Government of Canada expands mass marking of hatchery-origin Pacific Chinook salmon to support conservation and hatchery management

VANCOUVER, BC, April 8, 2026 /CNW/ - Pacific salmon have shaped the identity of British Columbia for millennia. They sustain coastal and inland communities, and are integral to the cultural and spiritual traditions of Indigenous Peoples. The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting and rebuilding wild Pacific salmon populations for future generations through science-based management, strong partnerships, and sustained investments in conservation.

Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced a next step in strengthening the long-term conservation and rebuilding of wild Pacific salmon with the expansion of mass marking of all DFO hatchery-origin Chinook salmon in southern British Columbia.

Marking of hatchery-origin Pacific salmon, through the removal of the adipose fin, enables identification of individual fish and differentiation from wild stocks. The ability to accurately distinguish hatchery and wild-origin Pacific salmon is important for fishery management, hatchery operation, scientific understanding, and to better achieve conservation objectives. Marking of hatchery-origin Chinook salmon is a common practice in many Pacific jurisdictions, including Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and California. Canada currently marks some, but not all, of our hatchery-origin Chinook salmon.

Through the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), the Government of Canada has made targeted investments to expand scientific research, monitoring, and improve Pacific salmon hatchery practices. These investments also enabled Fisheries and Oceans Canada to increase capacity to mark hatchery-origin Chinook salmon on a larger scale, through the use of specialized "mass-marking" equipment and techniques. With the $412.9 million renewal of PSSI, new investments will be made to further increase mass-marking capacity with the objective of marking all DFO hatchery-produced Chinook in southern British Columbia.

Quotes

"Pacific salmon are central to the cultural, ecological, and economic fabric of Canada's West Coast. Expanding mass marking enhances our understanding of science, providing a clearer picture of wild salmon populations, and the performance of our hatcheries. This supports better population management, can promote genetic diversity, and is one of the investments we are making so that these wild salmon runs can have the best chance at recovery and sustainability over the long-term."

The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

Quick Facts

• Mass marking is the process of marking large numbers of hatchery-raised salmon by clipping the adipose fin; it enables visual identification of hatchery-origin salmon. The removal of this small dorsal fin, located just above the tail, does not affect survival or fish health.
• By clearly identifying hatchery-origin fish, mass marking helps protect the genetic diversity of wild Pacific salmon populations through improved hatchery management practices. It increases the ability to monitor the presence and distribution of hatchery fish by supporting the selective removal of hatchery fish through harvest, and improved hatchery management practices limit the interaction and interbreeding with wild stocks on the spawning grounds. 
• Marking of Chinook salmon also contributes to improved monitoring and stock assessment by providing better data on hatchery and wild fish, and can facilitate more selective fisheries that focus on hatchery-origin fish while avoiding vulnerable wild stocks.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been advancing work on mass-marking for several years, and experience gained will inform expansion of efforts in the near future. Information gained as a result of implementing mass-marking programs has many important applications, from facilitating stock rebuilding, scientific research, fishery management and hatchery operations.
• Approximately 40% of Chinook salmon released from hatcheries in southern British Columbia are currently marked. By 2027, Fisheries and Oceans Canada intends to expand mass-marking capacity to mark approximately 90% of Chinook salmon originating from DFO-operated hatcheries in southern British Columbia. Work will continue in future years, with the goal of marking all DFO hatchery-produced Chinook in southern British Columbia.
• DFO will also work with community hatcheries to increase their Chinook mark rate, where feasible and supported by science, and in agreement with those community hatcheries.

Associated Links

• A Force of Nature: Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature
• Salmonid Enhancement Program
• About hatcheries and spawning channels
• The State of Canadian Pacific Salmon Report

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

Contacts: Ira Khedkar, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]