Jeffrey Young, a biologist with the David Suzuki Foundation in Vancouver, told CBC News that not enough research is taking placeto disocver what happens to salmond during the years they are away at sea.
"There could be some answers if we look really hard," Young told CBC News.
"We do support increased monitoring and science to figure out some of these problems. But we need to take steps now on the things we can control, including over-fishing and habitat loss, and until we do that we can expect populations to decline," Young said.
The Fraser River sockeye salmon saw the numbers returning at just 10 per cent of what Department of Fisheries and Oceans had forecast. About 10 million sockeye were expected, but only 1.1 million made it into the river, CBC reports.
Authorities Criticised over Salmon Returns
CANADA - An environmental organisation has accused the Britisah Columbian authorities of not doing enough to ensure the welfare of salmon returning to the province's rivers.
