The Population Sustainability of Yukon Salmon Stocks study proposed by Yukon MP Brendan Hanley is scheduled for its second meeting in the parliamentary fisheries and oceans committee on Thursday.

Salmon populations are in a critical state, Yukon MP Brendan Hanley noted today.

Since becoming MP in 2021, Hanley has served to elevate the voices of Yukoners and Yukon First Nations concerned about historic salmon run lows and the very survival of the species, his office said in a statement. He made an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. last fall.

The committee will continue studying the issue “to better understand how important this crisis is to both the Yukon and to the entire ecosystem,” the statement said.

The study will provide recommendations to the federal government alongside other levels of government, including with state and national governments in the United States.

Hanley invites anyone interested to submit a brief to the committee to provide their thoughts, lived experience and expertise on the issue, for consideration in the committee’s final recommendations and report.

“The importance of salmon runs beyond conservation and environmental reasons; salmon hold immense subsistence and cultural significance to First Nations people,” said Hanley.

“The revitalization of salmon in the Yukon water shed requires urgent, multi-faceted, and collaborative solutions, and I’m determined to use all tools available, including a parliamentary study, to elevate this crisis.”