fishers' nets along the Mackenzie River system and in the Arctic Ocean and earlier in the summer than ever before. One was caught near Yellowknife this past week.
Mr. Speaker, chum salmon have always been caught in the Northwest Territories, but now they are being caught farther north and in greater numbers. People wonder what this means for species like Arctic Char. Mr. Speaker, naturally, Pacific Salmon are mostly found in the North Pacific Basin, from northern California to the northwestern margin of Alaska. But more and more salmon are showing up in the Northwest Territories overall. These changes were first noticed and reported by local subsistence fishers. Many of them have since helped with research into this change in salmon habitat.
Part of this research has involved determining how salmon eggs are able to endure Arctic winters and hatch at just the right time for young salmon to reach the Arctic Ocean. Climate change could be responsible for the warmer water that allows the eggs to survive. There are many unanswered questions about salmon and other species' new relationship with the Arctic environment.
Local fishers and traditional knowledge can help answer those questions by providing firsthand knowledge of the river, the Delta and the Beaufort Sea. They were encouraged to report salmon catches to research teams. Shifts and changes in salmon distribution and range are indicators of changes to the entire Arctic ecosystem. If these changes become permanent, it may result in the salmon changing those ecosystems more and impacting other native fish species like Arctic Char. The people of the Beaufort Delta region have relied on Arctic char for countless generations.
The salmon have a lot to teach us about our changing climate, and what species can tolerate and adapt to. Understanding these changes is key to preparing for the future of the Arctic. Mr. Speaker, that understanding is why scientific research and traditional knowledge are so important. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
